Are you grappling with a tighter budget at your hotel, a staffing shortage, or changing guest preferences toward contactless options? The hospitality industry is more resource constrained than ever and you're not alone. It can be challenging to deliver a high standard of service when faced with constraints like reduced hotel staff due to rising labour costs. However, the guest experience doesn’t need to suffer if you have fewer employees or less face-to-face interaction. Self-service options like hotel self check-in kiosks can bring a slew of benefits to guests, employees, and hotel owners and managers. Everyone knows that first impressions determine the majority of our perceptions about brands and people - the check-in experience is no different and it's highly correlated with overall customer satisfaction. In this article, we’ll explain what a hotel self check-in kiosk can do, how it plays into the contactless hotel trend, and we’ll show you how your hotel can achieve better guest satisfaction scores, higher profitability, and greater productivity by implementing self check-in kiosks.   What is a hotel self check-in kiosk? Taking a step back, let’s define a hotel self check-in kiosk. A hotel self service kiosk is a standalone, electronic device, usually with a touchscreen, that allows users to complete tasks themselves. Perhaps you’ve used a self-service kiosk to print your boarding pass at an airport or to purchase tickets for public transportation. These kiosks enable passengers to complete requests without assistance from a service agent. In a hotel, a self check-in kiosk solution is a similar device, but rather than providing boarding passes or train tickets, the kiosk lets a guest to check into their room by connecting directly into the hotel's PMS (property management system) via API, create room keys (key cards), and maybe even book a restaurant reservation or upgrade to a suite. Hoteliers use self-service kiosks to eliminate the hassle typically associated with hotel check-in and reduce reception desk queues.   What features do hotel check-in kiosks offer? In a hotel, a self check-in kiosk can actually do a lot more than a simple check-in. What can a check-in kiosk do for your guests? Check-in: The kiosk can handle the entire check-in process, including finding the guest’s reservation, collecting a payment method, and creating room keys that are compatible with hotel door lock. Some kiosks have integrated document scanners that can record a copy of a passport or ID card too. Guests can complete the entire check-in process in about a minute! Check-out: Rather than printing folios for every guest and sliding them under guestroom doors on the morning of check-out, you can let guests decide whether they want to print or email their receipts as they walk out of the lobby. Guests can also drop their room keys and arrange transportation upon departure. Upgrades: You can generate incremental revenue by allowing guests can browse and purchase room upgrades or add-ons from the kiosk. Upselling additional services and add-ons like parking, bicycle rental, and a breakfast package/room service are all fair game. Some guests feel more comfortable buying upgrades on their own terms, rather than while interacting with a staff member. Service requests: Guests can notify the front desk about any type of request, like asking for additional towels or to replace a lightbulb, without having to pick up the phone or wait in line to speak to someone in person. Employees can also benefit from the opportunity to triage and track these requests when they come in electronically. Hotel information: Guests can browse information about your F&B outlets, spa, pool, parking options, neighbourhood recommendations, and more on the kiosk interface.  Reservations: Some hotel self check-in kiosks also allow guests to create, modify, or cancel their reservations, similar to the functionality of the booking engine on your website. Payment processing: Hotel self check-in kiosks must handle registration forms and credit card processing meaning that these systems can also reduce chargebacks and prevent fraud. Basically, a hotel self check-in kiosk can handle nearly any task that does not require assistance from a human. It can also house any hotel information that might otherwise be printed in a guestbook or posted on signage.   How can hotel self check-in kiosks benefit your hotel? All of the features of hotel self check-in kiosks might sound cool and modern, but kiosks are by no means some kind of flashy gimmick. Through technology, your hotel can gain some real benefits, like incremental revenue and higher guest review scores. So how exactly can hotel self check-in kiosks bring these benefits to your property? Shorter wait times at the front desk can lead to higher guest review scores. If guests don’t really need to speak to a human, they can quickly resolve their needs (like checking in or checking out) with a kiosk, which performs tasks quickly and efficiently. When more guests use the kiosks, fewer guests are left waiting in line at the front desk, so guests who truly need in-person assistance from a front desk agent can get it more quickly. Hotel self service kiosks allow for social distancing and contactless service, which makes guests and employees more comfortable. When guests are confident that the hotel has adequate safety and hygiene measures, they are more likely to book. And when employees feel comfortable at work, turnover can be reduced. Upsell opportunities can drive incremental revenue. A hotel self check-in kiosk can make upsell options accessible to everyone, and this incremental revenue can be an important factor in your bottom line, especially during a time when every dollar counts. Automation of repetitive tasks lets your employees work more efficiently. If half of your guests check in on self service kiosks, then you will have less front desk roles to fill, and your front desk agents can spend their time on more meaningful tasks, like building relationships with guests and resolving complaints. Kiosks can reduce your environmental footprint by cutting down on paper use. In many hotels, front desk agents get in the habit of printing receipts and handing out maps of the local area, which uses a lot of paper over time. When guests control their own check-in and check-out experience, they can choose whether or not to get printed documents, and many guests will opt for electronic versions. What are some other considerations of hotel self check-in kiosks? While hotel self check-in kiosks certainly come with a lot of advantages, they might not be the best solution for every hotel. When you’re deciding whether kiosks make sense for your property, you’ll want to weigh the upfront cost, the fit with your typical clientele, and how the kiosks can integrate with your brand and design. When it comes to cost, there’s no denying that kiosks come with an upfront financial investment. Self check-in kiosks can pay for themselves over time, but it could take a couple years for the cost savings that kiosks bring to make up for the initial spend. If your hotel is strapped for cash, then kiosks might not make sense at this time; however, you might be able to make a business case for why kiosks are a smarter investment long-term than hiring additional front desk agents. Besides the cost, you’ll need to assess whether hotel self check-in kiosks are a good fit for your guest profile and for your brand image. If your typical guest is elderly or less tech-savvy, then kiosks might end up causing more confusion than they solve for, and you might need staff members to help guests use the kiosks. If many of your guests are international, then kiosks could be a great addition to your lobby, as long as you invest in good translations of your content. And if your hotel has a historic or traditional look and feel that is integral to the experience, then directing guests to use cutting-edge tech might conflict with the experience you’re trying to create, although you may be able to find a creative way to blend old and new. Hotel management is complex but software can help eliminate many of the tedious or repetitive tasks.  Want to enable the same functionality across hotel guests' personal devices to facilitate self-service check-in without clunky hardware?  Evernet is the most leading hotel self check-in kiosk in Malaysia, you may refer to the official website at www.evernet.com.my. Evernet hotel self check-in kiosk is a product from Singapore, by www.evernet-kiosk.sg.    read more

Evernet Self Check-In Kiosk certified EVA-Ready by Singapore Tourism Board Veecom Corporation Pte Ltd has received the EVA-Ready accreditation for its Evernet Hotel Self Check-In Kiosk from the Singapore Tourism Board (STB). In alignment with Singapore's visionary Hotel Industry Transformation Map (ITM) 2025, STB champions the implementation of solutions that elevate productivity and enhance guest satisfaction. Our Hotel Self Check-In Kiosk seamlessly integrates with STB's innovative E-Visitor Authentication (EVA) system, which harnesses the power of facial recognition technology to effortlessly validate guests’ identities with the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority. The EVA-Ready program recognizes technology vendor like Veecom, capable of delivering hotel self check-in solutions that seamlessly connect with the EVA system. As proud EVA-Ready recipients, we gain access to the EVA application programming interface (API), empowering us to assist hotels in automating key aspects of the check-in process. Through advanced facial recognition, we facilitate hassle-free verification of international visitors' stay validity by matching passport photos to their actual faces. Data Flow for EVA-Ready system, from STB EVA-Ready Program1 EVA Process for guests, from Singapore Tourism Board2 At Veecom, we are committed to revolutionizing guest experiences by integrating innovation and convenience. Our EVA-Ready Hotel Self Check-In Kiosk embodies this commitment, providing hotels with an unparalleled tool to elevate operational efficiency and exceed guest expectations. Embark on a journey of elevated guest services with Veecom Corporation – Your EVA-Ready Solution Provider for Seamless Check-In Experiences. Contact Us today to learn more about how we can transform your hotel's guest services!       References: EVA-Ready Program https://www.stb.gov.sg/content/stb/en/trade-events-and-resources/EVA-Ready-Programme.html   Singapore Tourism Board, Guest Journey Experience https://www.stb.gov.sg/content/stb/en/media-centre/media-releases/industry-wide-initiativestotransformhotelsforsustainablegrowth.html   read more

