Not only in romance is true compatibility the key…

There are many hotel locking systems and many ways of providing access. Across South Africa's hospitality sector, hotels use a wide range of electronic locking technologies, including VingCard/ASSA ABLOY, dormakaba/Saflok, Onity, SALTO, CISA, Häfele Dialock, MIWA and others.

There may even be different generations or configurations of the same system within a property, particularly where locks have been upgraded over time.So, when a hotel is sourcing replacement or newly branded key cards, there is one question that matters before anything else: Are we compatible? In hotel-speak, that translates rather simply: Will the card work with our locking system?

Looks Aren't Everything

Hotels, like people, should remember that looks aren't everything. A card can look exactly right. It can be beautifully branded, perfectly printed and made from an attractive sustainable material, but if it contains the wrong technology, none of that matters very much.

Different locking systems use different technologies, chips, frequencies and encoding configurations. Two cards can look virtually identical while being completely different beneath the surface and therefore not interchangeable.

This is why hotels often search for key cards by the name of their existing locking system: VingCard key cards, Saflok key cards, Onity key cards, SALTO key cards, Häfele Dialock key cards, and so on. The first step is therefore to establish the chemistry. Compatibility comes first.

Do You Have to Compromise?

This is where the good news begins. Hotels may assume that, because they use a particular locking system, they must obtain their cards directly from the manufacturer of that system. That isn't necessarily the case.

Specialist key-card manufacturers can produce cards to the required technical specification. This can give hotels greater choice in design, materials and pricing, rather than limiting them to a standard card supplied by the locking-system provider.

In other words, once you have found the right match, you don't necessarily have to settle for a suitable but rather bland partner. The same applies to your key cards. First, make sure it works. Then make it yours.

A Good Match Can Still Look Good

Once compatibility has been established, there is no reason for a hotel key card to be generic. It can reflect the property's logo, colours, imagery and visual identity, becoming another small but visible part of the guest experience. Hotels can also consider different materials, depending on the technical requirements of the system, including conventional PVC, recycled PVC, plant-based PPH BioBoard, bamboo and selected wooden cards.

So the choice doesn't have to be: Compatible OR attractive.

It can be: Compatible AND attractive.

And increasingly: Compatible, attractive AND more sustainable.

What About the Different Locking Systems?

The hospitality industry uses a broad range of electronic locking systems, including:

• VingCard / ASSA ABLOY
• dormakaba / Saflok
• Onity
• SALTO
• CISA
• Häfele Dialock
• MIWA
• Other proprietary and legacy hotel locking systems

The precise card requirements can vary between manufacturers and even between different installations of the same system. That means compatibility should never be assumed.

When ordering cards, a hotel should provide its supplier with the relevant locking-system details, encoder information or, where appropriate, an existing card so that the correct specification can be established. It is much easier to get the relationship right at the beginning than to discover afterwards that the two parties simply aren't compatible.

What If Your Hotel Doesn't Use Key Cards?

Perhaps your hotel has moved on. Perhaps guests now open their rooms with an app, a smartphone or a code. Don't worry. We aren't going to suggest that you need to break up with your current access system. Even hotels using primarily mobile, app-based or coded access can benefit from keeping a supply of compatible physical key cards available.

Why? Because technology, like relationships, can occasionally be unpredictable. A guest's phone battery can die. An app may not function correctly. A digital credential may fail to download. A network or system malfunction may temporarily prevent digital access. Or the guest may simply say: "I'd rather have a card, thank you."

Having compatible physical cards available provides a straightforward backup when another access method isn't available. They may not be needed often, but when they are needed, having them behind the front desk can turn a potentially frustrating situation into a very minor inconvenience.

Changing Your Locks Doesn't Necessarily Mean Changing Your Card Supplier

Hotels periodically upgrade their locking systems, replace hardware or introduce new technology. That doesn't necessarily mean they have to change their key-card supplier at the same time. Specialist key-card manufacturers can provide cards specified for compatibility with the new system, allowing a hotel to retain greater choice over design, materials and supply.

At GuestLock, our approach is simple: Identify the system. Confirm the technology. Create the card.

For South African hotels, this is supported by local warehousing, creative input and customer support in Cape Town.

The Right Fit Matters 

There are plenty of choices in hotel access technology. But whatever system a hotel uses, the fundamentals remain straightforward. The card needs to work. It needs to be reliable. It can reflect the hotel's brand. It can support sustainability objectives. And it can provide a practical fallback when another access method isn't available.

So perhaps the lesson from both hospitality and life is fairly simple: Compatibility comes first.

Once you've established that, there is considerably more freedom to think about the things that make the relationship work beautifully.

At GuestLock, we combine functionality, compatibility, sustainability and branding within a single hotel key card.

GuestLock Solutions

Internationally manufactured hospitality access products, supported by local warehousing, creative input and customer service in Cape Town.

Safe Access. Smart Hospitality.