In che modo i chioschi per il check-in self-service degli hotel emettono e gestiscono le chiavi elettroniche?

The core principle behind hotel room card issuance at self-service check-in kiosks is the integration of IC card/magnetic stripe card reader/writer technology and the hotel door lock management system. Simply put, the terminal writes information such as “room number, expiration date, and access rights” onto the card, which is then recognized by the door lock. The process is roughly as follows:

You can also download below PDF for future study

How Hotel Self-service Kiosks Issue and Manage Key Cards.PDF

1. Types of Hotel Key Cards

There are mainly two types of key cards used in hotels:

• Magnetic stripe cards: Data is written onto the magnetic stripe (room number, validity period, etc.) using a card encoder.
  
• IC/Contactless (RFID/Mifare) cards: These contain a chip and memory area. Data is written wirelessly through a card reader/writer.

Most modern hotels use contactless RFID cards because they’re more secure and durable.

2. How the check-in kiosk Connects to the Hotel System

• Il chiosco self-check-in is connected to the PMS (Property Management System)
  
• When a guest checks in via the kiosk (by scanning an ID/passport, entering a reservation number, or scanning a QR code), the PMS verifies the booking and assigns a room.
  
• The PMS sends the room number, stay period, and access rights to the kiosk.
  

3. How the Card is Written

Inside the kiosk, there’s a card encoder module(usually provided by hotels):

1. A blank key card is inserted into the encoder.
   
2. The kiosk uses the door lock vendor’s SDK/encryption protocol to process the information.
   
3. It writes the encrypted data (room number, validity time, and permissions) onto the card.
   
4. The card is dispensed to the guest through the card dispenser.

4. How the Door Lock Reads the Card

• Each electronic lock has a card reader + microcontroller.
  
• When the guest taps/swipes the card, the lock reads the encrypted data.
  
• The lock verifies:
  
  • If the room number matches
    
  • If the card is still within the valid check-in/check-out time
    
  • If the card has the required permissions (room door only, or also elevator, gym, lobby doors, etc.)
    
• If valid → the lock motor is triggered → the door opens.
  

5. Security

• Data written to the card is not plain text (like “Room 101”), but encrypted using the door lock vendor’s algorithm.
  
• This prevents unauthorized duplication of the card.
• Only the hotel system and official encoder can generate valid cards.
  

🔑 Summary:
A self-check-in kiosk contains a card encoder that communicates with the PMS and door lock system. When the PMS confirms the booking, the encoder writes encrypted room details (room number, validity, access rights) to the card. The door lock later decrypts and verifies this information before granting access.

Three ways that Hotel Room Numbers Are Assigned

In a hotel, how a room number is assigned depends on the PMS (Property Management System) and the hotel’s policies. Here are the common scenarios:

1. System Auto-assignment (most common)

• The PMS automatically assigns a room based on the booking details (room type, rate, dates).
  
• The allocation logic usually considers:
  
  • Room type availability
    
  • Continuity (so a stay isn’t interrupted by overlapping reservations)
    
  • Room status (must be clean and available)
    
  • Sometimes balancing occupancy across floors/areas
    
• In this case, the room number is randomly assigned by the system, not chosen by the guest.

2. Guest Selection (offered by some hotels)

• Some high-end or smart hotels allow guests to choose their room via a self-service kiosk or mobile app.
  
• Similar to airline seat selection: guests can see a floor map and pick a preferred room (e.g., near the elevator, away from noise, facing the sunrise, better view).
  
• The system only shows rooms that are available in real time.

3. Front Desk Manual Adjustment

• If a guest makes a special request (e.g., higher floor, near friends, non-smoking), the front desk staff can manually override and assign a specific room.
  
• VIPs or loyalty members often receive this kind of priority.
  

🔑 Summary:

• In most hotels → Room numbers are auto-assigned randomly by the system.
  
• In smart or luxury hotels → Guests may have the option to choose their room.
  
• With special requests → Front desk staff can adjust room assignment manually.