Hotel Týnec installed a Keyguru electronic box over code locks, saving hundreds of thousands of Czech crowns

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During the low season, the number of guests at Hotel Týnec decreases, so the reception closes at 4 p.m. For this reason, the hotel was looking for a solution to accommodate guests outside reception opening hours. It was suggested to install electronic locks on the room doors, but that would have required a large investment running into hundreds of thousands of Czech crowns. In the end, management decided on an automated reception desk with a Keyguru electronic box, which comes at a fraction of the cost compared to code locks. Hotel Týnec welcomes a diverse clientele depending on the season

The hotel, cultural centre and chateau all fall under the operations of Hotel Týnec. In addition, there is a library, information centre and café all under one roof.

In the high season, the hotel is visited by tourists, especially families with children who visit Týnec nad Sázavou. The low season is dominated by corporate clients. The hotel premises are also popular for weddings and teambuilding activities – the building is adjacent to the cultural centre with a hall for 400 people and small breakout rooms/lounges with a capacity of 40 people.

The historic buildings that form the chateau house a hotel, library and cultural centre.

Reception hours shortened in winter season

During the summer, the reception not only provides services to hotel guests, but also to tourists visiting the information centre and the small café with outdoor seating. The receptionists are therefore kept busy on all fronts – accommodating guests, providing information, as well as handling the sale of souvenirs. The reception is open every day until 6.00 p.m., even at weekends.

However, in the low season – from October to February – the receptionists are underutilised. Not so many guests arrive, with many of the 13 rooms vacant at times. Therefore, during the winter months, Hotel Týnec limits the operating hours of the reception. With this comes the complication of late arrivals, with guests having to check in by 4 p.m. at the latest.

Self-service reception for late arrivals

In order to meet the needs of guests even in the low season, Hotel Týnec decided to automate the reception with a Keyguru electronic box. Due to the connection to the booking system Better Hotel it now offers self-service accommodation 24 hours a day.

According to Václav Pošmurný, the hotel’s operating manager, in the winter months, guests check in using the self-service Keyguru electronic box in 60-70% of cases. In the high season, it is used in about 5% of check-ins. “It’s also good for those clients who come repeatedly. It’s interesting for them and they now know how it works.”

With the Keyguru electronic box, Hotel Týnec now offers 24-hour check-in. How could a self-service reception help you?

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Each room is assigned one compartment

Hotel Týnec utilises a self-service reception system, where each room is assigned one compartment in the Keyguru electronic box. Guests receive a code for the compartment containing their key upon payment and have access to it for the duration of their stay. They can use it, for example, to store their keys when they go out to explore the town or local area. The key is safely stored in the compartment, so they don’t have to worry about losing it. 

This system also allows a high degree of automation of the reception – the key is always stored in the same compartment of the electronic box. Guests are prompted to check-in online when booking their room. After payment, they receive an access code to open the compartment. They can pick up the keys at any time of day or night.

Guests enter the access code on the display to open the compartment containing their room key.

A Keyguru reception is easier and cheaper than code locks

The Keyguru electronic box at Hotel Týnec is not only used for self-service check-in, but also for guests to store their keys during their stay. The same code is also used to open the main door of the hotel.

Why store the keys in an electronic box and not use code locks? That’s exactly what the hotel management had to consider. They eventually chose the Keyguru electronic box due to the high cost of installing code locks. “We came to the conclusion that it is easier and cheaper for us to go for a box system,” explains Pošmourný.

The advantage of the Keyguru electronic box is the monthly payments

For two-thirds of the year, the electronic system is not used as much. The investment to convert the doors to code locks would have cost Hotel Týnec hundreds of thousands of Czech crowns (approx. tens of thousands euros). That’s why the Keyguru electronic box and the automation of the reception desk by connecting the box to the Better Hotel reservation system won out in the end.

The hotel management also appreciates the monthly payments for the operation of the Keyguru electronic box. The installation costs are minimal, with a monthly license fee due for the operation of the box.

