In-Room Technologies

Chapter 6

"The good news is that the PMS market has seldom seen such a variety of different approaches to solving your property's automation needs. The further good news is that the systems available have never been better for what is still the key system, the hub around which all other property systems revolve and in which you collect a huge amount of highly valuable guest data. “ Jon Inge, Hotel Systems Consultant

•  Today IT is part of the business now…

Let’s have a look at the systems

Lodging-Centric Technologies Internet/ Intranet TRAVEL AGENTS GLOBAL RESERVATION SYSTEM FORECASTING & SCHEDULING CREDIT CARD AUTHORIZATION & EFT REMOTE SALES MARKETING TIME & ATTENDANCE CORPORATE GUEST HISTORY PMS CORPORATE RESERVATION SYSTEM YIELD MANAGEMENT PAY PER VIEW / CHECK OUT MAID DIAL-IN SALES & CATERING SYSTEM CORPORATE ACCOUNTING SYSTEM PURCHASING & INVENTORY INTERFACE WITH DIRECTION OF DATA FLOW FOOD & BEVERAGE INVENTORY SYSTEM ELECTRONIC BAR DISPENSER BOH FOH E-MAIL, MIS, DSS, EIS RESTAURANT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (POS) CALL ACCOUNTING SYSTEM (CAS) MINI BAR LD ELECTRONIC LOCK & SECURITY SYSTEM INROOM ENERGY CONTROL PBX (SWITCH WAKE-UP SYSTEM MAINTENANCE ENERGY FIRE & LIFE SAFETY VOICEMAIL MESSAGE HANDLING SYSTEMS OFF PREMISE SYSTEMS INHOUSE

Hotel information system

Advantages of Technology in Hotels 1.

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3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

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Improved labor productivity and organization efficiency Enhanced decision-making capability in less time Reduced operating costs Increased information accuracy Increased revenues Greater guest satisfaction and loyalty Improved controls Ease of use

Disadvantages of Technology in Hotels 1.

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Security Ergonomics Cost Upgrades and maintenance

In-Room Technologies

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Electronic Locking System Energy Management & Climate Control Systems Fire Alarm & Security Systems In-room Minibars In-room safe boxes Guestroom Phone System Voice-mail/Wake-up Systems In-room Entertainment Systems Guestroom control panels Self check-in/out systems

Electronic Locking Systems

Electronic Locking Systems (ELS)

 Majority of the hotels use electronic locking systems (ELS)  Hotel Key System Evolution  Mechanical Keys  Punched-hole coded   plastic room key card Optical Cards Electronic Key Card

Mechanical Keys

      Cheaper than electronic locking systems Heavier to carry Inconvenient Once lost, the cost of replacement is high Not traceable Duplicable

Electronic Locking Systems (ELS)

 About 85 percent of lodging establishments in the United States have electronic locking systems installed  Types:  Hard-wired ELS  Micro-processor based  One-way communication ELS  Two-way communication ELS

Hard-wired ELS

 Hard-wired system is an example to a first generation ELS  They operate through a centralized master code console interfaced to every single key lock  Very Expensive to wire each door  Great security

Micro-processor based ELS

  One-way communication This system uses a microcomputer (keycard console) with an electronic key encoder, a device used to encode new lock combinations on guest keycards at check-in

One-way e-locks

 Electronic key encoder: device to encode new lock combinations

Check-in: Front Desk Agent encodes the key for room 101 Guest enters the e-key into lock 101 The lock erases the Previous code. Now this door can be opened with this card now Until the next new card comes in

Advantages of ELS over Mechanical Keys           Unique keys Light plastic, magnetic stripe keys: Security Replaceable The cost of a new key is low Recyclable The cost of rekeying is non-existent.

Access control Audit-trail capability Privacy Feature

Disadvantages of one-way ELS

  One key can not be used in multiple locks.

If the guest decided to change rooms, he/she has to go to front desk to recode the key.

 If a wrong key is inserted into a lock, it does not alert security staff.

Two-way communication ELS

 Two-way communication keys are more expensive to install; however, they offer several security and convenience features.

 In the two-way communication locks, a central database communicates to locks wirelessly.

 One key can be used in multiple places (i.e. pool, health club, concierge floor)

Keycards- Magnetic Stripe Cards

Keycards- Memory Card

    A memory card is equipped with a memory chip to store lock access codes and records.

They can store data from 2 kilobyte (KB) (it can carry 25 different key lock codes), 8 KB (it can carry up to 125 different key lock codes), or 64 KB (it can carry up to 1350 different key lock codes). These are great for staff members or managers who have access to multiple locks.

The cost of a memory card can be from $2.00 per card to $4.00 per card. Cards

Keycards- Memory Card

Keycards- Smart Cards

 A smart card, chip card, or integrated circuit(s) card (ICC), is defined as any pocket-sized card with embedded integrated circuits which can process information.  Smart cards can store more data than the memory cards.  Smart cards can also process data, allowing it to serve as an electronic purse or ID.

Keycards- Smart Cards

Keycards-Biometric

 The first generation of biometric ELS was seen in 2004.  Saflok was one of the first companies to introduce the biometric locks  The guest registers his/her fingerprint or iris scan or other biometric metric (i.e. hand scan, palm scan) at the time of check-in.

Keycards- RFID

  Radio-frequency identification (RFID) is an automatic identification method, relying on storing and remotely retrieving data using devices called RFID tags or transponders.

There are two main components of a RFID ELS:  RFID Lock: This is the key lock that looks for a RFID tag to grant access.  RFID tags (keys): These are the identification codes for key locks. They can be in the shape of a plastic keycard, or can be stored in different devices, such as a wristband.

