Darren Keating

The UK’s most exciting event for technologies breaking new ground in the hotel sector, Hotel Tech Live at ExCeL London, 26-27 September, will see SALTO systems showcasing new products and features on Stand 7090. “Hotel Tech Live provides a great forum for SALTO Systems to showcase our latest product innovations,” says Darren Keating, National Account Manager Hospitality­­­­­­. “SALTO continue to deliver the most advanced and flexible electronic locking solutions in the hospitality market. We very much look forward to providing live demonstrations of our new products and software during the event, as well as discussing the real benefits that can be delivered through the deployment of a SALTO solution”. SALTO Product Highlights Aelement SALTO's contactless hotel lock that allows hotels to integrate all their guest rooms’ physical security needs into one stylish, energy efficient, reliable, wire-free system. The minimalistic design of the Aelement RFID reader compliments any door and can be combined with a wide range of designer handles. XS4 One With a large variety of models, XS4 One electronic hotel locks fit virtually any door without wires and are very easy to install and maintain. It integrates the latest technology in mobile access and wireless locks including BLE + NFC mobile technologies. SALTO XS4 One electronic hotel locks fit virtually any door without wires and are very easy to install and maintain Aelement Fusion AElement Fusion is an electronic lock with a sleek reader accentuated by an interactive light ring that illuminates when access credentials are presented. It eliminates lock hardware on the door by encasing all electronic components inside the door itself, making security virtually invisible. JustIN Mobile The intuitive SALTO JustIN Mobile app communicates securely via the Cloud and enables guests to receive a room key online, anytime and anywhere. Technologically cutting-edge, SALTO Mobile means the end of lost key hassles, expenses and waste. Plus, the technology isn’t limited to hotel rooms; it can also be used on main entrance doors, elevators, parking lot barriers, meeting rooms, etc. So, those looking to incorporate smart access control technologies that present exciting advantages to drive business to their hotel and provide their property with cutting-edge solutions to stand apart from the rest, should visit Stand 7090 to meet the SALTO team and see a live presentation of SALTO’s technology.

AElement grants access privileges to individual guest rooms and gathering audit trail data from every door in real time In the competitive, not to mention crowded, world of hospitality, standing out from the competition and convincing travellers that you have something different to offer can be a hard call. BLOC Hotels have pulled this off in style at Gatwick Airport’s South Terminal. Establishing a niche by taking the hotel room as a blank design, stripping out all the stuff you don’t need while upgrading the finish around all the stuff you do. Rooms are offered at a competitive price (starting from £59) with everything booked, accessed and controlled by the very latest in smart technology. The company opened its first hotel in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter in 2011. This has been well received within the city, its small but perfectly formed rooms bringing a touch of class to the low-cost hotel concept by offering four-star standards at two or three star prices. In March 2014 the group opened a second property in a very different location at Gatwick Airport. So, how do they do it? Adoption Of Integrated Smart Technology BLOC uses Hospitality specialists Boxbuild to design, procure and fit out the physical rooms and to provide the smart technology solutions the Hotel runs on. The key to their success is to build the individual hotel rooms off site in pre-fabricated kits. These are then delivered to and rapidly assembled on site. High quality, long lasting materials are used so no plastering or painting is needed speeding up the fit out process and providing a long lasting space that requires little maintenance. The bathroom is modular so it simply fits into place and is connected to power and water. The result is a uniformly dark, but practical and contemporary room that perfectly suits the needs of the business or family traveler. The Gatwick hotel is spread across five floors with 245 rooms divided into standard, business and executive level offerings with 5 disabled-friendly rooms per floor and is located in an old renovated office block built above the airport with reception inside the South Terminal – just steps from departures. The North Terminal is just a couple of minutes away accessed by a free monorail service. One of the key factors making BLOC a unique offering, beyond its quick-build construction techniques, contemporary styling and great locations, is its adoption of integrated smart technology to run every aspect of the hotel, at every level. Use Of Near Field Communications Or Bluetooth Low Energy Technology One of the key factors makingBLOC a unique offering is itsadoption of integrated smarttechnology to run every aspectof the hotel, at every level. According to recent research by hotels solutions provider HRS, guest demand for the use of smartphones, tablets and corresponding apps as part of their hotel experience is increasing. The new research surveyed 4,377 users and found that 44% of guests from the UK would like the use of a tablet PC in their room, and 42% would rather operate their hotel room’s lighting, air conditioning and television via a touch screen display instead of using a separate remote control or switch. The survey also revealed that business travellers in particular are looking for a home-from-home experience when it comes to the use of smart technology in their hotel room. “Research such as this is encouraging as we know the hospitality industry is exploring the use of smartphones and tablet technology, but we’re probably 12 to 18 months ahead of everyone else when it comes to having a fully-functioning, cutting edge hotel that has been designed from the ground up to operate this way,”says Gary Holmes, Managing Director of ConnectedHotels, the technology division of Boxbuild. “The technology we’ve delivered for BLOC goes far beyond just offering free SMART TVs, free Wi-Fi and super-fast broadband; it encompasses everything from the Guest Experience including mobile and web, access, self-service kiosks for check-in and tablet control of in-room systems, through to back of house operations processes, automating and integrating check-out and housekeeping, building management, energy efficiency and operation of the live hotel environment. “Take room access, for example. We had a good look at what other hotels were doing and what they were using and decided we wanted something that was sleek, cutting edge and contemporary, not to mention smart. If you look at the door locking systems a lot of other hotels still use they are big, bulky, and in many cases downright ugly. Often they run on old-fashioned swipe technology because it’s cheap and guest security in some cases is not always their highest priority. We were determined to be different. “Our strategy is focused around the use of mobile apps that are free for Guests to download from the Apple AppStore or Google Play and able to tap into developments such as NFC (Near Field Communications) or BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) so that the Guest’s own smartphone becomes not only their room key, but their wallet and remote control device as well. "AElement is also NFC (Near Field Communications) enabled so it was the perfect choice of product to work with the Boxbuild mobile device approach", says Darren Keating, National Account Manager Hospitality, SALTO “With this complete digital experience, guests can book a room, check in and use their smartphone as their electronic room key. Once in the room, a passive infrared sensor detects their presence and turns on the lighting and if we want, the air conditioning to a preferred temperature, and switch the television on with a welcome message. The same app then enables the smartphone to control room features such as lighting, air conditioning, electric blackout blinds and the smart LED television. Each room also has a dedicated Samsung Galaxy Tablet to provide in room controls with a very simple interface so guests of any age or technical ability can use the features of the room without downloading the app. “Finding a room lock that could work with this technology to our high standards was a fairly short search as many manufacturers’ offerings were simply not up to the job. This led us to SALTO who are world leaders in wire free and wireless access control technology and have an established reputation as manufacturers of advanced security solutions to the hotel and hospitality industry. After listening to what we needed and what we wanted to achieve, they recommended their AElement hotel lock as being the right technology for the job.” SALTO NFC-Enabled AElement Smart Locks “We pride ourselves on delivering the things that matter to our clients - the best possible design, technology and features, and so our collaboration with BLOC on their latest hotel was critical,” says Darren Keating, National Account Manager Hospitality for SALTO. “AElement has been developed with the needs of hotels in mind and features a range of hospitality-specific applications including the ability to control the security of the entire hotel from a single location. This includes granting access privileges to individual guest rooms and gathering audit trail data from every door in real time – all without leaving the front desk. Other benefits for the hotel include instant room move and instant extended stay abilities as well as lost card cancellation, intrusion alarm, door ajar alarm, remote opening, real time audit trail, passage mode activation for meeting rooms and automated low battery reporting. “And not only that, but AElement is also NFC (Near Field Communications) enabled so it was the perfect choice of product to work with the Boxbuild mobile device approach. This in-built technology gives the hotel the ability to continuously upgrade their security without having to upgrade their locks, saving them long term operating costs while providing the hotel with what it needs most – total control.” Result Summing up Gary Holmes says, “To ensure the hotel’s guests are secure during their stay with us and to compliment the design led ethos of the hotel brand, we wanted a stylish high performance locking system that not only looked good, but also offered us the latest technology and was capable of growing with us in the future. SALTO has provided us with all of this and more and we are already working with SALTO to roll out their AElement smart locks across the Bloc Hotel brand.”

