The 7 Best Hotel Door Locks In 2023 For A Modern Hotel
They’re the first thing guests encounter when they reach their room and often the last thing they interact with when they leave your hotel. But as an owner or manager in the hotel industry, hotel room locks can be an understandable source of major anxiety over security, ease-of-use, guest experience, and reliability, especially when you’re not on site.
But updating your hotel room locks is a considerable investment—and often done as little as once a decade—so it’s important to make sure that you get it right.
With an overwhelming number of different locks, gadgets, and new systems on the market, making the right choice for your hotel can be a challenge. At Operto, we’re experts in making sure your systems are super-connected, modern, accessible, and work for you - and your hotel door safety locks are no different.
To help, we’ve picked some of our favorite super-connected, super-secure, electronic door safety locks.
All of them partner with a variety of centralized PMS hubs and app-connected systems—including the Operto Connect™ system —to help you choose the most up-to-date, convenient, reliable, easy-to-use, and safe locks for you, your hotel, and your guests.
Want safety locks for hotel doors locks that can help save an average of $1,000 per month in discarded RFID keycards? At Operto, we provide the hardware, software, and personalized guided support to hotels who want to digitally transform their operations. Click here to learn more.
Hotel lock systems: Mobile keys vs key cards vs keypads
Before you decide what kind of key your hotel's new doors will have, it's important to set goals and understand expectations. What are you hoping to achieve?
If you're looking to stay 'business as usual', you might be looking into hotel electronic door lock systems that use key cards. While plastic magstripe keycards might be the cheapest form of room access, it doesn't provide added value or ROI to hotels. It means you'll need staff on-site, so operating expenses stay high.
Mobile keys might be a popular form of keyless entry and hotel automation, but they're often not an adequate alternative, especially if your goal is to reduce operating expenses. For one, phone batteries can die. Second, older generations are still not comfortable depending on their phones for entering their rooms. Both options mean you'll still need staff at the front desk "just in case".
Finally, smart locks with keypads provide a keyless experience that can work without a phone or a key. It provides the most secure form of access for hotels while allowing them to start their digital transformation into a modern-day form of operations.
The reason we advocate for keypad locks is that they are the only form of guest entry that is foolproof, thus not requiring any fallback check-in option. When using a keycard or a mobile key solution, you rely on an app. Unfortunately, most guests don’t want to use an app, whether due to lack of smartphone literacy, app fatigue, unintuitive user experience, their batteries dies or they run out of data.
Most of the time, 85% of people will steer clear of any app download. Typical fallback options we hear about before switching to Operto include:
- 24/7 front desk (which really only viable in large properties)
- Lockboxes for every single room containing a keycard. Guests call you to request the lockbox code when they arrive.
- On-call staff that lives nearby and are available to drive out and meet clients 24/7 (not a great guest or staff experience)
With a standard key card or mobile key experience—a fully automated property is simply not possible. That's why we recommend keypad locks.
Too long; didn't read?
Updating your hotel door locks is a once-in-a-decade operation, so getting it right is - excuse the pun - key. And the new generation of smart locks are about so much more than opening a door. They’re hyper-connected, centrally-connected, super-secure, easy to use with or without a phone or Wi-Fi, and a central part of your hotel management network.
Who makes the best hotel door lock systems?
We’ve chosen the hotel room locks below due to their reliability and security. We partner with companies such as Yale, who are well-known for their super-reliable, trusted locks the world over. Other, newer players such as Igloohome and Nuki have also proven their worth through their wide variety of products, sleek design, modern technology, customizability, innovation, and security.
No matter your safety lock for hotel door requirements, there’s something in this list to suit your needs, all of which can partner with Operto Connect™, giving you total control.
Don't feel equipped to implement such extensive technological upgrades? We don't just sell access—we work as your partner. We have a CSAT score of 90.6%.
"Thanks for helping us at every point as we work through issues and find quick solutions. I'm blown away by the personal service we continue to receive from Operto, Axel, Tiffany, Crystal, and all others that answer our questions when we call" - Ryan L.
We're here to help make the transition to new hotel smart door locks smooth. Click here to book a demo.
“Modern, sleek and well-designed” doesn’t have to mean flimsy or frivolous; rest assured, these locks are super-solid.
7 best hotel door lock systems
Here's our review and breakdown of hotel door safety locks for your hotel today. Bear in mind we've taken the above points
Modern hotel door lock technology: Operto
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Pricing - From $15 / unit or room
Features - Offers a range of different smart lock hardware and provides the software that integrates with your PMS. Guests have their own portal which they can use to find the code to unlock the door (generated with each booking).
