When you check into a hotel, do you want quick and easy access to your room? The answer is yes, I believe most people think so. So, how to quickly and easily enter the room, Digital hotel lock can provide you with a solution, whether you are a guest or a hotel manager.
All your questions about digital hotel locks are answered in today’s guide. Whether you want to know the definition, types, or history of digital hotel locks, you will find everything here. Read on to learn more.
1. What is a digital hotel lock?
Digital hotel lock refers to the electronic smart lock used in the hotel. A smart lock is a Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or Z-wave-enabled smart door device that allows guests to unlock the door to gain access to the room with just a tap of a finger or a connected mobile device.
The most common types of electronic hotel locks use magnetic strips and RFID (radio frequency identification) readers to extract occupancy information from a centralized access system through a wired or wireless connection. The use of digital locks in hotels not only provides convenience for guests to check in but also facilitates management by hotel managers.
2. History of hotel lock
After investigation and research, locks appeared a long time ago, which can be traced back to 4000 BC, originating from the Assyrian palace of Horsabad Palace, where they used wooden lock pins to secure personal items belonging to the royal family.
This is the prototype of the lock. Later, in the mid-19th century, the Industrial Revolution reached its peak. An inventor named James Sargent created the earliest version of a digital lock in 1873, which at this time could only be opened at a preset time. In 1880, Sargent improved on its digital lock and invented the time-delay lock, which could be set to open after a preset time.
In 1976, Tor Sornes invented the first mechanical snap lock. The Westin Peachtree Plaza in Atlanta, Georgia was the first hotel to use these mechanical card locks in guest rooms. This is the beginning of the use of digital locks in the hotel industry.
Hotel door locks operated by metal or plastic punch cards entered the market during this period and became the next evolution in hotel room security. The 32 holes on the card allowed for 4.2 billion possible combinations of keys, roughly equivalent to one key for every person on Earth.
In the 1980s, hotel locks gradually changed from punched to magnetic stripe cards, a more secure alternative to punched cards. They are easy to deactivate or replace, and are less expensive than traditional keys. The security and convenience of magnetic stripe cards kept them in use well into the 2000s.
Until the 2000s, hotels switched to radio-frequency identification (RFID) cards, which contained a small chip that guests could unlock by simply touching the chip to the lock. Due to the advantages of RFID mutual authentication, message authentication, and data encryption. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) cards continue to be used today.
All of the above examples are based on different technologies but provide the same access control functionality.
3. How digital hotel locks work
How does a smart lock work? For professionals, it is not difficult to understand the working principle of smart locks, but for ordinary users who want to understand the working principles of smart locks, understanding the general principles is more conducive to understanding the use and maintenance of smart locks.
A smart lock is a comprehensive product that combines integrated circuit design, electronic technology, and a large number of electronic components with a variety of innovative identification technologies, including the mechanical design of the lock body, built-in software card, computer network technology, and network alarm. Five lock bolts and cores are used in the hotel smart door lock, which is anti-prying, anti-insertion, and anti-collision.
The password on the IC card consists of 4.2 billion characters, eliminating the mutual opening of traditional door locks. Losing the card is not a big deal and you don’t have to worry about others stealing it. Summarized as digital hotel locks, it is mainly composed of intelligent monitors and electronic locks.
1) The basic principle of intelligent monitor
The intelligent monitor is composed of a single-chip microcomputer, clock, keyboard, LCD display, memory, demodulator, line multiplexing and monitoring, A/D conversion, buzzer, and other units. It mainly completes the functions of communication with electronic locks, intelligent analysis, and safety monitoring of communication lines.
2) Basic principles of electronic locks
The electronic lock is based on the 51 series single-chip microcomputer (AT89051) and is equipped with corresponding hardware circuits to complete the password setting, storage, identification, and display, drive the electromagnetic actuator and detect its driving current value, receive the alarm signal sent by the sensor, functions such as sending data. In addition, the smart lock has a virtual password function technology, that is, any number can be entered as a virtual password before or after the registered password.
This method can effectively prevent the registration password from leaking, and at the same time, the door lock can be opened. There are also some smart locks with built-in embedded processors and smart monitoring devices, and you can remotely control the smart lock to open the door for visiting guests.
4. Advantages of digital hotel lock
Obviously, compared with traditional locks, digital hotel locks have more advantages and features, and the use of digital locks in hotels not only adds security to the safety of guests but also facilitates the overall management of staff. Below we will introduce some advantages of digital hotel locks.
1) Convenience
Convenience is one of the biggest advantages of using digital locks in hotels. The biggest difference between digital hotel locks and traditional locks is that smart locks do not need to take out the key from your bag to unlock, but only need you to enter a password, fingerprint, or take out a smartphone to unlock. This means people who regularly forget their keys don’t have to rummage through boxes and cabinets looking for them.
In addition, some hotel smart locks also have voice functions, which can help the elderly or children when using them. For hotel managers, digital hotel locks can help them know how many people live in the hotel and which room each person lives in, which is conducive to overall management when special circumstances occur.
2) Security
It has to be said that security is also one of the biggest advantages of using digital locks in hotels. Traditional locks can be opened with tools. However, when someone tries to open the digital lock by force, the alarm system in the digital lock will sound an alarm to protect your safety.
Moreover, many hotel smart door locks are guaranteed by patented technology. Indoor handle settings now include a safety handle button. You need to hold down the safety handle button and turn the handle door to open it, bringing you a safer use environment.
What’s more, using a digital hotel lock allows for contactless opening, which means you don’t need to use a key card used by someone before you open it. This reduces the risk of bacterial infection, especially during flu times.