Videos*

      Mechanical Key Electronic Key as a Security Device Code-based Key Biometric Lock RFID Based Lock Smart Lock * (password: videos)

Energy Management Systems & Climate Control Systems InnCom Systems

Energy Management & Climate Control Systems  After labor, energy is the second-largest operating expense for a hotel  Guestroom energy consumption typically accounts for 40 percent to 80 percent of a hotel’s total energy costs

EMS-Digital Thermostat

 humidity control  outside temperature display

EMS Types

1) centrally controlled systems 2) individually controlled systems 3) network controlled systems

EMS Devices

1.

Electronic key-card based energy management systems This system employs a wall mounted unit that controls the electrical devices and Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) devices with the help of a magnetic stripe key card

EMS Devices

2. Body-motion detector based energy management systems A body-motion detector is installed inside the guestroom and in some cases in the corridors. When the body-motion unit does not detect a motion, indicating that there is not a guest or an animal in the room or in the corridor, it controls the lights and HVAC equipment.

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Video

Body Motion Sensor to control Hallway lights (Royal Hotel, Lyon, France)

EMS Devices

3. Body-heat detector based energy management system Similar to body-motion detector based systems, this system detects body-heat of a human or an animal. This system is more reliable than the body-motion detector. When the system does not detect body hear, it assumes that it is non-occupy mode, and sets HVAC equipment back to preset temperatures

EMS-Wireless Light Switch

   replaces the standard hard wired line-voltage light switch Lighting can be pre-set to save energy costs By enabling the front desk to remotely turn lights on and off in the guestroom when a guest checks in or out, infrared switch provides the next level of energy and utility management.

EMS-Lamp Control Mode

 It converts any standard lamp into a remotely controllable lamp with full dimming capability. (infrared)

Guestroom Status

   The guest may choose either the DND or MUR functions without needing to open the guestroom door. If DND is pressed, a lettered, backlit "Do-Not-Disturb" indicator is displayed on the external door plate If MUR is selected, a discreet LED indicator, readable only by hotel staff, is displayed on the external plate.

Guestroom Status: External Door Plate  installed on the wall outside the guestroom   DND or MUR indicate current room occupancy status

EMS Control Levels

 Network controlled energy management systems have four levels of temperature set-backs: 1.

2.

Sold Unsold 3.

4.

Sold Occupied Sold Unoccupied

Fire Alarm and Security Systems

 Networked Fire Alarm System: In this system, smoke detectors are networked to a central management system wirelessly

In-Room Minibars

 There are three different type of minibar systems. These are: 1.

2.

3.

Traditional minibars (non-automated), Semi-automated minibars Automated minibars (micro-processor based).

Traditional Minibars

 Traditional minibars are based on manual checking and/or honor system.

 After minibar staff members fill out the minibar initially, they have to check every occupied room every day to see of anything has been consumed.

Semi-automatic Minibars

 Semi-Automated minibar Systems are equipped with a door alert system that reports directly to the minibar central computer system via existing telephone wiring each time the bar door is opened.  This way, minibar staff members know which rooms need refilling and which rooms do not. This decreases the restocking time and guest disturbances are significantly reduced.

Automated Minibar Systems

 Automated Minibar Systems (Micro-processor based) are capable of monitoring and posting sales transactions, determining refill quantities, reminding the expiration dates of products offered, and enhancing profitability.

 The automated minibar has infrared sensors that sense when a product is removed from the tray.

In-Room Safes

 Traditionally, hotels used to offer safe boxes in the front desk. However, in today’s hotels, most rooms are equipped with modern, small, individual size safes.

 Mechanical key safes  Electronic in-room safes  Key card safes  Code-based electronic in-room safes  Smart-card based safes  Biometric safes

Guestroom Phone Systems

  Hotel Billing Information System (HOBIC) Call Accounting System (CAS) Features  Call Automatic identification of outward dialing  Automatic route selection  Least cost routing  Call rating program  PBX

Private Branch Exchange (PBX)

 CAS works with PBX  PBX phone systems are created to form a private network of users to share selected external telephone lines.  It is more cost efficient to share a few external lines than to allow every user their own external lines.  Within a PBX phone system it is easier to reach someone because it is only a three or four digit extension.

High Speed Internet Access

   Dial-up access- First generation High Speed Internet Access- Wired High Speed Internet Access-Wireless  802.11b- 11 Mbps  802.11g- 54 Mbps  802.11a- 54 Mbps  802.11n- 100 Mbps  Hybrid

Future of Hotel Telephone Systems  Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) Bundle Offerings– Phone + Internet Access

In-Room Voice Mail Systems

    Most of the hotels that have telephone in the guestroom offer voice mail service. A hotel using voice mail assigns a voice mailbox to each guest upon check-in. If the voice mail system is interfaced with PMS, the voice mail talks to the guest in the guest’s language (i.e. English, German, Spanish). The guests have the option to set-up the voice mail or leave it as default message. Guests can record their greeting recording or set a unique PIN code to access the voice messages

Wake Up Systems

 Manual wake-up system  Semi-automated wake-up system  Full-automated wake-up system  Interactive TV System Wake up system  Alarm clock in the room

In-Room Entertainment Systems

          Personalized welcome message upon check-in Video on demand (pay per view) High speed Internet access Wake-up call Order room service Live feedback Different languages Internet Protocol based Radio View Bill/Self- Check out System Parental Controls

Other In-Room Systems

Guestroom Control Panels

Clocky

Anyfill Battery Charger

Flame Free Candles

DND/MUR Card

Digital Frame

Emergency Light System

Wii

Digital Door Viewer

Video

 eXperimental Guestroom

End of Chapter 6