Background Information on the Hotel Keycard

Ever since many hotels in the U.S. and in the economically strong Asian states like Hong Kong and Singapore started using hotel keycards instead of the usual keys, this new technology has become more and more common in Europe as well.  In Germany, including the hotels in former East Germany, most of the major hotel chains use these keycards.

The use of keycards started with computer punched cards (mechanical systems), which were quite large and therefore quite cumbersome.  A keycard set consists of two plastic punched cards.  One of them is given to the hotel guest, and the other, which is the exact counterpart of this card, is placed into the appropriate door lock.  For this reason the hotel must install the equivalent of each punched card counterpart into the lock mechanism of the keycard that belongs to the hotel door.  With this rather complicated procedure, the counterparts remained in the corresponding door lock only until the keycard had been damaged or taken along by mistake.  In this case a new counterpart of the corresponding keycard had to be exchanged.

Later in the 1980’s, electronically programmable cards appeared in the size of ATM cards.  It was possible for the hotel reception to program these cards individually for each guest and for the duration of the stay.  The mechanical door lock mechanism operation was no longer necessary.  Both punched card systems are still found in many hotels.

Since the 1990’s, magnetic cards have been the most common generation of hotel keycards (electronic systems).  The individual programming in this case takes place in a similar manner to the above-described electronic punched card.

This keycard is simply inserted into or pulled through the slit of the hotel key lock until the door can be opened, as described on the back of the card.  Most readers will know this technique from door lock systems at their banks.  In a bank it is also necessary to enter a vestibule after business hours (for example to use the ATM) to do a similar function with the ATM card.

The world’s largest producer of these systems as well as of mechanical and electronic punched card systems is the Norwegian company VingCard.  Yaletronics, Saflok, KustomKey, TimeLox, Messerschmitt and Pegula also offer these hotel security systems.

Recently a new card system, the so-called transponder cards, came into hotels.  These cards operate without contact.  That is, they just need to be held close to the door lock in order to release the door mechanism.

I have also recently become the lucky owner of one of the first hotel keycards which is provided with a chip (smart card) like telephone or money cards.