“The costs are covered by the fact that there doesn’t have to be a receptionist,” explains Pošmourný. This is especially useful in winter because there is no need to pay a receptionist to wait 5 hours for one guest.

It is much more profitable for the hotel to shorten the operating hours. The Keyguru electronic box handles afternoon, evening and night check-ins.

Are you also thinking about automating your reception? Contact us. We will design a solution tailored to your needs.

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No More Waiting: How Prague’s Charles Bridge Hostel Streamlined Check-Ins with This Box

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In winter, hotels in the centre of Prague do not have as many reservations, so it is costly to pay for receptionists 24 hours a day. Under such circumstances, how do you handle late arrivals? At Charles Bridge Hostel Prague, they installed a Keyguru electronic box for guests to check in. The features of the box excited the owners so much that they also installed it at their second operation – the White Swan Apartments. Now fully integrated with the Better Hotel system, check-in is completely automated.

Charles Bridge Hostel Prague — economical accommodation in the heart of the city that attracts tourists from all over the world

Young guests arriving in Prague will not find a more central hostel than Charles Bridge Hostel Prague. It is located right next to the Malostranská Tower of the Charles Bridge. In addition to women-only and mixed dormitories, it also offers accommodation in private rooms and suites.

The excellent location of the hostel attracts guests from all over the world in the high season, the comfort of whom is the responsibility of receptionists 24 hours a day. In winter, however, the situation is different — the hostel is usually not fully booked. Paying receptionists throughout the day was therefore proving costly.

For security reasons the hostel opted for a self-service reception

Room cards at Charles Bridge Hostel Prague are usually issued by the receptionist. During the low season or if staff shortages occurred, the hostel had a replacement solution – handing over the room cards using mailboxes. This posed a big risk.

In the end, they chose to install a Keyguru box and create a self-service reception. Security was the deciding factor. Although the mailboxes are hidden, anyone could access them. In addition, there was the risk that a guest might take a wrong room card and stay in a different room than the one paid for. The hostel then had to address the confusion in its bookings system.

The Keyguru box offers better security and only issues room cards to the person who should get it.

The Keyguru box solves both safety and cost issues for the hostel.

Due to the Keyguru box, there is no longer need for a 24-hour reception in the low season

Another positive? The possibility to cancel the 24-hour reception during the winter months. “In winter, the Keyguru box enables us to save at a time when there are fewer bookings by no longer making it necessary to have a 24-hour reception,” says co-owner Michal Novák.

Receptionists only provide guests with information or arrange bookings for excursions during daytime shifts. Late or nighttime arrivals are handled through having a self-service reception supported by the Keyguru box.

Guests receive a code by email with which to open one of the compartments of the box and pick up their room card. The box is easily accessible directly at the entrance to the hostel.

The Keyguru box provides access to the accommodation 24 hours a day. How could a self-service reception help you?

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Satisfaction led to the installation of a second box, where there is no reception

The owners were so satisfied with the operation of the Keyguru box that they decided to install it in their second operation — the White Swan Apartments. This is accommodation without a reception.

How did things work without a Keyguru box? The owners had to call guests and see what time they would be arriving. This was usually not without a wait, as guests inevitably did not keep to their arrival time. This not only wasted valuable time, but also affected people’s mood.

Previously at the apartments, they tried a manual key box. They had to send a code to each guest and manually reprogramme the code every once in a while. “For example, we had the same codes for half a year. The risk was, and this happened to a friend here in Prague, that someone puts the codes on the Internet and people gain access,” says Michal Novák.

The box for the apartments is located near the mailboxes.

The Keyguru box provides secure access to the apartments by generating a unique code for each guest. Due to the connection with the Better Hotel system, codes are sent completely automatically.

Guests have never had trouble picking up their keys or room cards

The owners of Charles Bridge Hostel Prague praise the smooth operation of the Keyguru box. It covers all their self-service reception needs, including access using staff codes. Likewise, there have been no difficulties with the guests. “It’s never been a problem that someone didn’t know how to gain access to their key or room card,” concludes Michal Novák.