Plus, owners and team members all have their own portals and codes, so you can always see who's been in and out and when. Best of all, we have an entire team that's there with you. Transitioning to keyless comes with its hiccups, and we're here to partner with you through it all.
Benefits - Removes the need for front desk staff, long wait times, crowded hotel lobbies. Plus, we don't just give you the new smart hotel door locks and send you on your way. We provide you with the software that integrates with your PMS and personal human support to help you on your way.
Salto KS system
The Salto KS app system (Photo: saltoks.com)
Salto locks use the Salto KS cloud-based smart lock system, which can be used via its own app or your own existing app - or a new one! - which can send a Digital Key via smartphone so you and your staff can unlock or grant access to a door remotely; give access for a limited time, or turn it off and on as and when you need it.
The app connects with a range of hardware such as door handles, keycode pads, or wall sensors, and the Salto KS service comes with three levels of access depending on your company’s size and needs. It also offers data on hotel operations, allowing you to improve guest experience and predict occupancy.
Used by companies such as Sonder, Quarters, and the Medici Living Group.
Connect it to your PMS: Want to see how you can connect Salto locks to your PMS through Operto? Click here to get a demo.
Related Post: Why Hotels Need To Copy The Sonder Operating Model
Salto XS4
A Salto XS4 EU Electronic lock from the XS4 range (Photo: Saltosystems.com)
Pricing - At request from Salto via its website.
Features - Many different sizes and designs in the range, with a series of material and color options to suit your needs. Slim and discreet designs. Uses Bluetooth and NFC technology.
Pros - Salto offers different types of locks in this range, with very clear options for different countries, which is great for international hotel groups. Slim design works on narrower door frames. Easy to install on any kind of door. Always able to open from the inside for extra guest peace of mind. Highly-customizable online via Salto’s website, from finish to technology to handle style and more.
Cons - The design could appear clunky to some. Only one of the models has a keypad; only one does not have a lever handle. Whether this works for you really depends on your guests, and how you’re using Operto to connect all your devices together. For some, this will be fine.
Short review - A highly-modern security lock available in an almost endless array of styles and finishes, with the option to have a standalone SVN data-on-card technology, Wi-Fi, or third-party integrations.
Connect it to your PMS: Want to see how you can connect Salto locks to your PMS through Operto? Click here to get a demo.
Assa Abloy Vingcard Allure
Image source: Assa Abloy
Pricing - Given upon request
Features - Ideal for new constructions, the Assa Abloy Vingcard Allure is based on the VingCard’s RFID locking platform. It's mobile-access compatible and has customizable wall panels where you can leave your hotel logo or illustrations. It includes an illuminated room number option with 16 selectable LED light themes.
Pros - It's compatible with RFID technology and gives designers freedom of choice.
Cons - It's a mobile key, which presents all the fallback requirements we listed above.
Short review - Good option if you're building your hotel from scratch and want a mobile key option. Best if you plan to keep your front desk staff.
The Yale Linus® Smart Lock (Photo: Yalehome.co.uk)
Pricing - From $303
Features - Can be accessed remotely. Available in black or silver. Sleek, discreet design that is invisible from the front—yet still functions like a proper smart lock, including integrating perfectly with Operto Connect. Biometric verification, “Hide Entry Codes” feature, two-factor authentication, two-layer encryption, and lost-phone disablement. Biometric identification feature will use your phone’s built-in authentication tools to prompt fingerprint or facial recognition before you can unlock or lock your home remotely.
They also have 2-factor authentication: Yale Access account is protected by 2- factor authentication meaning that users will be required to verify their identity with either an email or phone number.
Pros - Linus® is easy to use and can be installed within minutes on almost every door. Allowing for keyless access, the auto unlock functionality will open the door as you approach and lock it automatically as you leave. You can even grant temporary access to family & friends! Linus® also features DoorSense™ technology which will tell you if the door is closed or if anything unexpected happens, like it being left ajar. The smart lock can be controlled remotely for extra peace of mind. Featuring integrations with voice assistants, smart lighting, home share and hosting platforms, Linus® offers a seamless user experience.
Cons - Not many, other than that professional installation costs extra with Yale (unless you get it 0% financed with us). However, this is common.
Short review - Whether it’s used for short-term rentals or holiday cottages, small BnBs or huge hospitality brands, the automated operations from Operto integrated with the Linus® Smart Lock will free up guests and property managers time, offering them a secure and seamless rental experience.