3) Save time and reduce expenses
Hotel managers can remotely manage access for all users by using self-expiring access codes generated automatically by digital hotel locks. This means that guests no longer need to check in at the front desk, but can check in through their mobile phones. This brings convenience to the guests and saves a lot of time for the staff. As a matter of fact, some hoteliers have been able to eliminate the need for a staffed front desk entirely, thereby freeing up staff for other essential tasks.
4) Flexibility
Using digital locks in hotels allows for easy access control anytime, anywhere, so you can respond promptly if guests want to extend or cancel their stay.
5) Attract more tourists and promote development
Today, most hotels use digital locks. Yes, its advantage is convenience and safety. Imagine, if you are a tourist, do you choose a more convenient and safer room when choosing a room? The answer is yes. Therefore, the use of hotel digital locks can attract more guests to live, thereby increasing the hotel’s revenue and promoting the development of the hotel. Why not do this to hotel managers?
5. Types of digital hotel lock
There are many types of hotel smart locks, which are generally divided into three categories, induction locks, combination locks, and remote control locks.
1) Inductive lock
An induction lock is a kind of door lock that uses an induction card to unlock through microcomputer chip induction. It is currently the most used lock in hotels.
- Magnetic stripe card: Magnetic card uses electric current to magnetize the card, and then records the information brought by the current in the card. It is the earliest smart lock used in hotels, and it is now on the verge of being eliminated. But there are still some small hotels in use.
- IC card: IC cards can be divided into contact type and non-contact type. The contact type means that the user needs to put the card into the card slot to read when unlocking, the card slot is the card reader; and the reading card has a fixed direction, which is to accurately match the fit of information. At present, it is gradually eliminated by the market.
- TM card: TM card refers to Touch Memory. It adopts single-wire protocol communication and completes data reading and writing through instant touch. It not only has the ease of operation of the non-contact IC card, but also has the cheapness of the contact IC card, and is one of the most cost-effective IC cards at present.
- Radiofrequency card: The radio frequency card uses radio signals to identify information. You only need to put the card close to the sensing area on the door lock to unlock it easily.
2) Combination lock
- Mechanically coded lock: You should know the mechanically coded lock. It refers to the coded lock that we see in our daily life and enters numbers on the keyboard.
- Electronic password: Electronic password does not refer to the traditional password lock manually entered on the keyboard, but to control the operation of the circuit or chip (access control system) by entering the corresponding digital password on the electronic display screen with fingers, thereby controlling the mechanical switch Closed electronic combination lock.
3) Remote control lock
- Mobile APP: At present, some hotels have begun to use mobile phone keys to unlock, that is, guests can directly unlock through the hotel-specific APP when they check-in. It shortens the check-in time for guests and makes the entire check-in process more efficient and personalized.
- Bluetooth control: In fact, Bluetooth unlocking is similar to mobile phone APP unlocking. It connects the door lock through Bluetooth on the customer’s mobile phone and unlocks it with one key. The remote control lock abandons the traditional induction card, which is more intelligent, convenient, and efficient.
6. How to choose digital hotel locks
Digital hotel locks have become the development trend of hotels in lock systems, and more and more hotels have begun to adopt this intelligent system to manage hotels. It can not only effectively improve the external image of the hotel, but also improve the favorability of the guests towards the hotel. So how to choose the right smart lock for the hotel? Here are some purchasing suggestions for your reference.
- Pay attention to the function of the door lock. We all know that the handling function is very important for the hotel. A good door lock can not only bring guests a good sense of experience but also experience the progress and efficiency of a hotel. One of the criteria for choosing a good digital lock is to see if it can help the hotel complete the room check-in work.
- You should choose a matching style according to the design style of the hotel, and the house design pursues integrity. Even a humble door lock needs to blend into the whole. In addition, stainless steel primary color or mature surface technology is the best when choosing a digital door lock. In addition, before choosing a door lock, it is best to understand the material and thickness of the door, as well as the force of the lock position after opening the hole, so as to avoid installation failures.
- When choosing a regular manufacturer, when choosing a digital door lock, you should not only look at the product quality but also pay attention to the manufacturer behind the product. A formal manufacturer has a complete process for R&D, production, and quality control systems. As a result, products and services are guaranteed to be of high quality.
- Pay attention to the stability of the door lock function. The biggest difference between the digital door lock and the traditional door lock is intelligence. However, the more intelligent it is, the higher the stability of the product is required. Only a stable door lock can maximize the function of the door lock. The stability of hotel digital door locks can be observed from three aspects, including lock cylinder structure, motor status, and circuit planning. Of course, stability includes not only the inside of the system but also the outside of the door lock. In order to test the external stability of the door lock, you can shake the handle vigorously and frequently to observe the loosening and sagging of the handle.
- Generally speaking, digital door locks are equipped with a battery box for storing batteries. When purchasing, you need to check the battery box and understand the anti-corrosion treatment to prevent battery leakage.
- After installing the digital door lock, you need to test the software’s anti-terror correction, sudden shutdown, and other operating system backup and recovery. This is done to deal with emergencies and ensure the normal operation of the hotel door lock system.
7. Conclusion
Before staying in a hotel, guests need to ensure that the hotel they choose is safe and reliable. According to statistics, the number of women traveling alone has exceeded that of traveling with multiple people, which is about 52.7%. Therefore, for women, choosing a safe hotel when traveling is the top priority.
Hotel digital door locks are one of the criteria to meet this condition, and in recent years, hotel smart lock technology has developed at a speed visible to the naked eye. It is the general trend to choose digital locks for hotels. Hope this guide can provide some reference suggestions for your digital hotel lock.
