Pangea Pod Hotel, a recently opened property in Whistler, British Columbia, has implemented VingCard Essence door locks from Assa Abloy Global Solutions.
With guests able to check themselves in using a self-service kiosk, the presence of Essence door locks works to extend feelings of enhanced convenience throughout the premises as guests either enter the building or attempt to access certain areas.
Once checked in using the property's proprietary self-check-in kiosks, each guest receives his or her own personalized radio frequency ID wristband, which, in addition to being used as a form of payment for on-site purchases such as drinks or food, is used as a secure key for door locks at Pangea.
A solution that leverages its minimalistic design to seamlessly blend in with the Pangea Pod Hotel's chic style, Essence features only a stylish RFID reader that is visible to guests, with all other components encased within the door itself. While Essence ensures that guests are able to gain seamless access by placing their wristband within proximity of the RFID reader, the solution also is equipped with advanced security protocols. This includes anti-key-cloning abilities that leverage advanced data encryption to eliminate the risk of unauthorized access. Wristband keys also instantly are deactivated upon guest check-out, further preventing any potential lapse in security integrity.
“As Canada's first capsule-based concept, Pangea is all about demonstrating how comfort, convenience, high-end design but also affordability and security can all exist together within a single location, and Essence door locks play a vital role in allowing us to achieve this,” Russell King, co-founder of the Pangea Pod Hotel, said in a statement. "Using the Essence door lock simply made the most sense for us. Not only do its features reflect our goal of giving our guests more control over their stay (not to mention keeping them safe), but its ability to evolve as needs change helps to realize our ambitions of continuing to serve as a cutting-edge establishment into the long-term future."
Designed as a future-proof solution, all Essence door locks come mobile access-ready. This allows hoteliers to later upgrade to providing guests with the ability to use personal smart devices as digital room-access keys without the need for any additional equipment purchases or installations.
Mobile access leverages advanced encryption technology to safeguard digital key and room number information from data theft and unauthorized access. Once generated, such data is transmitted to guest devices using a secure communications channel and then is stored inside a digital vault within a hotel's app. Once a guest presents his or her device within proximity to the appropriate guestroom lock, digital key information again is transmitted via a secure channel in order to ensure that data is not able to be compromised at any step of the process.