5 Reasons Your Hotel Should Have Self Check-In Kiosk   Recently, there were many hoteliers that were afraid that digital self-service would compromise the human aspect of the hospitality industry. But let’s face it, guests have moved forward and now take everything digital as an inseparable part of their lives. It’s the 21st century and we can no longer neglect the modern needs of our customers, right? No matter if you fear the implementation of self check-in kiosk or consider it the next step in the modernisation of your hotel, here are 5 ways hotel self-service will improve your working life and the experience of your guests: 1. Hotel self service kiosk doesn’t mean lack of service Answering the needs and meeting the expectations of guests is the core duty of every hotel employee, be it a manager, a receptionist or a housekeeper. And the same counts for hotel technology in terms of software applications or digital kiosk devices. Guest registration and check-in are for many people tedious procedures that they would gladly skip or finalise privately at their own convenience. In this regard, providing hotel self check-in kiosk options to your guests can only contribute to their comfort and improve their experience on arrival which, in turn, increases the customer satisfaction with your hotel in general. There is no place for fear of dehumanisation here. 2. Staff can focus on the things that matter most Today’s travellers expect to be given the freedom to choose and the flexibility to use self service kiosk for some of their interactions with any business, including a hotel. If they want to skip the check-in and thus postpone the first interaction with your staff, don’t panic. In fact, check-in time is not the perfect moment to say “hello” and make a good first impression. Guests are often tired, have luggage to take care about, crying kids in their hands to watch after and the list goes on. All this means that with hotel self check-in kiosk and other self-service options you can change the way you service guests completely – either do it with less employees or switch their focus to value-added face-to-face services that are more impressive than handing out a registration card and a key. Let’s put it this way: a mom of two won’t remember how politely you gave her the room key but will never forget if you distracted the two tired kids for a moment until she completed that self check-in procedure at the kiosk. 3. Hotel self check-in kiosk creates upsell and revenue opportunities Hotel self check-in kiosk has a great advantage – guests choose the time they use it at their convenience. This means that they choose a calm moment to register and check-in to avoid the hectic rush in front of the reception desk. For you as a hotelier this means that you get another minute to present your services and upsell or cross-sell, e.g. by offering paid upgrades, extra services and amenities or packages with added value. And while there are many reasons why having a consistent upsell policy followed by your front desk staff can be a difficult task, the check-in kiosk machine and/or the hotel self-service app will always do the job thus leading to an increase in your revenue. Evernet check-in kiosk www.evernet-kiosk.sg for sure would assist in maximizing your hotel’s margin.   4. System interoperability One issue with hotel self check-in kiosk has always been the integration between guest-facing apps and devices and the property management system the hotel uses. Data transfer and proper guest recognition have been the stumbling block for hoteliers to completely rely on the available self-service solutions. Luckily, these days are gone now and there are complete hotel management platforms where the data is accessible via multiple devices and shared across departments. This means that once a housekeeper marks a room as ready, a guest at the check-in kiosk can instantly book this room and get their key. 5. Correct guest data in your system Another advantage of the system interoperability is that guest data is stored correctly in the hotel PMS and will be available the next time the same guest visits the property which caters to the service personalisation. Such data can include previously occupied rooms, special requirements and notes, customer preferences, company information if any and so on. Conclusion Hotel management software or hotel PMS is slightly switching its focus from managing rooms and reservations to enabling real-time digital guest services in hotels. With the new generations of travellers and the constantly evolving online distribution marketplace, it is the capability of hotels to provide modern services that will help them remain competitive. Self-services in hotels, in terms of automated check-in, room selection, checkout, secure payment etc. eliminate the clerical part of the job for front office staff and leave more opportunity for human interactions, increase the accuracy of routine operations, reduce costs and improve the guest experience altogether. Want to check the hotel self check-in kiosk price in Singapore or Malaysia? Click the link to contact us now! www.evernet-kiosk.sg   Evernet – the best hotel self check-in kiosk in Singapore Evernet – the best hotel self check-in kiosk in Malaysia   read more

Concept of a Smart Hotel A Smart Hotel is a hotel equipped with disruptive technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and IoT (Internet of Things), with the aim of improving management, efficiency and control from the hotel management, as well as offering a better service to guests. For example, a guest can lock the hotel door, close and open curtains, turn TV on or off, and manipulate the lighting system.     Tricom – the leading brand of smart hotel solution from Singapore. Kindly visit www.smarthotel.sg for more information. Hotel self check-in kiosk is also a must for a smart hotel. The Evernet hotel self check-in kiosk from Singapore www.evernet-kiosk.sg , is the smart choice of hotel operators.    Now, Smart Hotels is a trend Smart hotels are integrating eco-friendly technologies and practices into their operations to minimize their environmental footprint. This can include using energy-efficient appliances and lighting, implementing water-saving measures, and sourcing locally produced, sustainable food for restaurants.     Functionalities of a Smart Hotel Smart Hotels are designed to offer an improved stay in terms of services and comfort for guests, but, above all, to enable optimized management in favour of security, efficiency and control capacity.   Among its functionalities, the following stand out:   Access control and security New technologies are used to implement advanced methods of identifying people when accessing the interior of the building or rooms. These can be codes, biometric recognition or digital unlocking. They also connect CCTV to a centralized monitoring system.   Smart rooms The place where guests want to feel at home. A Smart Hotel provides information on occupancy, room service request, comfort temperature, etc. to ensure a pleasant stay.   Control of building expenditure It is possible to control and monitor in real time the consumption of utilities such as electricity, water and other supplies.   Management of common spaces The use of meeting rooms, restaurant capacity, use of the gymnasium, among others, can also be monitored from a control platform, thus ensuring optimized and coordinated management with the service staff.   Parking control Supervising vehicle access, as well as controlling the volume of available and occupied spaces is useful when offering and guaranteeing a quality service. Digitized systems make this information available to hotel staff in real time.           Advantages of Smart Hotels   Automation of processes It is possible to control and automate systems such as: lighting, power sockets, heating, air conditioning, electrical appliances, doors, windows, blinds, irrigation, etc. Efficiency and supply savings Controlling the supply through information on consumption allows an optimization of expenditure, which, in turn, leads to cost savings and a reduction in environmental impact. A smart hotel is an efficient hotel that is integrated with the surrounding environment.   Access to data from anywhere Access to information can be given at any time and from anywhere as long as cloud management platforms are used.   Improved decision making Thanks to these data-based management platforms, hotel management can rely on all this information and use it to assess the evolution of different areas and services of the hotel, making it possible to make better strategic decisions based on key data for the organization.     Why choose a Smart Hotel over a regular hotel? Most of all - for the customer experience. Staying at a futuristic hotel where the room service is being brought to you by a robot which takes the elevator by itself, is quite the treat (Flyzoo Ali-baba hotel).  The hospitality technologies have changed as well as the profile of the habits of the digital-savvy traveler. A room with a view is not all people care about anymore.  Experiencing futuristic design is one of the great things about smart rooms. The space inside a smart hotel is very different from a regular one. For example, a smart hotel room is more open-concept oriented, meaning there are no closets and just a few drawers. Everything is out there, arranged in a more minimalistic style. Also, in many smart hotels, the rooms may be smaller than usual, in order to save some space, Internet of things in the hospitality sector is gaining momentum as we speak. Travelers who are used to smart interior design at home, will easily get used to a smart hotel room as well.  In some smart hotels, customers can adjust the height of their bed and also switch between lying down and sitting up (that’s called a smart bed, by the way: see the image down below), or they can write on the bathroom mirror which will send them what they wrote (or doodled) on their email later. Or just use the mirror as a touch screen. Such kind of (weird) qualities of a room might be a tad difficult to process at first, no doubt.      What are the features of a Smart Hotel? - No registration desk, you do everything via your smartphone. - Face recognition everywhere - you pay and open your room with your face, so to speak. - Guests at smart hotels use voice recognition to control the TV, lights, temperature in the smart room, blinds, even room service.  - Room service brought to you by a robot.  - Paying with your phone on vending machines.      Smart amenities of a modern hotel room Besides the traditional razor, toothbrush and some 3-in-1 washing gel, you will see other things that belong in a smart hotel room. The amenities of a smart hotel room include smart technologies like:   - Smart mirror systems - mirrors with touch screens - Voice-activated digital assistant - Amazon Echo or Tmall genie  - Smart concierge services - Large flat-screen smart TV, controlled by voice commands, connecting the customer’s devices - Temperature and lights control - Electric curtains   Smart Hotels & mobile devices What can you do with your phone in a smart hotel (guests & staff) - Use your smartphone to check in (a.k.a. express check in) - Place orders via the mobile menu in the restaurant/bar (guests will also enjoy the updated menu every day and fewer mistakes with the orders will be made) - Pay with your phone (using Ali-pay, WeChat, etc.) - Scan QR codes (again, for payment) - Use an e-housekeeping app - for hotel staff to know when a room is empty so it can be attended to. - Use a mobile dashboard - so the kitchen staff know what inventory they can rely on at every moment. - Staff may use a cloud-based food safety digital platform - so they track the expiration date of products. - Use your smartphone as a key to your room. - Use your smartphone to check out (a.k.a. express check out).   Smart Hotel Experience A normal customer journey generally would be divided into 4 basic the following segments: Pre-stay, Hotel stay, Departure, and Post-stay.   Pre-stay The Search First off, customers would start out the Search phase. They are looking for accommodation for their planned destination based on various factors including but not limited to location, pricing, referrals, and their past experiences. Smart Hotels advertising or posts would have appeared once customers start their search for the hotel destination inspiration. There would be promotion packages and deals personalized to the customers’ criteria, assure to capture the lead once you detect it. Customers can contact your hotel through the chat-bot available on your website, get instant assistance on questions and queries related to bookings or accommodation features. Any unanswered questions can be followed up through emails or direct phone calls, making sure customers do not need to go through multiple sites to get the answers they are looking for. In addition, your customers intentionally ask for your hotel room’s photos and details on the room’s layout. Nothing would explain better than a VR experience of the hotel tour from room to the common area, restaurant to fitness facilities, swimming pool to the spa and lounge. This would prompt your customers to quickly decide and close off on the best-suggested deal from your hotel offers.   The Purchase and before the arrival Once the guests are ready to make their bookings/reservations, hotels can offer guests to choose the room’s attributes such as views, bed and pillow type, corner or connecting room, non-smoking/smoking room, etc. Guests can choose to log in by using their social accounts, which allows the system to load all their information and auto-fill as required without entering these fields by themselves. The smart hotel experience would enable guests to take their picture at the moment of booking and store this identification photo to use for check-in later on. Payment by cards is easily done by taking a snapshot of the credit/debit cards. The purchase stage is closed by your booking system automatically sending out a verification email once the payment is completed. Before your guest arrives, a reminder email about the trip should be sent out a few days before the events. With the help of social media, hotels can customize personalized accommodation to fit guests’ stay and upsell packages as needed.   Hotel Stay Smart Hotels enables customers to check-in via the mobile app. All the customers’ private information is processed on their mobile devices and highly secured. Guests can check in at the self-service kiosk station available at the hotel property. By scanning guests’ identification such as passport / national ID /driver licenses. Thanks to the OCR technology, the system will automatically check in the guests, and take their pictures at the kiosk station. Depending on the hotel’s, the physical room key card or the electronic key card would be sent to guests’ mobiles. Contactless check-in is possible! Your hotels might not need a physical front desk. Some hotels have upgraded their game by letting the guests check-in using facial recognition via their hotel camera. Once the guests walk in, facial recognition features are built-in with hotel camera matches with the guests’ identification picture given during their booking process, check-in the guests immediately, and send the check-in completion confirmation to their email. The elevator would give direct access to guests’ designated floor and let them into their room with facial recognition devices or programmed e-cards. All room features such as curtains, lighting, TV, phone, AC temperature can be adjusted via mobile/tablet app or the voiced demand. Hotels are trying to make their guests feel comfortable and truly relaxing like they are entering their own space. Access to hotel apps to request room services, laundry, and housekeeping, everything is within their fingertips. Robots are in use delivering/collecting foods and collecting/returning to the guests’ room. All appointments regarding restaurants (including buffet status, restaurant busy status), fitness center (full or empty), and spa would be available on the hotel apps at the guest’s convenience. Hotels’ partners such as tour companies, nearby attractions suggest guests with promotional packages through the hotel apps. Everything is taken care of for your guests to enjoy their stays even if it’s in-hotel or outside-of-the-hotel.   Departure It’s finally time for your guests to leave. Queuing in line to check-out is no longer a thing. Everything is done through the hotel apps. Even minibar assumptions can be billed with IoT technology enabling electronic bills sending to guests once they pick up items from the bar. All other services would be billed and added to the check-out invoice. Cashless payment, which we mentioned in our previous blog, can be processed with guests’ mobile devices. The guests walk out with their luggage and the check-out is completed.   Post-stay Upon their departure, emails should already be sent to customers’ inboxes to share their feedback regarding the stays and ask for their review on our hotel website in return for rewarding points for them to save up in exchange for added value services or room features upgrade for their next stage. Following up emails in a few months offer promotional and value packages for their upcoming stays.     Conclusion Smart technology is increasingly improving guest experiences while making operations leaner in hotels around the world. Smart hotels are more sustainable with the environment, offer exclusive cost savings and enhance guest satisfaction We are the leading supplier of hotel self check-in kiosk in Malaysia. Contact us now for more information of hotel self check-in kiosk! read more

What Is a Smart Home? A smart home refers to a convenient home setup where appliances and devices can be automatically controlled remotely from anywhere with an internet connection using a mobile or other networked device. Devices in a smart home are interconnected through the internet, allowing the user to control functions such as security access to the home, temperature, lighting, and a home theater remotely.     Raizo is the famous brand name of smart home solution for housing developers in Malaysia www.smartsolution.sg     What Is In a Smart Home? Smart homes can choose to have smart speakers, lights, thermostats, doorbells, or home hubs. Smart technology can also extend to kitchen appliances or outdoor or landscaping equipment. New innovations are continually evolving what is in a smart home.   Why Is a Smart Home Important? A smart home is important because it allows a household to become more energy efficient. In addition, it allows a household to save time and perform tasks more efficiently. A smart home is important because of the convenience it provides over traditional methods of performing tasks.     How Smart Homes Work A smart home’s devices are connected with each other and can be accessed through one central point—a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or game console. Door locks, televisions, thermostats, home monitors, cameras, lights, and even appliances such as the refrigerator can be controlled through one home automation system. The system is installed on a mobile or other networked device, and the user can create time schedules for certain changes to take effect. Smart home appliances come with self-learning skills so they can learn the homeowner’s schedules and make adjustments as needed. Smart homes enabled with lighting control allow homeowners to reduce electricity use and benefit from energy-related cost savings. Some home automation systems alert the homeowner if any motion is detected in the home when they're away, while others can call the authorities—police or the fire department—in case of imminent situations. Once connected, services such as a smart doorbell, smart security system, and smart appliances are all part of the internet of things (IoT) technology, a network of physical objects that can gather and share electronic information.   Smart Home Systems Smart homes can feature either wireless or hardwired systems—or both. Wireless systems are easier to install. Putting in a wireless home automation system with features such as smart lighting, climate control, and security can cost several thousand dollars, making it very cost-friendly. The downside to wireless systems is you likely need strong Wi-Fi coverage and broadband service throughout your entire house. This may require you to invest in range extenders or hardwired wireless access points. Wireless smart home systems are generally more appropriate for smaller existing homes or rental properties due to their smaller size. Hardwired systems, on the other hand, are considered more reliable and are typically more difficult to hack. A hardwired system can increase the resale value of a home. In addition, hardwired smart home systems can easily be scaled; therefore, it is often the default method when designing a new build or performing a major renovation. There is a drawback—it's fairly expensive. Installing a luxury and hardwired smart system can cost homeowners tens of thousands of dollars. In addition, you must have space for network hardware equipment including Ethernet cables.   