Comfort Suites Property Goes for Locking One, Two Punch: Secure Guests & Cut Energy Costs
The Comfort Suites in Gothenburg, Nebraska has completed the installation of Orion by VingCard Elsafe, a new intelligent energy management solution; VISIONLINE, a wireless RF-online system; and Signature RFID, contactless electronic door locks with NFC cell phone compatibility. The 74-room property features an indoor pool, fitness facilities and in-room flat screen televisions, also is conveniently located near the downtown business districts, providing a perfect location for business travelers to relax after a long day's work or, for the leisure travelers, after a long day of play.
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Gothenburg attracts visitors from all corners of the United States for a mix of business and pleasure," says Diana Unterseher, general manager of the Comfort Suites in Gothenburg. "In order to offer our guests the most convenience and best experience possible, we chose a combination of security and energy products that work together to provide the ultimate experience."Orion by VingCard Elsafe is an intelligent energy management solution, designed to reduce energy costs while ensuring guest comfort. Incorporating proprietary technology, the system's intelligent thermostat detects whether a guest is in the room to automatically control room temperature and to seamlessly integrate energy management solutions as it adjusts temperature settings during an absence and changing it back to the desired temperature settings once guests return to their rooms. Additionally, the system provides hoteliers with preventative maintenance schedules and occupancy trends and reports, providing real-time feedback for staff on the entire property.
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Since energy is one of the biggest costs for hoteliers each year, we were searching for a way to save on energy costs without taking away from the guest experience," says Unterseher. "By installing the intelligent energy management solution from VingCard Elsafe, we are able to save on costs while ensuring guest comfort. And since the system was designed to offer maximum functionality with VISIONLINE, VingCard's wireless online system, we now have the added convenience of full security integration."Introduced to the market in 2006, VISIONLINE by VingCard offers a cost-effective solution for properties like the Comfort Suites Gothenburg to facilitate reliable wireless two-way communication from standalone electronic door locks to their host security and PMS systems. Unlike off-line standalone locks, VISIONLINE by VingCard provides total security control from one central location, utilizing RF-online communication capabilities that eliminate the need to travel to each guestroom to perform tasks such as reprogramming individual locks, remotely cancelling guest and staff keycards with one click, or identifying and changing low batteries, as well the need for a guest to return to the front desk to change a room or extend his or her stay. By centralizing these functions, the Comfort Suites Gothenburg can expect to increase the overall productivity of hotel operations and the overall security. Also, VISIONLINE by VingCard components communicate with multiple rooms at once, reducing the number of network components required for installation when compared to other online technologies.
Built on the ZigBee Standard ISO 802.15.4 high-security open platform, VISIONLINE offers increased reliability and performance at an affordable cost. Operating on a reliable and secure platform like ZigBee also enables smooth interface and integration opportunities for other online devices such as safes, energy management and mini bars.
To complement the VISIONLINE system, the Comfort Suites Gothenburg also chose Signature RFID contactless electronic door locks, which offer highly reliable security features and provide unprecedented convenience and ease-of-operation for hoteliers and hotel guests alike. The Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) locks allow for contactless guest room entry and are compatible with next-generation NFC cell phones.
Upon completing installation of Signature RFID, the Comfort Suites Gothenburg might choose to offer remote check-in to hotel guests with NFC-compatible cell phones, which would allow guests to skip the check-in line and instead use their NFC-enabled cell phones to unlock the guestroom door. Signature RFID is a secure open-platform system compatible with the three leading RFID ISO standards (ISO 14443A/MiFare, ISO 14443B, ISO 15693) and the new NFC transaction platform for cell phones.