Gradually turninG
Cost and lingering skeptiCism are slowing new loCk teChnologies ’ uptake .
contributed by CurTiS AndErSOn
Next-generation guestroom lock systems are slowly gaining steam across upscale and luxury segments as new-build projects and major renovations are being accompanied by RFID and NFC lock installations . Dedicated retrofit projects remain relatively scarce , though .
While reliable figures on lockingtechnology adoption are difficult to come by , it is clear RFID ( radio-frequency identification ) and NFC ( near field communication , a communications protocol that allows devices to send and receive data instantly and securely over short distances ) have not yet gained the hotel ubiquity that was being predicted a decade ago . That is due partly to the banking crisis of 2008 that scuttled many development and remodel plans .
In that context , the move to RFID and NFC is progressing about as rapidly as could be expected , says Jeremy Rock , president of Anaheim , California-based hospitality technology consultancy RockIT Group . “ The installation of door locks is usually tied to new development and refurbishment projects , and unless there is a pressing issue with the locks they are rarely replaced as part of a technology refresh ,” Rock says .
Some hotel companies are making new lock technologies their brand standard for new projects . Hilton Worldwide is among the major brands requiring all new hotels and renovation projects that include lock replacement use RFID technology . Likewise , a pair of Bangkok-based companies , Onyx Hospitality Group and Minor Hotel
Group , are both mandating RFID in their new-build properties . “ We looked at our future technology strategy and decided that if we invest into magnetic stripe at this time we ’ ll be investing into yesterday ’ s technology , and with limited options ,” says Mike Stokman , director of information technology for Minor , which owns the Anantara Hotels , Resorts & Spas brand .
For resort operators with multiple points of sale and integrated vendors , like Destination Hotels & Resorts , Englewood , Colorado , RFID keycards can serve double duty for purchase transactions . That they need not even be keycards at all is an added bonus . “ Wristbands , key fobs , cell phones and others offer interfaces with guest services ,” says Mike Shutts , vice president
48 HOTELS March 2014 www . hotelsmag . com