How to Create a Smart Home Heating Smart home products now allow for greater control over heating devices including when products are turned on, turned off, and controlled. Smart products may be armed with temperature or humidity sensors to automatically turn on or off if certain criteria are met. This line of smart home innovations also extends to air conditioners.   Lighting Often with the use of a mobile phone, table, or custom remote specific to a product, lighting products now enhance the capabilities of homeowners. Lights can be switched on and off, placed on a schedule, or set to change based on sunrise or sunset times. Like some more traditional products, lights can often set to change based on motion. Smart bulbs can communicate over Wi-Fi and display statistics or metrics to your phone. This lighting category may also contain smart home products that control or prevent light. Automatic blinds may be installed and set to close based on sunrise schedules. Alternatively, electronic curtains allow users to manage their blinds using a handheld device.   Audio/Visual One of the more fun aspects of smart homes, many entertainment products are now heavily connected to each other and can be controlled with a single remote. Television and speakers now have greater capabilities to be played on command using applications, including being maintained on a schedule or being voice-controllable.   Security One of the most reasonable aspects of a smart home is the enhanced security capabilities. Many products now have camera capabilities that track motion, capture video, or allow for live video feeds. This may be installed to sync with a ringing doorbell or set to display on certain areas of your property. These videos may allow for video-calling with the individual at your door, including audio capabilities. Many smart homes are also refit with modern security kits. This includes motion sensor detectors when individuals should not be home, home monitoring, notifications and alerts of suspicious behavior, and the ability to lock doors or windows remotely using a phone.   Other A very large section of smart homes relates to digital assistants or home hubs. These products are often interacted with using your voice and can take commands, field questions, organize your calendar, schedule conference calls, or provide alerts. Though not specifically related to one's home, these digital assistants provide a broad range of controlling smart assets, their schedules, and their statuses. Smart smoke and carbon monoxide detectors not only sound an alarm but can be synced to your phone to alert you should you be away from your property. These devices can often be set up to send emergency notifications to specified contacts. Automated irrigation systems have had the ability to be programmed for a while. Now, smart irrigation systems field climate and environmental conditions an factor those traits into existing water schedules. Smart irrigation systems monitor moisture-related conditions and strive to conserve water.     Advantages and Disadvantages of Smart Homes Pros -  Are often more convenient than traditional methods of scheduling, controlling, or accessing products. - May enhance security due to notifications or alerts. - Offers multiple ways of performing a certain task (i.e. lights can be manually turned on or scheduled). - May result in long-term cost savings when considering efficient energy use. Cons - May pose security risk as products are connected to networks and can be hacked. - May require additional work for homeowner to track additional passwords and monitor product security. - Are often more expensive than their less smart counterpart products. - May result in steep learning curve, especially for those not technologically-savvy. Home Much Does a Smart Home Cost? On one hand, more and more smart home products being brought to market will continually put pressure on manufacturers, competition, and product prices. On the other hand, these incredible innovations are continually expanding what they are capable of and may be assessed price premiums. When considering smart home products, perform a cost-benefit analysis to determine whether the price exceeds the convenience. In general, a smart home can start by being very focused on a specific product or room. This strategy allows individuals to invest in smart technology for minimal capital.   Is a Smart Home Worth It? Investing in a smart home is a cost-benefit analysis that often requires an upfront investment to equip your house with the appropriate products. In addition, there is the cost of needing to train yourself and become competent in understanding how to use the products. However, the benefits of saving time performing tasks as well as potential utility cost savings may make a smart home worth it. Leveraging innovation and technology, smart homes make it easier to do things. Whether it is controlling applications using your phone or scheduling products to perform tasks at certain times, smart homes have revolutionized the way individuals do things, consume energy, and interact with their home products.     read more

What is a Hotel Property Management System (PMS)? Hotel property management systems (PMS) manage all aspects of hotel business operations, including the delivery of superior guest experiences. Traditionally, a hotel PMS was defined as software that enabled a hotel or group of hotels to manage front-office capabilities, such as booking reservations, guest check-in/checkout, room assignment, managing room rates, and billing. A hotel PMS replaced time consuming, paper-intensive processes. Today, hotel PMS technology has evolved well beyond the front desk. A hotel PMS is now a critical business operations system that enables hoteliers to deliver amazing guest experiences.     The importance of a property management system for hotels can’t be over-emphasized. A good property management system will lift a heavy load from your front desk staff and create a happy guest experience. In this digital age, it is a must to have a good property management system. Let's delve into the importance of a property management system for your hotel.   1. No Double Booking The integration between a hotel PMS and a channel manager system is an unquestionable requirement every hotel should have. Channel Manager is able to channel and update room allotment over all the associated OTAs / sales channels. Bookings on OTAs would likewise get right away refreshed on the PMS. It helps in managing overbooking and double-booking issues.   2. Easy Check-In And Check-Out Process When the checking in and checking out process in your hotel is easy, it will create a pleasant experience for your hotel guest and also make your staff tasks easier and faster. Making your guests wait for a long time before they are checked in or checked out will result in an unpleasant experience and may even discourage them from visiting your hotel again in the future.   3. Easy to Manage Housekeeping The housekeeping functionality handles all the house cleaning assignments already pre-allocated in the system. It helps the front desk to keep track of the hotel room that needs cleaning and the labour required to clean the hotel guest rooms by the housekeeper. It also keeps track of the room supply’s and toiletries that hotel guest needs on a daily basis.   4. Lesser Paper Work & More Automated Having a PMS means lesser paperwork for your hotel staff and it is more automated. A good PMS will do most of the work for you and free your staff time to focus on more important things that will increase the pleasant experience of your guest. With the latest innovation in technology, most hotel tasks are automated by PMS, therefore, eliminating the use of paper.   5. Hotel Database & Report For every business customer data is important. This includes the hotel business. Having a hotel PMS will enable the hotel to keep a record of all their guests in their customer database. This helps the hotel to make good decisions that will increase their revenue. PMS usually comes with other reporting databases as well, which include payment databases, invoice databases, tax databases, and more. These databases help to make the life of the hotel staff easier by keeping records that are useful for the hotel.     Main features and functionality of PMS The ultimate function of any PMS is to automatically consolidate data from all hotel departments for unified control, better decision-making and eliminating paperwork. Program integration (or interfacing) with external third-party systems, such as payments processors or revenue managers, is its fundamental feature. Therefore, further incorporation of digital marketing platforms, energy efficiency, reputation management systems, etc., is the evolutionary way for PMS that will create even more value for hoteliers. Here are some of the main components that an efficient Property Management System for hotels must have: ● Reservations & Front Desk functionality enables a hotel to accept and manage online bookings with no manual input. This is a core part of any Hotel Management System, which usually works in a bundle with the website Booking Engine and other sales channels. It holds all the important information about your room inventory, prices, and occupancy. The Reservation’s interface was made for you to easily collect payments and automatically schedule new bookings in the calendar. It also helps property managers to view and change room status, check guests in and out (via App or a Self-check-in kiosk), and send automatic confirmation or follow-up emails. ● Distribution Channels Management ensures consistency of your room prices and availability across all connected online sales channels. A Channel Manager is synchronized with your Property Management System for instant updates of the room info on various platforms. It eliminates the need to update prices, cancellation policies, and inventory on each of the many channels that you use. It also protects your hotel from price discrepancies, booking errors, and over bookings. ● Deal Management functionality helps you to easily create