Does your business offer rooms, lounges or other areas that can be booked for just a few hours? Managing access for these short stays as efficiently as the bookings themselves is essential. With hourly access control, you can set credential validity to match the booked period, with credentials expiring automatically when that period ends.
For example, a traveller may book a room during a five-hour layover, or a professional may need a private room between two meetings. In either case, visiting reception to collect and return a key would be highly inconvenient for a stay that should be quick and flexible.
Fortunately, today’s technology can greatly simplify these operations and provide access according to the specific requirements of each booking.
In this article, we explain how to manage access for hourly bookings, the options available and how automation can make the process easier for both the property and its guests.
Hourly bookings: when every minute counts
Nowadays, an increasing number of business models allow customers to book spaces for limited periods of time. Day-use hotels, VIP lounges at airports and railway stations, business centres, sleep pods and coworking spaces are good examples of this.
A room may be booked from 9am to 12pm by one guest and later from 3.30pm to 7pm by another, with each guest able to access the room only during the period they have booked.
This is where traditional keys become less practical: issuing, collecting and keeping track of them adds extra tasks to operations that need to stay agile.
The alternative? Configuring the access control itself around the times of each booking.
How does hourly access control work?
The concept is simple: instead of issuing a key, each user is assigned a temporary credential with a specific start and end time.
This means access is allowed only for the period booked, with the credential expiring automatically once the scheduled end time is reached.
This automates a significant part of day-to-day operations and eliminates the need to revoke permissions after each booking. It also provides greater flexibility for properties where a single day may involve numerous different booking periods.
An effective access automation system lets you:
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Manage numerous short-term bookings on the same day.
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Set each credential according to the user’s specific booking times.
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Prevent access permissions from remaining valid once the specified period has ended.
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Remove the need for guests to visit reception in person.
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Provide more direct access for customers travelling or working to tight schedules.
OS Access: access management adapted to each booking
So how do we put this hourly access control into practice? At Omnitec, we make it possible with OS Access, our access management software, which allows you to set a specific check-in and check-out time for a stay, even when both fall on the same day.
For example, if a guest books a room from 10am to 2pm, their credential can be configured to remain valid for that time window and expire automatically once the end time is reached.
In this way, access control is linked directly to the booking itself: the permission has a defined duration and there’s no need to remove it manually once the stay ends.
This automation is also very useful when managing numerous short stays throughout the same day. Your day-use hotel or business can therefore maintain precise control over who is authorised to access each space and for how long.
Three ways to manage hourly access
At Omnitec, we understand that every establishment operates differently. That’s why our OS Access software allows this time-based access to be managed in three different ways:
Passcode: simple, temporary access
One option is to use a temporary access code or passcode.
The user receives a code that can only be used during the time window set for their booking. Once the end time is reached, it automatically stops being valid.
This allows for much more efficient processes and reduces the number of steps at reception, which is particularly useful for short-term bookings.
Bluetooth eKey: your smartphone becomes the key
Another option is to use a Bluetooth eKey, an electronic key sent directly to the user’s phone that can be used as an access credential. With the UpKey app, the smartphone itself becomes the key.
The advantage? Guests don’t need to collect a card or physical key before gaining access. Their eKey is linked to the time window associated with the booking and stops providing access once that period ends.
MiFare cards in full online mode
What if the property prefers to keep issuing proximity cards? Hourly bookings can also be managed using MiFare cards in full online mode.
To do this, the installation needs an online gateway, which provides the necessary connectivity between the devices and the cloud server.
This way, permissions can be kept up to date, and the card only works within the time window defined for the user.
Fewer manual tasks, more control over every booking
When it comes to hourly bookings at a hotel or any other short-stay facility, a few minutes can matter far more than in a conventional stay.
A traveller on a layover will probably want to make the most of their limited resting time. And someone booking a room between two meetings won’t want to spend part of that time on unnecessary formalities either.
Automating access helps reduce these steps and, at the same time, simplifies work for the property.
Staff can manage different time windows and let credentials expire automatically at the end of each period, reducing reliance on the manual tasks involved in issuing and revoking permissions.
All while keeping control over who can access which space, and for how long.
An access system that adapts to your business model
Ultimately, when time is part of the service itself, it makes sense for the access system to adapt to it too.
A room booked for four hours, a sleep pod for two, or a VIP lounge used during a layover all have different needs to a conventional stay. That’s why having credentials with a defined start and end time enables a much more flexible operation.
With OS Access, these time windows can be managed using passcodes, Bluetooth eKeys or MiFare cards in full online mode, so that each permission matches the period set. Because ultimately, it’s about technology adapting to your business model.
Do you manage a day-use hotel or another space with short-term bookings? At Omnitec, we can help you find the access control solution that best suits you. Don’t wait any longer — get in touch with us!