Darren will identify new business opportunities for the company’s outstanding range of RFID hospitality solutions SALTO Systems continues to grow its UK sales team with news that Darren Keating has joined as National Account Manager Hospitality. Darren will be responsible for working closely with boutique, luxury and resort hotels in addition to other types of holiday properties and resorts to identify new business opportunities for the company’s outstanding range of RFID hospitality solutions. “We have been enjoying significant success in the UK with sales in all our market sectors forecast to reach significant levels,” said Ramesh Gurdev, Managing Director SALTO Systems Limited. “SALTO access control systems have been installed in some of the finest hotels throughout the world. We are therefore delighted to have been able to recruit the services of an individual of Darren’s calibre who will be able to help us build on this success and help us to deliver outstanding access control solutions to more hospitality industry customers.” Prior to joining SALTO Systems, Darren headed the hospitality divisions of a major bathroom manufacturer, and prior to that another major access control manufacturer. Commenting on his appointment, Darren said: “SALTO Systems has an enviable reputation for being a word class leader in the field of RFID access control. One of the world’s largest access control manufacturers, the company is totally committed to providing seamless integrated security solutions for their customers. I am looking forward to promoting this message and being able to demonstrate how SALTO Systems’ hospitality solutions are way more than just a guestroom lock and can take care of property security, as well as streamlining and maximising staff management activities.”

SALTO's range of electronic cylinders, locker locks including AElement and new XS4 mini locks will be shown at the event World leaders in advanced wire free, wireless and cloud based access control solutions, SALTO Systems, is all set to exhibit at the Independent Hotel Show, the UK's only event for boutique hotels from Tuesday 21st to Wednesday 22nd October. The access control choice for over 6,000 prestigious boutique, luxury and resort hotels worldwide, in addition to other types of vacation properties and vacation resorts, SALTO will be showcasing their wide range of contactless hospitality access control solutions. Visitors to Stand 25 can find out more about the latest in SALTO’s range of contactless locks, electronic cylinders, energy savers and locker locks including its class leading AElement and new XS4 mini locks. AElement provides a fully-integrated, real-time security solution that allows you to combine your guest’s diverse needs into one stylish, energy efficient and reliable wire-free locking system. AElement is the perfect combination of durability, styling and cutting edge technology. AElement is also an unrivaled long-term investment as it is fully integrated within the SALTO platform, making it suitable for use with virtually any kind of door including: emergency exits, glass doors, changing room lockers, electronic cylinder operated doors, elevators and parking areas as well as with in-room energy saving devices. XS4 Mini is a smart, secure access solution housed within a small door handle design for easy mechanical key replacement. The XS4 Mini has been designed for straightforward installation, without hard wiring or invasive work on the door, and this results in increased levels of security and control because doors maintain their integrity. Darren Keating, SALTO Systems Ltd Hospitality Sales Manager, says “The show is the ideal opportunity for us to demonstrate to visitors how SALTO delivers outstanding solutions for hospitality industry customers. It’s at the heart of what we do and SALTO technology covers the breadth of a customer’s needs, taking care of property security, as well as streamlining and maximising staff management activities while providing security and reliable access control 24/7 that covers the entire property.”