special offers and increase financial yield from new bookings. This module helps hoteliers to combine services with overnight stays for yummy thematic offers just in a couple of minutes. If the Deal Manager is integrated into the system, you will be able to target specific guests with such offers via personal Booking Offer emails. ● Staff Management software allows you to grant a certain degree of access to the system according to the employee’s role. For example, you can set up special permissions for your Front Desk agent or let your cleaning staff only access the list of chores and work chat. In addition, this module will help you to organize shifts, assign tasks to the teams or create automatic tasks associated with the guest's order. ● Accounting & Invoicing functionality makes financial processes easier for both hoteliers and employees. It helps in maintaining tax-compliant bookkeeping, as well as creating invoices, payment management, and tracking key financial performance indicators. This software can simplify revenue management and increase guest conversions. ● Reporting & Analytics module allows hotels to automatically generate reports for consistent data analysis. It is used to get new insights on hotel performance and monitor key productivity indicators in real-time. Depending on the provider, hoteliers can receive automatically generated Financial Reports, Management Reports, Guest Reports, and Daily Reports (e.g. on check-ins and check-outs, no-shows, cancellations), and view important hotel statistics as a brief summary. ● CRM and guest management help you to gather and store all guest data. While keeping personal details and contact info or notes about allergies, it helps you to personalize your guest’s stay. Having an organized database of customer info can help you to improve your marketing strategies and target certain types of guests with special deals. This part of the system must seamlessly integrate with your Front Desk and Reservation system to collect information without any need for your extra work. ● Native Mobile App that syncs with all parts of the PMS is a big advantage for a hospitality business. Judging from the experience of large hotel chains, it can significantly improve the guest's stay. From online check-in that takes just a minute to the ability to book and pay for any service, it makes it much easier to provide a first-class service. In addition, an application that supports multiple languages helps foreign guests feel much more at ease, eliminating any language barriers so that they could enjoy all the benefits to the fullest. ● Point-of-sale & Order management to make profit from the hotel's amenities. To get revenue, the hotel needs its own point of sale and order management system. If these components are perfectly integrated with the core software, the hotelier will have no problem issuing correct invoices and securely accepting contactless payments. In addition, the order manager will send the guest's order immediately to the right department, ensuring efficient and well-coordinated work of all hotel teams.   These software components guarantee an uninterrupted workflow for any hospitality business. They are an absolute must in the operation of large hotel chains and bring added value to independent hotels. However, given that each business has its own needs and traits, its up to hoteliers to decide what kind of software they really need. The only thing to keep in mind is that hoteliers need a property management system that would perfectly integrate with their current or future software.   Advantages of PMS for hotels ● Client focus On all stages - from booking a room on a website to sharing feedback - property management system allows understanding the needs of each particular client, create a comprehensive profile and provide customized services. Peer-to-peer accommodation is getting increasingly popular and creates a huge competition to hotels. However, a professional approach and personalization might be a distinct advantage for the latter. With such software, you learn about your guests' preferences and may even predict their desires. By the same token, it makes your marketing, for instance, via emails, more effective, as you know better what information is relevant for your potential or existing clients before, during or after their stay. ● Employee efficiency Mobile-based PMS untether hotel staff from their desk, which leads not only to their ability to provide guest services, such as check out, anywhere on the property. Effective communication is crucial for any business, and management on mobile devices allows notifying personnel on any issues in real-time, so they can be fixed immediately. And last but not least, innovative approaches are appealing to tech-savvy employees. Value for hoteliers ● Rates on point PMS can substantially improve a hotel's financial results with smart revenue management. Through sophisticated algorithms, the system analyzes trends in demand, related to events, season, weather, and other factors, makes forecasts and allows adjusting rates accordingly. By processing year-on-year revenue and budget figures, the software can predict future sales. It generates market segment reports on a regular basis, which can be compared with competitors data. All KPIs for a given period can be viewed in a convenient format and contrasted against past data or future goals. ● High sales Alongside the right pricing strategy, selling as many rooms as possible through many channels is essential for profitability. The multi-channel approach also allows reaching different audiences. A channel manager within a property management system synchronizes availability and rates across various platforms to avoid overbooking and handle late cancellations as all developments are accessible instantly from a single interface.     How to choose the right PMS to meet your needs? Some of the must-have features of the best PMS include: ● Round-the-clock access to data from anywhere ● A multifunctional Front Desk ● Support of the classical and dynamic price models ● Functionality that helps you to detect repeat customers ● A Guest App for self-service interactions There are many well-known PMS brand in Malaysia, such as Softinn, Ezee, Esoft, IDB, ABS, Oracle, Fidelio, etc. Conclusion In conclusion, as a hotelier, the PMS you decide to use should be able to handle your guest experience and journey right from the time they start searching for a room on your website to the period they decide to check out from your hotel. The experience your guests has with your hotel and your staff will determine if they will return to your hotel. Therefore, implementing a good Hotel PMS that will give your guest a wonderful experience is paramount.      read more

What is a check-in kiosk? A kiosk is a touch-screen device allowing passengers to do self-check-in and pay with credit or debit cards for free. Kiosks provide a valid boarding pass at the end. The primary function of a digital self-service kiosk is to allow customers to complete various common tasks on their own without the assistance of a dedicated employee. This can range from placing orders for food, to purchasing train or bus tickets, to depositing and withdrawing money from bank accounts. Evernet – the leading brand of hotel self-check-in kiosk from Singapore www.evernet-kiosk.sg. It’s definitely a perfect choice to serve your hotels’ guests better.     How to do Kiosk Check-in? Kiosk check-in is done providing the related booking information through kiosks. Kiosks are practical and easy-to-use devices designed for everybody and most airports have kiosks devices. With its multi language support, kiosk devices print your boarding pass step by step after filling in the required details. Kiosks are touch devices allowing passengers to check-in. Passengers can head straight to the boarding area after getting their boarding pass. Kiosk check-ins can be done through PNR code (booking code), e-ticket, boarding pass or passport. After logging in to the system, passengers can request additional services or select their seats. Passengers can directly head to the boarding area without waiting in line after kiosk check-in and baggage drop-off.   How it works: 1. Begin check-in online or on the app. 2. Select the number of bags to check and pay if needed. 3. Download your boarding pass or print it at home. 4. Scan your boarding pass at the kiosk for Express Bag Tags. 5. Tag your bags and take them to Bag Drop.     About Check-In-Kiosk Ticket kiosk applications —  You “check-in” to pick up your tickets or you purchase your tickets. Hoteling — where employees “check-in” to their office for the day Patient kiosk check-in where patients at the hospital or the clinic or rehab facility check-in Airline Check-in — one of the earliest applications and now expanded to Trusted Traveler, CLEAR and other services. Baggage drop off and pickup — now Airlines are using check-in kiosks for these functions. Telemedicine — combined with check-in these also provide medical examinations           Travel Check-In Kiosks Check-in Kiosks have become increasingly common in a variety of different environments in recent years. Generally, the most familiar check in kiosks are the ones at the airport used for printing boarding passes and checking luggage. The automated services these kiosks provide, help keep lines shorter and travel time flow more efficiently. Checking in at the kiosk typically takes only a fraction of the time normally involved to check in with an attendant. Airline kiosks are very sophisticated and are equipped with numerous peripherals such as card readers, passport readers, and bar code scanners used for reading various state and country issued IDs. They are built to be very robust due to the high level of traffic the kiosk will see over its lifetime.   Healthcare Check-In Kiosks Another popular check-in kiosk application is for patients visiting healthcare facilities. The kiosk allows them to process their insurance information, answer questions concerning their visit, digitally sign HIPAA disclosure documents and pay for their visit in most applications. Patients like using these kiosks compared to physically filling out forms with a pen and paper while nurses and front desk attendants like the kiosks for freeing up their time that would otherwise be used checking in patients. A really valuable feature of patient kiosks is helping to reduce the need for paper and initiate the electronic storage of documents from the very beginning.    