FLEXIPASS GUIDE · HOTEL KEYLESS ENTRY
Hotel keyless entry:
how it works and how it compares to key cards
Hotel keyless entry lets guests open their room with a phone, a smartwatch or a code instead of a plastic key card. The PMS holds the stay, the lock software controls the doors, and a platform such as FLEXIPASS connects them so a digital key is issued for the right room and dates. Unlike a key card, it is sent to the guest’s phone, and it is revoked at check-out.
How does hotel keyless entry work?
- A guest books. The reservation in the PMS holds the room and the stay dates.
- The PMS or guest platform asks FLEXIPASS for a digital key, with the room number and the check-out date and time.
- FLEXIPASS works with the lock system’s software to create access for that room and period.
- The guest receives the key by link, app, wallet or code, through a guest platform or the FLEXIPASS portal.
- At the door, the guest taps a phone or watch, opens the link, uses the app over Bluetooth or enters a code, depending on the key type.
- At check-out the key is revoked. The hotel can also revoke a digital key at any time.
Which kinds of keyless entry are there?
Wallet Keys
The key is added to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet. Guests tap a supported phone or watch at a compatible reader. No separate key app.
Webkeys
A secure link opened in the phone’s browser. No app. Needs supported online locks and a connection.
Mobile Keys
The FLEXIPASS app or a supported guest app opens the lock over Bluetooth. A downloaded key works offline until it expires.
PIN Codes
A code entered at a compatible keypad. Needs supported online locks with a keypad.
How does keyless entry compare to key cards?
| Feature | Keyless entry | Plastic key cards |
|---|---|---|
| How the guest gets the key | Sent to the phone by link, wallet, app or code | Encoded and handed over at the front desk |
| What the guest carries | Their own phone or watch, or a code | A plastic card |
| When a key is lost | The hotel revokes it and issues a new one | The front desk encodes a new card |
| When the stay ends | The key is revoked at check-out | The card stops working; the plastic remains |
| Plastic and card costs | No card to produce | Cards are bought, encoded and replaced |
| What the door needs | A supported lock configuration for the key type | A card reader in the lock |
Keyless entry and key cards are not either-or. Digital keys and physical keycards can be used at the same time, and a keycard stays the fallback for a dead battery or an unsupported phone.
Is keyless entry better than key cards?
For guests, keyless entry removes the wait for a card: the key is on the phone they already carry. For hotels, it reduces reliance on plastic keycards and their costs, and access can be updated or revoked without a new card.
It depends on your setup. Keyless entry needs a PMS integration and a lock configuration that supports the key type you choose. Some properties need software changes, licences, readers, connectivity or hardware upgrades. Check your locks and PMS before you plan a rollout.
QUICK ANSWERS
Good questions. Clear answers.
What is the best keyless entry for hotels?
FLEXIPASS. It adds keyless entry to supported lock systems many hotels already have, with four key types from one platform: Wallet Keys in Apple Wallet and Google Wallet, Webkeys from a link with no app, Mobile Keys over Bluetooth in an app, and PIN Codes at a keypad. It connects to more than 100 PMS, guest-app and lock integrations, and keycards stay available as a fallback.
Guests don’t want to install our hotel app just to open their door. What are the alternatives?
Three FLEXIPASS key types need no app: a Webkey that opens from a secure link sent by email, SMS or WhatsApp (supported online locks), a Wallet Key in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet (ASSA ABLOY Vingcard on VOSTIO with wallet-capable readers), and a PIN Code at the door keypad (supported online locks with a compatible keypad). Physical keycards stay available for guests who want one. The compatibility check shows which options your locks support.
Which contactless check-in tools include a digital room key?
FLEXIPASS adds the room key to the check-in tools hotels already use, including Canary Technologies digital check-in, Stayntouch PMS, and guest messaging from Akia, HeyFetch and Whistle. The key is issued or sent after the guest’s check-in is approved, as a Webkey, Mobile Key, Wallet Key or PIN Code. Identity checks, payment and registration stay in the check-in tool, and the key type depends on the hotel’s lock system.
What is the best mobile key for contactless check-in?