Do you want to limit reception operations like Charles Bridge Hostel Prague? Contact us to find out how the Keyguru box can help you.

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A 24-hour reception is tempting, but expensive: Try contactless check-in

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Is your hotel supposed to be open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week? Guests are increasingly craving relaxation without restrictions, but operations often lack the funds. Fortunately, there is an effective solution to both problems. Self-service check-in and check-out occur online, and the hotel can be kept open even without a reception. Cheap, easy, smart.

Hotels lack staff, but night reception is a must for clients

The accommodation sector is still in crisis. During the worst waves of Covid, occupancy rates dropped by 91%, with revenues from tourism down considerably and only slowly improving. Good quality employees are in short supply, with up to 60% of hoteliers saying that positions are going left unfilled. Potential candidates can only be attracted to take up positions with extra benefits and higher salaries, which not every company can afford.

Despite all this, client demands are growing. They don’t want to worry about their arrival time and rush unnecessarily. They are used to 24-hour receptions that can accommodate them 24/7. In addition, the new generation strongly prefers 100% contactless services and self-service check-in. 

How should hoteliers respond to the current situation and latest developments? 

They can’t invest to improve recruitment. After all, money is already lacking for higher salaries. For the same reason, the introduction of night shifts is often not an option. Nor is it recommended to pragmatically limit operations, which often results in an even greater loss of guests.

The modern solution is an online hotel without reception

How do you balance increasing customer demands when you don’t have the resources? Take advantage of self-service accommodation technology.

Self-service receptions are experiencing a big boom. The system independently handles reservations, check-in and check-out with the client. This creates several invaluable advantages for hoteliers.

  • Technological solutions will completely replace receptionists, thereby addressing the staffing shortage. 
  • Hundreds of thousands in operating costs will be saved.
  • Smart solutions cater to those clients who require unrestricted accommodation and human contact. 
  • Everything works on the basis of simple applications.

Current contactless check-in options

Technological solutions currently cover all phases of accommodation, from booking and managing the reservation and communication with the client, through handing over and collecting the keys, to actual access to the rooms.

Special self-service boxes enable the contactless hand over of keys or room cards. Basic versions feature mechanical locks that you have to manually change periodically and inform clients accordingly. Acquisition and operating costs are minimal. However, this type of box is not very safe. Especially if you forget to change the code between bookings, which can then be leaked online at any time.

It is therefore much better to pay extra for an automated version and acquire a self-service Keyguru electronic box. It has a durable construction and minimalist design. You can link it to most hotel systems, making it easy to manage your bookings. You can change the access code remotely at any time, even if the power falls out – the boxes are equipped with a spare power supply.

I want a Keyguru Box

Technology can also be used for authorised access to living spaces. A great example is GateKeeper, a digital doorman. GateKeeper only opens the door after entering a special code, which you can change remotely at any time. In addition, due to its integration with hotel and reservation systems, you can see real-time information about comings and goings and who is in their room.

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Is self-service accommodation better, or a combination of technology and manpower?

This decision depends entirely on the situation and the type of accommodation.

Self-service solutions tend to be used for apartments and Airbnb that provide mostly short-term rentals. An example is the White Swan Apartments in Prague. The owner did not have the time to devote to overseeing bookings and needed to reliably automate most of the operation. The self-service Keyguru electronic box was therefore the ideal solution. The guest receives a code by email or SMS, which gives them added security and privacy.

A combined approach is recommended for hotels that provide a wider range of services. Technology takes the tedious routine work away from receptionists, giving them the time and energy to focus on the needs and wishes of their guests. They then go home at night, leaving the accommodation to the Keyguru electronic box and GateKeeper. This is how Hotel Turnau in Krakow and Hotel Amálka by the Říp hill operate. 

This notwithstanding, luxury hotels providing a wide range of services can also be self-service. An example is the four-star OREA Resorts hotel in Malá Strana. Even though you won’t find staff here, you certainly won’t miss out on anything. The receptionist is always available on the phone, and you can order the rest using a mobile app. 

Setting up a 24-hour reception is easier than you think.

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