Hotel and Hospitality Check-In Kiosks Check in kiosks have also been popular in hotels for guests checking in. One such hotel is Yotel in Manhattan, which is a trendy new boutique style hotel that has automated their entire check in process. The kiosks are modern and sleek and easily allow guests to locate their reservation, put a credit card on file, and obtain a room key that is encoded and dispensed right from the kiosk. The check out process is equally as easy and the kiosk has an internal receptacle so guests can return their key and the hotel can use it again.   Queuing Kiosks Queuing kiosks are widely used in places where clientele have to wait to be seen such as the DMV or the County Recorder’s Office.     Hotel Self Check-in Kiosk: Knowing The Pros & Cons There is no doubt that technology has made our lives more convenient by changing the way we do many things. It does change how many businesses operate nowadays, the hotels have no exception to it.  Looking at the hotel industry perception, the way guests check in to the hotel has changed as well. There is a surge that hoteliers finding reasonable contactless service technology ever since the Covid-19 pandemic took place. Hence, there is no surprise if the hotel self-check-in kiosk becomes a big trend in the hotel industry.    The Pros of Hotel Self Check-in Kiosk Enhance guest experience One of the major benefits of a check-in kiosk is that the hotel can prevent long queues at the reception counter. We have to admit that no one enjoys queuing. The manual sign-in form is no longer needed. Guests can simply check in using the hotel kiosk with their confirmed booking number, scan the IC or passport then get their room key. The existence of the hotel kiosks simplifies the entire check-in and out process while providing quicker services to the guests which in turn, increases customer satisfaction.    Increase revenue opportunities Not only benefits the guests, but the ability to upsell hotel F&B, tour packages, and other extra services are also the green flag. Hotel management does not have to think about adding an extra headcount for promoting the hotel services. This can be easily done through hotel kiosk features. Hence, look for a kiosk vendor that provides the ability to upsell.    Reduce the headcount cost While taking an extra headcount to provide 24/7 services at the reception counter is too costly, some of the hotels choose to have fixed check-in and check-out time. With the self-check-in kiosk, this is never an issue anymore. Imagine putting the self-service kiosk - a machine that works 24/7, assisting guest check-ins & outs and serving the walk-in guests.   The Cons of Hotel Self Check-in Kiosk Even though technology is picking up, nevertheless, we can’t close our eyes to its disadvantages. Lack of personal interaction and difficulty to use While some of the guests are expecting a welcoming smile when entering the hotel lobby, it can be quite frustrating when it doesn’t meet their expectations. The less interaction will result in unhappy customers for those who love to have interaction, they might feel the hotel surrounding are a bit gloomy and have no human touch.  Besides that, not everyone embraces digitization. The self-service technology is user-friendly for those who are tech-savvy, but it will create confusion for those who do not have any idea about the self-service kiosk.    Malfunction and error A machine is always a machine. The errors can occur anytime due to some reasons. It can be because of the loss of internet connection, the kiosk touch screen not responding, the system did not catch up with the bookings or it might be because of a user error.    How to overcome the downsides of self-check-in kiosks?  For the above reasons, that’s why some hotels are still retaining their hotels' front desk officers, especially during office hours. This doesn’t mean it is necessary for the hotels to hire a receptionist that serves check-in and check-out guests only, but it is crucial to have an officer to stay at the hotel especially during office hours to back up if such issues happened.   Other than that, there are many ways that you may consider such as: 1. Make sure the hotel kiosk vendor that you choose provides you with such technical service and customer contact support. 2. While it is crucial to provide the best customer service to your guests, why not consider sending a welcoming message via WhatsApp before the check-in time and sharing the step-by-step video on how to check in by using the hotel kiosk. 3. Create a good atmosphere in your hotel lobby for example: 4. Put some quotes and attractive artwork 5. Turn on the music  6. Provide an “Instagram-able spot” for the guests to take photos  7. Display the phone number that can be contacted  24/7 if any emergency happens.     Conclusion It is widely agreed that hotels that embrace the benefits of check-in and check-out kiosks will gain an edge over their competitors. Of course, there are also some that still look at the traditional way of check-in. It is depending on what kind of service and customer experience the hotel wants to provide and how efficient hotel operations want to be. We are the leading supplier of hotel self check-in kiosk in Malayisa, contact us for more information. # Hotel self check-in kiosk Malaysia # Hotel self check-in kiosk Singapore read more

What does it mean hotel safe? Hotel safes are available that can be opened and closed with a swipe card instead of a combination or key, this means that the same card used for unlocking the room door could be used to open the safe or if the hotel prefers the customer could use their own credit card.   Why are there safes in hotel rooms? Hotel room safes provide guests with a more secure method to keep their valuables safe while they're away from home. If you're still not completely confident in using one, you also have the option of using your own lock to secure your briefcase with your belongings inside.   Hotel safes: do’s and don’ts The hotel safe is one of the must-haves in a hotel room. A good hotel room gives the home-away-from-home, safety plays a major role in this. A well-functioning safe is an important factor, not only in the hotel room but also behind the reception. What to think of when purchasing a new hotel safe.   Size One of the perhaps obvious choices you face when selecting new hotel safes is size. Based on the type of hotel guest, a business guest will need a laptop-sized safe, whereas a leisure guest often needs a safe that fits just a tablet, camera and passport. In many cases, the size of the hotel safe also depends on where it is placed in the hotel room. The hotel safe is often in the (wardrobe) cupboard, in this case it is important to check whether a safe fits and whether it can be operated properly. The smallest safe fits a telephone, keys, jewellery and a passport. The largest safe can easily fit a widescreen laptop and other personal belongings. Even bigger than the largest hotel safe is the reception safe. This type of safe is used back of house for larger valuables and, for example, storing cash. These safes are equipped with shelves for extra storage convenience. A variant of this is the so-called deposit safe, this type of safe can be assembled in all kinds of ways and is specifically suitable for depositing money at the end of a shift. Installation A safe can be placed separately in a wardrobe or elsewhere in the hotel room. However, some hotel safes can also be built-in or attached to the wall or floor. This provides extra protection for the goods and prevents misuse of the safe, this option can also save space. Naturally, during installation or wall mounting, the applicable safety regulations must be taken into account and approved mounting materials must be used at all times. Opening The most common safe opening is a door with a turning mechanism. There are also safes that open with a drawer and top-open safes. The word drawer safe says it all; you open this model with a code and then pull the unlocked drawer from the safe towards you. The storage space of a drawer safe is optimal because there is no need to take into account the rotating hinge when opening. A top-open safe is a safe whose front panel rises when unlocked by means of a compact hydraulic system. The door will then be at an angle of approximately 65 degrees. Depending on where the safe is placed, the above safes can be practical solutions.   Control system At the moment a LED or LCD panel is the most common type of safe control. When using a safe with LCD/LED panel, the hotel guest can enter a personal numerical code to open the safe again after closing, often 4 to 6 digits. Another option for operating a hotel safe is a model with card reader. This type of safe is equipped with a reader that opens or closes the safe using a magnetic card. Masterkey or Mastercode Both offer the hotel management the possibility to open the safe if the guest has forgotten the self-chosen numerical code or if the safe remains closed unintentionally for whatever reason. Masterkey A master key is separate key that is supplied with many different safes and is only to be used by hotel management and must be kept properly. This key is specifically linked to the series in which the hotel safes came out of production and can open the locker on the back of the safe or behind the control panel. Reordering a master key, for example when it gets lost, is only possible in exceptional cases. Mastercode A master code must be implemented by the hotel management when installing the hotel safe. If this does not happen, the safe is equipped with a standard master code which may be known to parties with bad intentions. In this case, the master code is not an extra security but a threat. If the master code has been installed correctly, the hotel management can open a safe at any time by entering the relevant numerical code. An exception to this is when the batteries of the safe are dead, entering the master code is pointless in this case because the system will not work because it has no power supply. Tip: always check the status of the batteries, but also; keep the master key safe at all times. Despite working with a master code, the master key may still be necessary when, for example, the master code gives an error or the batteries of the safe are dead. The last option for opening a hotel safe by the hotel management is to use a remote control. A remote control can be purchased separately for certain models and is a small electronic device used to manage and control one or more safes. The device restores and opens the vaults and can read up to 200 past operations.           