Connect it to your PMS: Want to see how you can connect Yale locks to your PMS through Operto? Click here to get a demo.
The nexTouch Sectional Mortise Keypad Lock, part of the Yale nexTouch Series (Image: Yalecommercial.com)
Pricing - Contact Yale directly via its website form.
Features - Can manage up to 500 keycodes. Some are offered in a variety of sleek designs and colors, from brass to bronze, chrome, and black. Privacy mode can be enabled from inside, and the keypad deactivates for 180 seconds after five failed entry attempts, ensuring better security.
Pros - Specially designed for commercial settings. Made with material that is especially easy to clean—such as stainless steel or clear coated finishes—in high-traffic, commercial spaces with normal cleaning materials. Weather-resistant for outdoor use and temperatures between 40°F to 140°F (-40°C to 60°C) at 95% humidity.
Cons - Uses batteries and requires a 9V battery as a backup if the power fails. Not Wi-Fi-connected unless upgraded.
Short review - As its name suggests, the nexTouch series is designed for the post-Covid world and is made from material that is easy to clean, and that stays clean for longer, touch after touch. The range has enough variety to suit all doors and is designed to withstand outdoor use—perfect for hotels with external doors, or especially rural locations.
Connect it to your PMS: Want to see how you can connect Yale locks to your PMS through Operto? Click here to get a demo.
The Yale Access App
The Yale Access app (Photo: us.yalehome.com)
All of the Yale lock series and locks listed above are compatible with the Yale Access app, which allows guests to open and close locks - and enables you to set access - with a touch of your phone. The app even allows automatic entry and locking via Bluetooth, and offers a history of activity for extra peace of mind.
But Operto Connect™’s online platform goes much further than a lock-unlock app, so guests—and you—can have 24/7 easy smartphone access for all aspects of your rental, and keep watch over the entire system.
It also connects to smart assistants such as Siri, Amazon Alexa, and Google Assistant, making the lock voice-activated too; and also integrates with platforms such as Airbnb and HomeAway, to enable hosts to offer secure and automated check-in and check-out.
The Yale Assure locks series can also connect to the SmartThings app, which offers a truly “smart home” experience.
SmartThings can connect to tools such as Google Nest—for temperature and light control—and mundane-but-necessary functions such as opening the garage door, setting washing machines, and putting timers on electric plugs.
This means it enables guests to use extra cool features such as setting the coffee machine to prepare a freshly-brewed mug as soon as they wake up—while you can continue monitoring how your guests are doing overall through the wider Operto Connect™ system. Happy days.
Pricing - From $236 for keypad locks
Features - A wide variety of styles, e.g. for doors, outhouses, etc due to door-mounted and padlock-style locks. Can be used with a smartphone, keypad, RFID tags, or traditional keys.
Pros - Does not require an Internet connection or Bluetooth connection to work or for PIN codes to be granted. Protects against hacking using its own AlgoPIN system. Guests do not need to download an app (but one can be used if you choose). Uses a “One Time Password OTP” similar to banks, and codes can be sent via WhatsApp, SMS, and more. Biometric access on some models. Integration with platforms such as Airbnb and Booking.com. Weatherproof from -4°F to 129°F (-20°C to 54°C).
Cons - The lockbox option does not solve problems inherent with keys (e.g. loss, theft). Limited customization available. All have keycode pads - the basic models do not have a “no-code” option. Higher costs for some fancier models. Requires AA Alkaline batteries.
Short review - Igloohome offers the most-varied array of smart locks on this list, with solutions to fit almost every lock, door style, or access needs - as long as you are happy to provide keypad codes - and is the only truly “smart” lock here that can be accessed remotely without Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.
No more lost keys or cards
In an instant, the usual security issues with traditional keys—and even RFID cards—are no longer a factor.
No more risk of keys or cards being lost, stolen, or accidentally locked in the room (which also means you can make a serious saving on the costs of replacement). No more issues with random demagnetization of cards. No more insecure, rickety lockboxes. No more need to have paid staff sitting at Reception all day “just in case”.
Technology solutions
Some new locks don’t even need a smartphone, Bluetooth, or an Internet connection to work—making them perfect for guests whose phone batteries are dead, international guests with phones that don’t work overseas; or for exciting, super-remote, off-grid locations.
Centrally-connected
A modern hotel room entry system is not just a fancy keypad. Using a set-up such as our Operto Connect™ software, you can actually connect many smart door locks to a central system—so that you can control and keep watch on locks remotely in case of emergency, or simply for ease of use wherever you are.
