Categories: Projects

Hotel Wire-Free Door Locks

Background

In the heart of downtown Christchurch, The Wyndham Garden Hotel is part of a new breed of dual purpose developments: part hotel, part apartments. The Wyndham Garden is surrounded by the shops and restaurants of downtown Christchurch. Attractions including Riverside Market, the Canterbury Museum and Christchurch Casino opened in December 2021 to serve tourists and locals alike. The first four floors of the building house the 96 bedrooms of the hotel. On the higher floors the 29 private dwellings of The Spire Apartments top the hotel. The building was purpose built for the two distinct types of accommodation. Wyndham garden hotel manage it as a single entity. So why would this hotel need wire free door locks?

The Challenge

As with any hotel or apartment development, access management and security is a crucial element of staying or living in the building. The developers wanted an electronic access system (EAC) rather than managing the cost and overheads of traditional locks and keys. Wyndham garden hotel manage the development as a single entity, so it was important to have a single EAC that met the needs of both sets of users – guests and residents. The developers chose SALTO as the provider who could deliver on those requirements. They selected SALTO’s partner Teltrac to manage the design and installation of the system.

The system is so reliable, there are no issues, and no downtime – which makes my life a lot easier and means I can focus on residents and guests
ALISA RAVELJE – Hotel and Building Manager Wyndham Garden Hotel

James Edwards of Teltrac explains: “SALTO was selected for its reputation for reliability, its ease of installation, and the cost savings it offered over competing solutions.”

“SALTO is unique in offering wire-free door locks as well as the more traditional wired approach”, explains James. “This reduces the time and cost of installation. Wire-free also means significant savings on running costs once the building is operational.”

SALTO’s range of designs was also an important factor. The architects could choose door furniture that complemented the aesthetic of the building.

The Solution – wire free door locks

The SALTO system that James and his team installed, consisted of

wire-free locks for all hotel rooms and apartment front doors,

card readers in each of the three lifts,

16 wired locks in shared areas including on the main entrance, the gym and the roller shutter door to the car park.

The SALTO system fully integrates with the OPERA, the developers’ selected Property Management System (PMS). Residents and guests have the choice of a keycard for access, or using their mobile phone with SALTO’s JustIn app.

The building opened its hotel doors in late 2021, in good time for the increase in visitors as New Zealand opened its borders in 2022. Manager Alisa Ravelje is delighted with the integration of SALTO EAC and OPERA. This means her residents and guests have ease of access combined with complete security.

Key benefits

Single touch operation – The integration between SALTO and OPERA means that as guests check in via the PMS. Key cards can be automatically generated, saving staff time and getting guests to their room quicker.

Mobile key option – Using the SALTO JustIn app, guests or residents can download a mobile key to their phone. For residents, this means not having to carry a keycard. Once this is also implemented for guests, it will streamline the process for late arrivals. Reception is not staffed 24/7 and currently the hotel uses a lockbox for late arrivals. Soon guests will be able to simply download their key and go straight to their room, any time of night or day.

Security – The SALTO access card or mobile key only gives each person access to their floor, so guests can’t access the residential floors and vice versa.

Controlled access – Some facilities, such as the gym, are only open at certain times, and we can very simply program the keycards to manage this, rather than having to manually lock the doors.

SALTO is unique in offering wire-free door locks, which reduces the time and cost of installation.

What the customer thinks

Alisa sums up the reasons that she is delighted with the choice of SALTO for the building’s EAC:

‘The design of the locks is minimalist, and fits in with the overall style of
the hotel really well, giving a high quality feel. The system is so reliable, there are no issues, and no downtime, which makes my life a lot easier and means I can focus on residents and guests.

“Above all, the installation team at Teltrac have been fantastic. I’m not an EAC expert and they showed me how to use the system, and answer all my questions, so that I can ensure we’re getting the absolute best from the SALTO solution. It’s a delight to work with people who are so happy to help and who want to make this development a success.’

ABOUT SALTO SYSTEMS

SALTO was created with one objective in mind: to build a world-class access control system that’s simple to use and efficient to manage. Salto solutions give you the ability to secure all your access points and doors without the need for complex and expensive wiring.