13 Tips to Help Prevent Hotel Room Thefts   1. Before You Book When you’re booking your hotel check online to determine its location. Is it in a busy business district? Near tourist locations? Close to a police station? Is it in a seedy area of town? Google Maps, MapQuest and especially Google Earth are good tools to use to get a “feel” for the area of town and what is nearby. While these are good tools, online reviews at Hotels.com, TripAdvisor.com and StayFaster also hold value in determining if a hotel is deemed safe. If you’re traveling internationally, make sure to check with the U.S. State Department as it offers country-specific safety information on its website; see Travel Warnings and Advisories to see hot spots and areas to avoid.   2. What is the hotel security? Finding out the type of hotel security your hotel offers may be difficult. However, it’s not difficult to call and ask about the types of locks on the doors, if the hallways have security cameras. (The cameras can identify the thief if their is a theft.) Most hotel rooms already have a dead bolt lock on the door that limits someone from gaining access to the room when it’s locked from the inside. (If you get someone on the phone go ahead and ask them about parking. Is there valet? Garage parking? How far is the walk into the lobby from the parking and is the area well-light at night?)   3. Selecting the Hotel Room You may not have a choice of rooms when you’re checking into a hotel, if you do ask to stay in a room on the third-floor or above. Try to avoid staying in a hotel room located on the ground floor, especially those located off the parking lot with windows and doors that open to the exterior of the hotel. Ground floor hotel rooms that open to an interior hallway or courtyard tend to be safer options. If you are in a ground floor room, make sure the windows are locked before you leave the room (and go to sleep).   4. Read the Small Print Who reads the small print on the room registration documents you get when you either book a hotel online or check into a hotel? Be honest. Probably not. Well, you should. These documents detail what the hotel will and will not cover in terms of theft. Typically hotels do not insure their guest’s belongings.   5. Lock Your Luggage When you’re flying, you can’t typically place a lock on your luggage, at least not in the United States but packing one so you can lock your luggage in your hotel room is an easy way to avoid hotel room thefts. (There are TSA approved luggage locks.) It might be a pain to pack everything you’re traveling with in the mornings before you head out, instead  simply put any valuable items – laptops, notebooks, cameras, phones – in your bag and lock it. Taking this one step further, consider investing $10-$50 in security luggage cables that physically lock your suitcase or equipment down. Using a security cable, you can easily secure your bag to a pipe in the bathroom or a stationery piece of furniture. Note, make sure you’re using a slash proof bag.   6.Lock Your Electronics Most computers can be individually locked down with a laptop cable lock. You can leave your laptop at the desk with it locked to something that can’t be moved.   7. Be Present Even When You’re Out Making your room always look occupied deters thefts. Simply leaving a light on and the TV or radio on a low volume can make it appear that someone is in the room.   8. Ask for New Keys – Not Duplicates If your hotel room keys are electronic and one is lost ask the hotel for a new room key – not a duplicate. This will reprogram the lock on the door in case the key was stolen. It’s important to note there have been a few security flaws reported in common keycard locks, resulting in many hotel room break-ins. Essentially the electronic locks were hacked, allowing thieves to enter hotel rooms undetected. This can make it difficult in reporting a hotel room theft. All the more reason to follow the previous two tips.   9. Safes Aren’t Always Safe Most hotels have in-room safes and most of them charge you for that added security. Yet this added hotel security does not mean your belongings are insured by the hotel if there is a robbery. Most hotels are protected by individual states’ innkeeper’s laws, which state the hotel is not responsible for theft from your room – including the in-room safe. The exception is if you use the safe the hotel has behind its front desk. If you choose to use the front desk’s safe, make sure the items are insured.   Using the safe in your hotel room doesn’t mean your things are locked up. Most hotels have a back-way into their in-room safes, be it a master key or a master code. Management has access to these in case they need to assist guests if they loose their keys/code to the safe. This poses a security risk since there are people who can access your belongings.   If you’re not staying in a hotel that has a safe or simply don’t want to deal with a safe, check out a few diversion safes. These are items that appear to be everyday objects but they’re so much more. A simple hairspray bottle that’s been emptied out to hold cash or jewelry. Shaving cream cans and soda cans where the tops screw off or a book that has a hidden compartment, all create perfect containers to store valuables and travel documents.   10. Give Them a Sign – Do Not Disturb and Make This Room Avoid hanging the door sign – Make This Room – unless you really need your room cleaned and you have your valuables with your or locked up. It’s the easiest way to identify target rooms. If you don’t need your room cleaned, hang the Do Not Disturb sign on the door to keep cleaning staff out of the room. This doesn’t just eliminate possible thefts from hotel staff but from someone pretending they are staying in your room and coming back to grab a few things while the room is being cleaned. If someone is in the room, they’re going to avoid that room. The Do Not Disturb sign isn’t a sure fire way to keep cleaning crews out of your room though. You will need to call down to the front desk ask them to not clean your room.   11. When You’re in Your Hotel Room Hotel thefts typically take place when you’re not in the room. But, we’ve all stayed in those questionable places where a bit of added security would make for a better night sleep. Besides moving a dresser in front of the door, there are a few small and inexpensive alarms you can travel with to protect yourself and your belongings when you’re in your room. Items such as the Door Jammer, the Swege Door Stop & Alarm and Portable Door Lock keep the door secure when you’re in the room and the GE SmartHome Portable Security Kit provides security for the door and windows.   12. Travel Insurance Insurance is a necessary evil. Before you purchase travel insurance though, check with your existing homeowners or renters insurance to see if your policy covers things like thefts when you’re traveling. To help with your search for the right travel insurance to meet your specific needs, make sure to read what you need to know about travel insurance.   13. Don’t Forget – Or Overlook – The Obvious There are so many little things that seem to be common sense, but are often overlooked by travelers especially people who have become “comfortable” traveling. Here’s a quick reminder to prevent hotel thefts. Don’t travel with your valuable jewelry, aka expensive, sentimental diamond earrings. Don’t leave items just laying around your room – jewelry, technology, computers, notebooks, cameras, even receipts (think identity theft). When you leave make sure your door is locked. Sounds silly but take a moment and turn around to make sure the door has closed and the lock has engaged. Don’t share your room number with others.   We are the market leader of hotel safes supplier in Malaysia. Contact us now for more information! What does it mean hotel safe? Hotel safes are available that can be opened and closed with a swipe card instead of a combination or key, this means that the same card used for unlocking the room door could be used to open the safe or if the hotel prefers the customer could use their own credit card.   Why are there safes in hotel rooms? Hotel room safes provide guests with a more secure method to keep their valuables safe while they're away from home. If you're still not completely confident in using one, you also have the option of using your own lock to secure your briefcase with your belongings inside.   Hotel safes: do’s and don’ts The hotel safe is one of the must-haves in a hotel room. A good hotel room gives the home-away-from-home, safety plays a major role in this. A well-functioning safe is an important factor, not only in the hotel room but also behind the reception. What to think of when purchasing a new hotel safe.   Size One of the perhaps obvious choices you face when selecting new hotel safes is size. Based on the type of hotel guest, a business guest will need a laptop-sized safe, whereas a leisure guest often needs a safe that fits just a tablet, camera and passport. In many cases, the size of the hotel safe also depends on where it is placed in the hotel room. The hotel safe is often in the (wardrobe) cupboard, in this case it is important to check whether a safe fits and whether it can be operated properly. The smallest safe fits a telephone, keys, jewellery and a passport. The largest safe can easily fit a widescreen laptop and other personal belongings. Even bigger than the largest hotel safe is the reception safe. This type of safe is used back of house for larger valuables and, for example, storing cash. These safes are equipped with shelves for extra storage convenience. A variant of this is the so-called deposit safe, this type of safe can be assembled in all kinds of ways and is specifically suitable for depositing money at the end of a shift. Installation A safe can be placed separately in a wardrobe or elsewhere in the hotel room. However, some hotel safes can also be built-in or attached to the wall or floor. This provides extra protection for the goods and prevents misuse of the safe, this option can also save space. Naturally, during installation or wall mounting, the applicable safety regulations must be taken into account and approved mounting materials must be used at all times. Opening The most common safe opening is a door with a turning mechanism. There are also safes that open with a drawer and top-open safes. The word drawer safe says it all; you open this model with a code and then pull the unlocked drawer from the safe towards you. The storage space of a drawer safe is optimal because there is no need to take into account the rotating hinge when opening. A top-open safe is a safe whose front panel rises when unlocked by means of a compact hydraulic system. The door will then be at an angle of approximately 65 degrees. Depending on where the safe is placed, the above safes can be practical solutions.   