Authorized entry!

by Ana María Restrepo

There are different forms of security that can be used in a hotel ranging from surveillance cameras, intrusion alarms, fire and smoke detectors, to access controls for rooms and restricted areas of the place.

And it is on this latest electronic security solution that we will focus on this opportunity.

Access controls are of many types: biometric, proximity smart cards, contact, contactless or magnetic stripe, which admit or restrict a person's access to a specific place. In the case of hotels, these systems allow guests to access their rooms, also monitor the entry of employees and control their time and attendance.

For Rosa G Figueroa, from Sinpro, access to hotels has evolved from the ordinary key that is still used in many establishments, to magnetic stripe cards, proximity and the most advanced fingerprint cards. But electronic and mechanical locks are also used.

The main purpose of access control is, as Gregorio Jiménez of Syscom puts it, to restrict access to the most important areas according to what the security advisor considers. "That is why a study of the most important entrances of the place must be carried out. An additional advantage of using access systems is that by means of a key you can have control of several doors, you also have time and day registration, as well as the assignment of who can enter certain areas and who can not. "

Control for everyone

Smart cards store bearer information, which makes it possible to give access by comparing card data with those on the base. The cards ensure the portability, security and reliability of the information. In the case of cards as a room key, they do not have a number that identifies which room or guest it belongs to, which minimizes the risk of impersonation at the time of being stolen. It should be noted that the guest's data is charged to the cards before he enters the hotel.

Access controls are also used for employees, most of these are given by biometrics, which allow the collaborator to be fully identified, however the type of biometrics to be used must be taken into account, because as explained by Héctor Amavizca, of Schlage Biometrics and Access Control, Ingersoll Rand, many times fingerprint controls are installed that end up being replaced by others more suitable for the establishment, as many workers wear their fingerprint due to the daily functions they perform at the hotel.

Rosa states that the places where the controls are implemented depend directly on the objectives of the hotel; most hotels place them in the rooms and employee areas, such as laundry, security center, cleaning, safe, freezing cellars, etc. In some establishments there are areas such as boardrooms, gyms or extra services for guests who also request access authorization.

César Domínguez, from Kaba Mexico, adds that on some occasions these systems are installed in elevators, parking doors and controlled or restricted areas. Additionally, Gregorio states that the control of vehicles should not be forgotten, especially when the hotel offers this additional service.

For its part, Amavizca expresses that biometric access controls also function as a record of time and attendance of the employees of the establishment.

Safety and comfort

The access control systems provide protection to the hotel facilities by being integrated with the other security systems, as well as verifying the identity of the person making the entry through the information contained in the centralized database. It is worth noting that room entrance cards are not only used for this function, but also allow the control of energy within the room.

These solutions have a high degree of reliability, although Jesús Montero, from Kimaldi, Mexico, says that the greatest security occurs when using biometric systems. It also affirms that there are many advantages that access controls present, because as already mentioned they also allow internal control to know which employees and guests use which facilities and for how long, as well as the monitoring of restricted access to areas where only certain customers can enter, which generates a plus in the service.

For his part, César explains that these systems provide security, trust in users, internal control of employees and guests, reduction of theft and loss, among other factors, although he assures that a great disadvantage is the misuse of the equipment due to ignorance of it.

New technologies

Every day technology presents new applications that allow us to provide much more specialized and agile services. In this sense, biometrics is one of these advances.

Héctor Amavizca explains that the biometric system for the control of access, attendance and time of the staff, also allows the assignment of shifts of the employees and the modification of these, becoming not only a security system, but also streamlines the internal operations of the establishment.

In the case of guest registration, the most commonly used type of biometric technology is the fingerprint, which authorizes users to enter the rooms. The fingerprint enrolment process is carried out in the check-in area. Once done, the guest's data is sent by network to the room lock for the guest to access with his finger. For check out it is enough to cancel the footprint in the system and the lock.

Regarding the previous procedure and the use of biometrics as an entry control, Jiménez explains that "biometric systems, contrary to what many people think, are very simple to use."

Also the radio frequency access controls are one of the most implemented, because it not only facilitates the entrance to the rooms but also makes it possible to keep track at all times of who is in what place and for how long, Montero also affirms that it serves to monitor the work of the employees, such as the time in which the toilet staff takes to fix a room.

Héctor Amavizca explains that a hotel can handle different types of access control, RFID, proximity reader and VIP, which is an electronic plate with proximity reader.

Trends and future

Nowadays the trends in access control are focused on the use of the magnetic stripe for its economy, proximity locks and biometrics, although the process of introducing the latter is taking place little by little.

These controls are also increasingly being used because they are practical and accessible; in addition, its cost has been reduced for the benefit of users. César explains that in Latin America the estimated percentage of use of new technologies is still limited and occurs around 5% in five-star hotels.

The countries with the highest penetration of these technologies are Mexico, Venezuela, Brazil, Costa Rica, Colombia, Panama, the Dominican Republic and Guatemala.

The future of access control in the hotel industry is very promising, since the large chains have adapted new technologies helping the introduction of them in lower category establishments, which helps companies to invest in different developments that may in the future make the stay of guests in hotels more pleasant and safe.

Montero highlights that lately RFID wristbands have been created with which the guest automatically accesses restaurants, nightclubs, bars and consumes freely, since the charge is authorized with the ID of his bracelet.

Title: Access controls for hotels