Hotel

Assa Abloy Debuts Mobile Access at Starwood Chain

Assa Abloy Mobile Access for Hospitality went live for the first time last week when Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., introduced SPG Keyless, a keyless entry system allowing Starwood Preferred Guest members to use their smartphone as a key. Rolling out to Aloft, Element, and W Hotels across the globe, SPG Keyless makes its official debut in 10 hotels in markets including Beijing, Hong Kong, New York, Los Angeles, and Doha.

ASSA ABLOY to Debut 75 New Products at ASIS 2014

At the 2014 ASIS International Seminar and Exhibits, ASSA ABLOY will announce the introduction of 75 new products, underscoring the company’s commitment to innovation in the global access control and door opening markets. At ASIS, the company is poised to introduce new products in critical areas, including high security doors and hardware, e-cylinders for electronic access control, plus advanced lock technologies for institutional, commercial, and home control applications.

VIVOTEK Cameras Create a Secure Environment in Poland’s Hotel Bania

Located in Bialka Tatrzanska Mountain Resort in the central Tatra Mountain region, Bania Hotel is among the most luxurious hotels in Poland. An excellent location, top quality service, and numerous attractions make Bania Hotel truly exceptional. Bania Hotel is a perfect destination for families and couples wishing to enjoy peaceful leisure and an ideal location for adventurers seeking intense experiences.

Smart Bracelets: The Future of Access Control?

Security concerns are always balanced by the need for occupants to have easy facility access when they need it. A new technology developed by the Tecnalia Applied Research Centre in partnership with the Palladium Hotel Group and Paypal could change that by combining personalized access with daily functionality. The next generation of wearable technology is here – a smart bracelet that allows hotel guests to access their rooms, make payments, share experiences on social networks, and receive personalized services while maintaining information security.

VIVOTEK Surveillance Solution Protects Landis Taipei Hotel Guests

Located in the busy central business and finance district in Taipei City, Taiwan, the Landis Taipei Hotel is immensely popular among domestic and foreign travelers. This luxurious 5-star hotel features a French Art Deco ambiance, earth tone colors, and extravagant vintage decorations in each guest room to create a warm and cozy atmosphere for its […]

Brivo Labs Unveils Hotel Check-In And Keyless Entry Feature With HotelTonight

Recently, at Google I/O in San Francisco, Brivo Labs, an Internet of Things company leading the emerging Social Access Management market, in conjunction with HotelTonight, unveiled frictionless hotel check-in and keyless entry. The partnership combines the convenience of searching, booking, and payment of hotels on HotelTonight with Brivo Labs secured access control solutions. Google I/O […]

Access Control Company UniKey Teams With Hotel Lock Manufacturer MIWA

UniKey, the industry leader in smart access control technology announces integration of its keyless entry technology with hospitality door locks from MIWA Lock Company, the leading choice of electronic locking systems by hotel chains around the world. The Smartphone based touch-to-open technology will be integrated with MIWA’s flagship ALV2 System and will be showcased this […]

Idis Rolls Out DirectIP In US And Asia

06-03-2014 A luxury hotel and resort group has completed the first installation of Idis DirectIP full-HD surveillance at its new flagship resort in Phuket, Thailand, as part of a wider DirectIP rollout programme. Commissioned ahead of the resort’s inauguration in December, the project is the first of twelve DirectIP solutions to be installed across the group’s new properties in Asia and North America. Ahead of opening the Phuket resort, the group’s security team needed to implement a modern and high performance HD video surveillance solution that would be unobtrusive and match the resorts luxury brand and image. The solution needed to ensure the safety and security of the resort’s guests and staff, while the implementation needed to meet extremely tight deadlines ahead of the inauguration in late 2013.  In November 2013, the hotel group turned to their trusted systems integrator, Rutledge Integrated Systems (RIS).  RIS worked in partnership with CCTV specialist’s iCenter HD to review a number of server-based surveillance solutions. After thorough evaluation, the team selected DirectIP, based on its innovative high performance combined with its capability for fast and simple implementation, affordable pricing and bundled Idis Center video management, requiring no ongoing licence fees. The complete end-to-end DirectIP solution, comprising 45 internal and external dome cameras and  two 32-channel network video recorders (NVRs), is managed through the simple and intuitive Idis Center video management software (VMS). The IP-enabled and vandal proof range of one and two megapixel cameras, also feature pan-tilt-zoom, low light and audio functionality. Eighteen […]

With Better Security Technology, Hotels Shore Up Blind Spots

Ben Thiele, assistant general manager at the Hotel Monaco Seattle, adjusting a basement security camera. Stuart Isett for The New York Times At a poker tournament in Barcelona last September, Jens Kyllönen, a professional player, said that his room at Hotel Arts was broken into and malware was installed on his computer to transmit anything he saw on his screen as he played. Despite video camera systems and electronic key card entry logs, no one was caught. Although he said he discovered the malware in time, he says he is much more careful now about where he stores his belongings and secures his computer. Hotel Arts declined to comment, saying it was a private event. His case is just one in what has become a technological cat-and-mouse game between hotels and criminals. Smaller and cheaper cameras, smarter key card systems and communication among hotels add up to a more closely watched environment than in the past. Criminals are also using new technology to foil security measures and execute scams. Cameras are typically installed in public spaces like lobbies and hallways, said H. Skip Brandt, executive director of the International Lodging Safety and Security Association in Boston, and director of security at a hotel in downtown Boston. The numbers of those monitored public spaces are multiplying as video cameras and systems come down in price and increase in power. Advanced closed-circuit video systems provide “low-light vision, facial recognition, and movement and color recognition analysis software,” said Tom McElroy, a partner […]

Pilot Project Begins To Replace Your Hotel Key With Your Smartphone Using Bluetooth

Soon enough you’ll be able to walk into a hotel, straight past the front desk and have your door open automatically for you without any extra effort required, thanks to a new pilot project by Starwood Hotels (via WSJ ). Two hotels are debuting keyless entry via smartphones that have a companion app installed and can communicate via Bluetooth 4.0, one in Harlem and one in Cupertino, with both set to go live before the end of the first quarter of this year. Notably, the tech doesn’t use NFC, but rather opts for low-energy Bluetooth, which is available on Apple’s latest iPhone models as well as on most contemporary high-end Android smartphones. The implementation by Starwood would deploy virtual keys via their smartphone app to hotel guests, which would allow the guests to then open their hotel room door simply by tapping or gesturing with their device once they arrive. Starwood is bullish on the potential of the tech: CEO Frits van Paasschen told the WSJ that it believes this will be the “new standard” for hotel access, once it gets past the novelty stage. Of course, it has some potential limitations, like how to easily provision multiple keys for guests and their kids, as well as making sure that the tech is secure enough that patrons are comfortable with it. Plus, unforeseen parts of the check-in experience like arriving hours early are things that are often dealt with on the fly by the people manning the desk, so […]