Control system At the moment a LED or LCD panel is the most common type of safe control. When using a safe with LCD/LED panel, the hotel guest can enter a personal numerical code to open the safe again after closing, often 4 to 6 digits. Another option for operating a hotel safe is a model with card reader. This type of safe is equipped with a reader that opens or closes the safe using a magnetic card. Masterkey or Mastercode Both offer the hotel management the possibility to open the safe if the guest has forgotten the self-chosen numerical code or if the safe remains closed unintentionally for whatever reason. Masterkey A master key is separate key that is supplied with many different safes and is only to be used by hotel management and must be kept properly. This key is specifically linked to the series in which the hotel safes came out of production and can open the locker on the back of the safe or behind the control panel. Reordering a master key, for example when it gets lost, is only possible in exceptional cases. Mastercode A master code must be implemented by the hotel management when installing the hotel safe. If this does not happen, the safe is equipped with a standard master code which may be known to parties with bad intentions. In this case, the master code is not an extra security but a threat. If the master code has been installed correctly, the hotel management can open a safe at any time by entering the relevant numerical code. An exception to this is when the batteries of the safe are dead, entering the master code is pointless in this case because the system will not work because it has no power supply. Tip: always check the status of the batteries, but also; keep the master key safe at all times. Despite working with a master code, the master key may still be necessary when, for example, the master code gives an error or the batteries of the safe are dead. The last option for opening a hotel safe by the hotel management is to use a remote control. A remote control can be purchased separately for certain models and is a small electronic device used to manage and control one or more safes. The device restores and opens the vaults and can read up to 200 past operations.           13 Tips to Help Prevent Hotel Room Thefts   1. Before You Book When you’re booking your hotel check online to determine its location. Is it in a busy business district? Near tourist locations? Close to a police station? Is it in a seedy area of town? Google Maps, MapQuest and especially Google Earth are good tools to use to get a “feel” for the area of town and what is nearby. While these are good tools, online reviews at Hotels.com, TripAdvisor.com and StayFaster also hold value in determining if a hotel is deemed safe. If you’re traveling internationally, make sure to check with the U.S. State Department as it offers country-specific safety information on its website; see Travel Warnings and Advisories to see hot spots and areas to avoid.   2. What is the hotel security? Finding out the type of hotel security your hotel offers may be difficult. However, it’s not difficult to call and ask about the types of locks on the doors, if the hallways have security cameras. (The cameras can identify the thief if their is a theft.) Most hotel rooms already have a dead bolt lock on the door that limits someone from gaining access to the room when it’s locked from the inside. (If you get someone on the phone go ahead and ask them about parking. Is there valet? Garage parking? How far is the walk into the lobby from the parking and is the area well-light at night?)   3. Selecting the Hotel Room You may not have a choice of rooms when you’re checking into a hotel, if you do ask to stay in a room on the third-floor or above. Try to avoid staying in a hotel room located on the ground floor, especially those located off the parking lot with windows and doors that open to the exterior of the hotel. Ground floor hotel rooms that open to an interior hallway or courtyard tend to be safer options. If you are in a ground floor room, make sure the windows are locked before you leave the room (and go to sleep).   4. Read the Small Print Who reads the small print on the room registration documents you get when you either book a hotel online or check into a hotel? Be honest. Probably not. Well, you should. These documents detail what the hotel will and will not cover in terms of theft. Typically hotels do not insure their guest’s belongings.   5. Lock Your Luggage When you’re flying, you can’t typically place a lock on your luggage, at least not in the United States but packing one so you can lock your luggage in your hotel room is an easy way to avoid hotel room thefts. (There are TSA approved luggage locks.) It might be a pain to pack everything you’re traveling with in the mornings before you head out, instead  simply put any valuable items – laptops, notebooks, cameras, phones – in your bag and lock it. Taking this one step further, consider investing $10-$50 in security luggage cables that physically lock your suitcase or equipment down. Using a security cable, you can easily secure your bag to a pipe in the bathroom or a stationery piece of furniture. Note, make sure you’re using a slash proof bag.   6.Lock Your Electronics Most computers can be individually locked down with a laptop cable lock. You can leave your laptop at the desk with it locked to something that can’t be moved.   7. Be Present Even When You’re Out Making your room always look occupied deters thefts. Simply leaving a light on and the TV or radio on a low volume can make it appear that someone is in the room.   8. Ask for New Keys – Not Duplicates If your hotel room keys are electronic and one is lost ask the hotel for a new room key – not a duplicate. This will reprogram the lock on the door in case the key was stolen. It’s important to note there have been a few security flaws reported in common keycard locks, resulting in many hotel room break-ins. Essentially the electronic locks were hacked, allowing thieves to enter hotel rooms undetected. This can make it difficult in reporting a hotel room theft. All the more reason to follow the previous two tips.   9. Safes Aren’t Always Safe Most hotels have in-room safes and most of them charge you for that added security. Yet this added hotel security does not mean your belongings are insured by the hotel if there is a robbery. Most hotels are protected by individual states’ innkeeper’s laws, which state the hotel is not responsible for theft from your room – including the in-room safe. The exception is if you use the safe the hotel has behind its front desk. If you choose to use the front desk’s safe, make sure the items are insured.   Using the safe in your hotel room doesn’t mean your things are locked up. Most hotels have a back-way into their in-room safes, be it a master key or a master code. Management has access to these in case they need to assist guests if they loose their keys/code to the safe. This poses a security risk since there are people who can access your belongings.   If you’re not staying in a hotel that has a safe or simply don’t want to deal with a safe, check out a few diversion safes. These are items that appear to be everyday objects but they’re so much more. A simple hairspray bottle that’s been emptied out to hold cash or jewelry. Shaving cream cans and soda cans where the tops screw off or a book that has a hidden compartment, all create perfect containers to store valuables and travel documents.   10. Give Them a Sign – Do Not Disturb and Make This Room Avoid hanging the door sign – Make This Room – unless you really need your room cleaned and you have your valuables with your or locked up. It’s the easiest way to identify target rooms. If you don’t need your room cleaned, hang the Do Not Disturb sign on the door to keep cleaning staff out of the room. This doesn’t just eliminate possible thefts from hotel staff but from someone pretending they are staying in your room and coming back to grab a few things while the room is being cleaned. If someone is in the room, they’re going to avoid that room. The Do Not Disturb sign isn’t a sure fire way to keep cleaning crews out of your room though. You will need to call down to the front desk ask them to not clean your room.   11. When You’re in Your Hotel Room Hotel thefts typically take place when you’re not in the room. But, we’ve all stayed in those questionable places where a bit of added security would make for a better night sleep. Besides moving a dresser in front of the door, there are a few small and inexpensive alarms you can travel with to protect yourself and your belongings when you’re in your room. Items such as the Door Jammer, the Swege Door Stop & Alarm and Portable Door Lock keep the door secure when you’re in the room and the GE SmartHome Portable Security Kit provides security for the door and windows.   12. Travel Insurance Insurance is a necessary evil. Before you purchase travel insurance though, check with your existing homeowners or renters insurance to see if your policy covers things like thefts when you’re traveling. To help with your search for the right travel insurance to meet your specific needs, make sure to read what you need to know about travel insurance.   13. Don’t Forget – Or Overlook – The Obvious There are so many little things that seem to be common sense, but are often overlooked by travelers especially people who have become “comfortable” traveling. Here’s a quick reminder to prevent hotel thefts. Don’t travel with your valuable jewelry, aka expensive, sentimental diamond earrings. Don’t leave items just laying around your room – jewelry, technology, computers, notebooks, cameras, even receipts (think identity theft). When you leave make sure your door is locked. Sounds silly but take a moment and turn around to make sure the door has closed and the lock has engaged. Don’t share your room number with others.   We are the market leader of hotel safes supplier in Malaysia. Contact us now for more information! read more