Swimming pools, several restaurants, gardens, a gym, spa facilities and guest rooms spread across different buildings… The larger the resort, the more guests and employees move around throughout the day. And the more difficult it becomes to keep all access credentials under control.
Losing a card in a large property is surprisingly easy. It may be left behind on a sun lounger, dropped while walking around the resort or misplaced in any of the common areas.
The problem? If that credential remains valid, it will continue to provide access to all the areas for which it has permissions.
That is why, in large hotel complexes, it is important to control who can access which areas, but also how long each credential should remain valid.
In this article, we explain how an access revalidation device works and why it can become a valuable tool for improving security and operations across your resort.
Lost cards in a resort: a bigger problem than it may seem
In a small hotel, identifying and managing a lost access card can be relatively straightforward. In a large resort, the situation is very different.
Hundreds of guests and employees may be moving constantly between guest rooms, swimming pools, restaurants, sports facilities, service areas or external access points. Add to this a high turnover of users and a large number of active credentials at any given time.
In this kind of environment, a lost card can go unnoticed for hours. And the longer a lost credential remains active, the greater the risk of someone using it without authorisation.
The answer is not to create more work for the front desk or to monitor every card manually. A far more efficient approach is to ensure that access permissions have a limited validity period and must be renewed periodically.
Temporary credentials: an additional layer of security
An access revalidation device automatically renews the permissions stored on a credential. This allows the hotel to work with shorter validity periods instead of keeping access permissions active for extended periods of time.
For example, staff cards can be configured to remain valid for just 24 hours and renewed whenever they are presented at a revalidation point.
What does this achieve? A credential that is still being legitimately used can continue renewing its permissions as normal, while a lost credential that no longer passes through the revalidation point will eventually expire.
All of this happens without turning the front desk into a place employees or guests need to visit constantly just to renew their credentials.
Revalidate credentials while users access hotel areas
For this system to be practical, revalidation points should be incorporated into users’ normal movements around the property.
For example, the device could be installed at an entrance hotel staff pass through every day before starting their shift, or at the entrance to a common area regularly used by guests.
By installing the revalidation device at one of these points, permission renewal can become part of the access process itself. The user simply presents their credential to the device and, in a single action, gains access to the restricted area while also updating their permissions.
In this way, security becomes part of the hotel’s everyday operation without introducing unnecessary processes for staff or increasing the workload at reception.
INUP: access control and credential revalidation in a single device
At Omnitec, we offer INUP, our access control and credential revalidation device, specifically designed to automate this process.
INUP can manage the daily renewal of access permissions for both guests and employees. It can be installed at strategic locations such as main entrances, staff access points or changing rooms.
One of its main advantages is that it reads and updates different MiFare proximity credentials, such as cards, key fobs or wristbands, which are widely used in resorts due to their convenience.
INUP also features wired network connectivity and a highly impact-resistant polycarbonate front panel with an IP65 rating, giving hotels greater flexibility when deciding where to install the device.
Benefits of using an access revalidation device
Introducing periodic access permission revalidation can provide significant benefits for properties managing large numbers of users:
-
Reduces the risk associated with lost credentials. If a credential is no longer revalidated, its permissions expire once the defined validity period ends.
-
Avoids constant manual renewals. Users update their own credentials simply by passing through the designated revalidation point.
-
Reduces front desk workload. Credential renewal can be integrated into normal movements around the property.
-
Supports different MiFare credential formats. Hotels can use cards, wristbands or key fobs depending on their operational requirements.
-
Improves access control across large properties. This is particularly important when resorts include multiple buildings, common areas and different user profiles.
Ultimately, automating these processes reduces the amount of time spent on repetitive tasks and helps hotels move towards more efficient access management.
Access management designed for large resorts
In large properties, a standalone revalidation device is not enough. What really matters is designing the overall access plan correctly: the different user profiles, the areas, the permissions and the validity periods.
At Omnitec, we develop a range of solutions designed to make this possible. One of them is the OS Access software, which allows hotels to centralise the management of staff, guest and external-user credentials through a web browser.
You can also create employee profiles, define different access levels and manage an access plan tailored to installations with a wide variety of devices and users.
In this way, the technology adapts to the size and operational requirements of each property, rather than forcing the hotel to work with a single standard configuration.
How Omnitec can help improve security across your resort
As you can see, managing hundreds or even thousands of credentials does not have to mean creating more manual work for your team.
An access revalidation device allows hotels to work with limited-duration permissions and automate their renewal at strategic points throughout the property. As a result, something as simple as entering an area of the hotel can also serve to keep the credential up to date.
At Omnitec, we have been providing security and access control solutions for hotels for more than two decades, and we understand that large resorts require systems capable of adapting to highly complex day-to-day operations.
Would you like to improve the way guest and staff credentials are managed across your resort? Contact us and we will help you design an access plan tailored to the specific characteristics of your property.