Hotel Key Card

Hotels Throwing Away the Key Cards to Your Room

Some chains are adopting permanent keys that repeat guests can carry in their wallets and use for multiple trips at a variety of properties. Other establishments are doing away with physical keys altogether; instead, guests can open their room doors by holding their cellphone next to the lock.

The big selling point of the new keys, executives said, is that they let travelers skip the front desk and go straight to their rooms.

"Think of the business traveler who goes to the same hotel every week. He can go straight to his room, drop off his bag and get right to his meeting," said Pete Sears, senior vice president of operations at Hyatt Hotels Corp.

The company, which goes through five million key cards a year in its North American properties, has been testing an "Express Welcome" service at two of its Andaz hotels in California where guests can use their Gold Passport loyalty card as a key. Hyatt will be testing the service at two more hotels in San Francisco and Vancouver, British Columbia, in the next few months.

Hotels do not see much cost saving from the changes but expect the moves will help them stand out in customer service. So far, tests of new types of keys have been limited and it is unclear how widespread the new technologies will become.

Click here for more from FoxNews.

The Importance of Hotel Key Cards

I have spent the last two weeks traveling, talking to dads about Flight Plan and how to be strategic and intentional with their kids. I am amazed that God has used me in this way. When we travel as a family, I am always amazed at how excited my kids get over the simple things. Our middle son Bennett is fascinated with the key card that opens the hotel room door. He will beg, plead, barter or whatever it takes to be the one who uses the key card. I smile just thinking about it as I type.

As with any family, we travel with 8 million bags and accessories. Walking into and out of a hotel is an adventure. As bags, pillows, and electronics are wheeled in for the night, I realized that all those things were not really that important to Bennett. He was concerned with the key card. He was more than willing to drop his pillow on the hotel carpet (insert your own gross joke here) while he performed the important task of inserting the key card and waiting for the green light to flash allowing entry into the room.

He was willing to sacrifice all other things that were important to him in order to perform this task. Everything in life was secondary at that moment. He was completely focused on the task at hand. He was unwavering in his pursuit of the key card.

As parents, are we that focused on being godly parents and casting vision for our kids? Are we willing to make that type of sacrifice? Are we willing to give up things that seem important to us so that we can spend more time with our kids? Are we willing to say “no” to that meeting, sporting event, or dinner out so we can spend intentional time with our kids teaching them what it means to live as a godly man or woman in the middle of culture that shows them differently?

Are you willing to make that sacrifice?

“The only way that your children will grow beyond their dependency into self-sufficient adults is for you to essentially abandon your own independence for twenty years or so…You can make the sacrifice, or they’re going to make the sacrifice. It’s them or you. Either you suffer temporarily and in a redemptive way, or they’re going to suffer tragically, in a wasteful and destructive way.”  Tim Keller

We all understand how quickly times goes by with our kids but I am not sure we are doing anything about it. My prayer is that we take advantage of the short time we have with them. I pray that we use that time to cast vision and communicate truth. Our kids are going to get a vision of manhood/womanhood from us or someone else. Let’s step up to the plate and make sure we are the ones taking the initiative for the benefit of our children.

Theoretical aspects of computing, ICTAC 2006, third international colloquium, Tunis, Tunisia, November 20-24, 2006 : proceedings

Secondhand Jesus, Trading Rumors of God for a Firsthand Faith

Professional Management of Housekeeping Operations

The Sherlockian

How to Simplify Your Life, Seven Practical Steps to Letting Go of Your Burdens and Living a Happier Life