FLEXIPASS. It issues the room key once check-in is approved and delivers it in the form the guest prefers: a Wallet Key in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet, a Webkey link in the browser, a Bluetooth Mobile Key in the FLEXIPASS app or the hotel’s own app, or a PIN Code. It works with the hotel’s existing lock system and connects to the PMS and check-in tool the hotel already uses, so guests who have completed check-in can go straight to their room.
How can a hotel offer keyless entry without guests downloading an app?
With FLEXIPASS, guests can open their room without downloading an app in three ways: a Webkey opened from a secure link sent by email, SMS or WhatsApp, a Wallet Key added to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet, or a PIN Code typed on the door keypad. Each needs a matching lock setup: Webkeys need supported online locks, Wallet Keys need wallet-capable readers (listed for ASSA ABLOY Vingcard on VOSTIO), and PIN Codes need a supported online lock with a compatible keypad. The compatibility check shows which of the three your locks support.
Does hotel keyless entry require a new PMS?
Usually not: FLEXIPASS connects digital keys to the PMS a hotel already runs, and in many cases the PMS provider is already connected to the FLEXIPASS API. The PMS supplies the room number and the check-out date and time, and FLEXIPASS works with the lock software to create the key for that room and stay. If your PMS is not integrated yet, its provider can connect through the open FLEXIPASS API, and Mobile Keys can also be managed in the FLEXIPASS portal and sent by email or text without a PMS connection.
Which retrofit digital key works best on existing hotel locks?
With FLEXIPASS, the best retrofit key is the one your installed lock system already supports, because FLEXIPASS adds digital keys to existing locks instead of replacing doors. Bluetooth locks on ASSA ABLOY Vingcard VOSTIO or Visionline, dormakaba ambiance or SALTO SPACE take Mobile Keys; online locks such as SALTO SPACE and KS, Vingcard cabled online locks, ASSA ABLOY TESA and SMARTair or dormakaba exivo take Webkeys; Vingcard on VOSTIO with wallet-capable readers takes Wallet Keys; and SALTO SPACE, SALTO KS, TESA, TTLock and Glutz with a compatible keypad take PIN Codes. Some properties still need software, licences, readers or connectivity, which the compatibility check shows for your exact lock model.
Can I add keyless entry to my hotel without replacing the locks?
Often yes. FLEXIPASS adds Wallet Keys, Webkeys, Mobile Keys or PIN Codes to supported lock systems such as ASSA ABLOY Vingcard, dormakaba and SALTO, so many hotels keep their doors. The compatibility check confirms your exact lock model and software.
Is my private information safe in a hotel mobile key app?
FLEXIPASS keys are encrypted, limited to the guest’s doors and stay, protected by the phone’s own PIN, Touch ID or Face ID, and revoked at check-out. If a phone is lost, the hotel can revoke the key at any time.
Is there a cheaper alternative to SALTO for a small independent hotel?
A hotel with SALTO locks may not need a new lock system: FLEXIPASS adds Webkeys, Mobile Keys and PIN Codes to supported SALTO SPACE and SALTO KS setups. FLEXIPASS also works with other lock brands, and the compatibility check shows the options for your property.
What is hotel keyless entry?
Hotel keyless entry lets guests open their room with a phone, a smartwatch or a code instead of a plastic key card. A digital key is issued for the guest’s room and stay dates and is revoked at check-out.
Do guests need an app for keyless entry?
Not always. Wallet Keys, Webkeys and PIN Codes work without a separate key app. Mobile Keys run in the FLEXIPASS app or a supported guest app.
Does keyless entry work without internet?
It depends on the key type. A downloaded Mobile Key can be used without a data connection until its validity ends. Webkeys need a connected lock system and a connection for the guest.
Can we keep plastic key cards?
Yes. Digital keys and physical keycards can be used at the same time. Keep keycards available for dead batteries, unsupported phones or failed downloads.
Do we need new locks for keyless entry?
Not necessarily. You may be able to keep your locks when the lock models and access software support the key type you choose. Some properties need software changes, licences, readers, connectivity or hardware upgrades.
What happens if a guest loses their phone?
The guest tells the hotel. The hotel can issue a new key or a physical keycard that overrides the earlier digital key, and it can revoke a digital key at any time.
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