The Millennials, also known as Gen Y or Echo Boomers (made up in large part of today’s 20-somethings), cannot imagine a world in which they cannot plan and book their vacations and business trips at the click of a mouse, without what they see as unnecessary human interaction with travel agents or reservation call centers. It is only natural, then, that these individuals would eagerly welcome the opportunity to skip the traditional front desk check-in process as well.

In the last 18 months, security technology vendors Saflok, VingCard and Onity each have begun marketing locking systems that allow guests to enter their rooms without the hassle of getting a key from the front desk.

VingCard’s Signature RFID system already is installed in a number of properties, including the Plaza Hotel in New York City. Signature’s locking mechanism uses touchless radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology, but where it differs from myriad other RFID systems is its compatibility with Near Field Communication (NFC) mobile phones. After booking a room, but before arriving on property, a guest receives a booking confirmation number, a room number and a room key access code through an encrypted text message to his or her NFC-enabled mobile phone. The guest can then bypass check-in, as the phone already is equipped to unlock the door.

To date, NFC phones remain rare in most parts of the world, but their use is expected to be widespread within three to five years. “By putting the RFID lock on the door, you’re future-proofing a lot of the things that will be happening,” says Marc Freundlich, president of Assa Abloy Hospitality Inc., VingCard’s parent company. “It’s about being prepared for the emergence of NFC technology.”

In the meantime, hotels using Signature can give guests RFID-encoded keycards. VingCard expects to have about 10,000 guestrooms equipped with Signature locks this year. Depending on purchase volume, Signature locks cost more than US$200 each, plus installation fees, but VingCard believes the expense eventually will pay off in spades—particularly for high-end hotels looking to attract tech-savvy travelers.

The Plaza selected Signature prior to its December reopening because of its NFC compatibility, which may be a must-have amenity for high-end properties in the not-so-distant future, says Don Smith, The Plaza’s director of security. “It’s the newest thing. It has the technology to bring us into the future.”

Onity’s new CodePro locking system is PIN-based, targeted toward the vacation ownership and property management sectors, as well as at resorts with multiple buildings and extensive meetings business. Instead of a keycard or other device, CodePro uses a 7-digit computer-generated PIN code that carries specific user-generated access data, including start and end access dates and times.

The encrypted PIN and room number is e-mailed or text messaged to the user, and once on property, the user can go directly to the room and punch in the code on a keypad to unlock it. “This product would do away with the fact that you would need to check in anywhere,” says William Oliver, Onity’s vice president for sales and operations. “You don’t have to go pick up a key.”

The code remains active for the appropriate duration, whether a few hours or a few months. Others requiring access to a property, such as housekeeping and maintenance staff, also can be given individual remote access codes with separate time restraints, giving property managers the ability to track access to each individual unit.

CodePro, which debuted at the International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show in November, costs roughly US$100 per door more than a traditional locking system. The first installations of the offering are expected later this year.

Saflok unveiled the prototype for its Reggie online registration service at HITEC in June. It may be awhile before Reggie gets any kind of widespread implementation, but it, too, is an intriguing concept: Reggie allows guests to cut their own keycards at home, using mini-encoders they can hook up to personal computers. Participating hotel groups would equip their loyalty club cards with magnetic stripes, and when guests book rooms online, the loyalty cards would then serve as reusable keycards.

Reggie also would let guests choose their own room from a virtual hotel map, so they would not need to stop at the front desk upon arrival on property. Guestroom locks, meanwhile, would be programmed to allow entry only during the appropriate timeframe.

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