Many of the keyless door locks on this list even have backup sources of power, meaning that they remain secure even in the event of batteries running low, power going out, or Wi-Fi disconnecting.
Most work along the same lines as a traditional, heavy-duty hotel door lock—with the added security of being connected, enabling you to check or secure them remotely, at the touch of a button.
Some safety locks for hotel doors even have cameras, so you can keep a close eye on who has checked in and out, the last person to enter or leave, and who has locked the door behind them. Smart locks also mean that key codes can be changed once guests have checked out and can be set to allow only trusted housekeeping staff to enter.
Notifications to your phone or other devices mean that you know which stage of the process your rental is at throughout - from check-in to check-out, cleaning, and when it’s turned around ready for new guests.
(Using Operto Connect™, you can even connect your lock to check on the security and operation of other features, such as guest room energy control and guest room noise monitoring to keep your other guests and neighbors happy - but that’s another story!)
Guests can also use the system to find crucial details such as WiFi password, temperature of the room, and who to contact if they have any questions. It’s seamless.
Many door locks come with associated apps, so you can control your lock remotely in one touch, and even connect your lock to everything else in your hotel or rental too. Complete control, security, and safety; with zero stress.
Hotel door locks: The smart, hyper-connected choice
There’s no denying smart hotel door lock technology has come on in leaps and bounds in the past few years, making a connected system a smart choice - literally! - for your next hotel door lock revamp.
With a wide range of styles, systems, platforms, and prices, smart locks are no longer the preserve of hotel owners with enormous budgets or only those with inaccessibly-high-tech set-ups.
Using systems such as Operto Connect™ to integrate these hotel lock options with your existing PMS makes this kind of hyper-connected, highly-controlled, remote-access technology available to all hotel owners, no matter your business style or size.
And the Operto Connect™ system is not just a fancy check-in and check-out monitor—as well as smart locks, it also connects to a range of other trusted partner devices, allowing you to keep track of settings such as climate control, heat, and noise.
This means that you can both keep guests happy and save money, by ensuring a rental is cozy in winter and cool in summer, turning the lights and heat off when not needed, and keeping track of the status of potentially-costly and important installations such as boilers, thermostats, and air conditioner units.
Operto Connect™ links everything, including the Netatmo noise monitoring system, which can help you check on noise levels—whether your guests have rowdy kids or a fun party is getting a little out of hand—and take the most appropriate action to keep everyone happy.
Long story short, our system is the closest thing to being there...without you actually having to be there.
Having everything connected through a single platform makes it easier for you to manage all the behind-the-scenes, organizational logistics with ease, allowing you to focus your time and energy on what you do best: delivering a seamless, personalized, five-star hospitality experience to your guests.
From check-in to check-out, it’s clear that finding the right hotel lock for your business—and connecting it to everything else needed to run your rental smoothly—is key (pun very much intended).
Frequently Asked Questions About Hotel Door Safety Lock Systems
Smart locks with keypads are the most secure of all the door safety lock types. A remote, connected smart lock is the holy grail of secure, modern, contactless check-in.
Not only does it ensure that your guests’ check-in is easy and seamless, but it also means that you can eliminate the vast majority of the usual security concerns inherent with traditional locks, and allows an unparalleled level of control from wherever you are, via an app, PMS, or both.
Of course, it depends on the type you choose - but our choice of safety locks for hotel doors all have multiple methods of access and security systems, depending on the model. This can range from using your smartphone, tapping an app, or setting a unique access code via your PMS.
Many of the locks in the list above can be secured remotely through similar systems—such as a central app or PMS—and the code can be set remotely too, allowing you to bar access in case of any security threats, or whenever housekeeping or new guests arrive.
Smart locks are incredibly difficult to pick because they don’t rely purely on the physical, mechanical structure of a lock in the same way as a traditional, “dumb” door key system.
Instead, these smart locks use technology to secure the door completely, and their designs usually offer little-to-no access to the components that could otherwise be picked or hacked. Even those that require external batteries have a back-up system in place, so even if the power, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth is disabled, the locks can still be accessed by a trusted party.
Some even use PIN codes, One-Time Access (OTA) codes, and biometrics—in the same way as online banking and modern smartphones—to ensure that only the right people can get in at any given time.
Many safety locks for hotel doors can even attach to your existing lock and deadbolt systems, and some even show no “smart” features from the outside, meaning that they offer the extra connectedness of the new technology, without compromising on traditional, heavy-duty security.
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