EVEN Hotels Intros Smart RFID Wristband System for Keyless Room Entry and Cashless Purchasing
EVEN™ Hotels, InterContinental Hotels Group's newest holistic wellness hotel brand in the U.S., recently installed PDC's Smart Band® RFID Wristband System to enhance the guest experience through keyless and cashless applications. The two new EVEN™ Hotels properties opened June 2014 in Rockville, Maryland and Norwalk, Connecticut.
Upon check in, EVEN™ Hotels guests receive an RFID room keycard, and for $8, may purchase a waterproof Smart Band® with a securely sealed RFID chip inside that stores and verifies guest data when scanned by a reader. Guests may take Smart Band® with them upon leaving the property, and re-use when visiting any EVEN™ Hotel. As each chip contains a unique ID number, the bands are impossible to duplicate.
Guests are able to access their rooms by presenting their Smart Band® over RFID-enabled locks. Unlike common magnetic stripe key cards that can be lost or misplaced -- particularly in water and recreational environments -- Smart Band® is more secure, staying fastened on the wrist. Its re-wearable silicone design allows removal when not in use.
Smart Band's contactless interface provides performance advantages over magnetic stripe key cards. Dirt and debris can collect on the cards, which can impact performance, often requiring maintenance or replacement.
The PDC Smart Band® also serves as a convenient "wrist wallet," enabling EVEN™ Hotel guests to make cashless purchases at the hotel's Cork & Kale™ Market and Bar via a quick scan of the band. Barber said that the instant transactions "take about half the time compared to using credit cards or cash, which leads to shorter lines and happier customers who can spend more time enjoying the hotel's amenities." In addition to the efficiency benefits, the system increases the potential for impulse purchases, which can boost spending.
EVEN™ Hotels has three additional locations in the pipeline -- two in midtown Manhattan and one in Brooklyn, N.Y. These properties will begin opening in late 2015, and all three will incorporate PDC's Smart Band® RFID Wristband System.
Upon check in, EVEN™ Hotels guests receive an RFID room keycard, and for $8, may purchase a waterproof Smart Band® with a securely sealed RFID chip inside that stores and verifies guest data when scanned by a reader. Guests may take Smart Band® with them upon leaving the property, and re-use when visiting any EVEN™ Hotel. As each chip contains a unique ID number, the bands are impossible to duplicate.
Guests are able to access their rooms by presenting their Smart Band® over RFID-enabled locks. Unlike common magnetic stripe key cards that can be lost or misplaced -- particularly in water and recreational environments -- Smart Band® is more secure, staying fastened on the wrist. Its re-wearable silicone design allows removal when not in use.
Smart Band's contactless interface provides performance advantages over magnetic stripe key cards. Dirt and debris can collect on the cards, which can impact performance, often requiring maintenance or replacement.
The PDC Smart Band® also serves as a convenient "wrist wallet," enabling EVEN™ Hotel guests to make cashless purchases at the hotel's Cork & Kale™ Market and Bar via a quick scan of the band. Barber said that the instant transactions "take about half the time compared to using credit cards or cash, which leads to shorter lines and happier customers who can spend more time enjoying the hotel's amenities." In addition to the efficiency benefits, the system increases the potential for impulse purchases, which can boost spending.
EVEN™ Hotels has three additional locations in the pipeline -- two in midtown Manhattan and one in Brooklyn, N.Y. These properties will begin opening in late 2015, and all three will incorporate PDC's Smart Band® RFID Wristband System.