Automated Key Access to Non-Room Access Areas

Stay is enhanced to allow properties to add, edit, and delete automated key access to non- room spaces in the property. For example, guests’ part of a wedding group is granted parking access or guests who have paid to access the Club Lounge are checked into a room that is located on the same floor as the Club Lounge and thereby, access is granted to the room and the Club Lounge.

Permissions

Users with the following permissions can update the access areas for the keys in a reservation:

  • IssueDigitalKey

  • OverrideKeyExpiration

  • ReadDigitalKey

  • RevokeDigitalKey

  • useraccess_digitalkey

  • useraccess_expressdigitalkeylogs

  • useraccess_expresskioskkey

  • Wbe_Key_Vault_Access

  • WriteDigitalKey

  • BookReservations

  • CancelReservations

  • CheckinReservations

  • CheckoutReservations

  • ReadReservations

  • WriteReservations

  • EarlyCheckoutReservations

A new permission, Stay_ConfigKeyAccess, has been added to allow users to configure key access areas. This permission is assigned to the following roles by default:

  • System Administrator

  • Stay Hotel Manager

  • Stay Hotel Supervisor

Important Points

  • Based on the configured key access rule, the access areas are automatically assigned to the reservation once the room is assigned.

  • When any changes are made to the key access rule before the room is assigned, the access areas will be automatically updated according to the changes once the room is assigned.

  • When any changes are made to the key access rule after the room is assigned and before the reservation is checked in, the access areas will not be updated for the changes.

  • Any modifications made to a checked-in reservation will not affect the key access area. The access area will remain the same as it was when the guest checked in. For example, if a guest has already checked in and received their keys, and then an Add-On is added to their reservation, the access area will need to be updated by clicking the Refresh button by the access area option in the key section of the reservation. A new physical key will need to be issued. However, if a digital key was issued, the access area is updated automatically in Stay.

  • Access areas are applicable for both physical and digital keys.

  • A reservation must satisfy all the categories configured in the rule to get access to the key access area. If any one of the categories is not met, the key access area will not be available for selection in the reservation.

  • When creating the key for the reservation, key access is provided to the room along with the access areas associated with the reservation.

  • The key access area is associated only with the reservation and not with the guest profile.

  • Users can manually add the access area to reservation based on the required permissions.

  • When the user manually changes the key access area for the reservation:

    • Users will have to manually re-issue a new key if physical keys are being used.

    • For the digital keys, once the user updates the key access areas in the Key section, a notification is sent to the key vendor and access areas are automatically updated to the key.

Add Access Areas to Reservations

To add access to an access area, users must navigate to the Key section of the reservation. A new field Access Area has been added to this section. A hyperlink, Selected, is displayed beside the Access Area field.

  • When access areas are not added to a reservation, the Selected hyperlink will be displayed with a 0 count.

  • When access areas are added to a reservation, the Selected hyperlink will be displayed with the count.

When any access areas are added based on a configured rule, an information icon is displayed next to the access area’s name. Users are displayed the respective rule name by hovering over the information icon in the following format: Rule(s) followed by respective rules. The selected access areas are displayed in ascending alphabetical order based on its addition to the reservation. Clicking the Selected hyperlink displays the Access Area pop-up screen. Users can search the access area using the access area name or code from the search box. The Select All checkbox allows users to select all the available access areas. Clicking Save will save the changes made in the access area to the reservation and redirect the user to the reservation screen. Users can update the access area in the reservation for any changes or update the key access rule configuration (after check-in) by clicking the Refresh hyperlink.

Add Access Areas to Group Reservations

For groups and their associated reservations, users can configure the key access areas in the Reservation Presets section. The key access area configured here will be applied to all reservations associated with the group (both existing and future reservations if the reservation is not checked in). A new multiselect drop-down list, Key Access Area, is added to the Reservation Presets section. Users can select the preferred access areas from the drop-down list and apply them to all reservations in the group.

Configure Rules for Key Access

Users with the Stay_ConfigKeyAccess permission can configure key access area rules. A new tab, Key Access Configuration, is added in the Rooms Setup screen (Settings ➜ All settings ➜ General ➜ Rooms & Room Types ➜ Key Access Configuration).

When users click Add in the Key Access Configuration tab, the Add New Key Access Configuration pop-up screen appears that displays the following fields:

Field

Description

Rule Name

The name of the rule configured for key access.

Rule Code

A unique code for the rule configured for key access

Access Area

This is a mandatory field that requires users to select the preferred access areas from the multi-select drop-down list.

All the active general area types configured at the property (All Settings ➜ General ➜ Rooms & Room Types ➜ General Area Types) will be displayed. To select all access areas, users can select the Select All option. Once the access areas have been selected, the access areas are displayed as a comma-separated list.

Categories

Select from the following categories to create a key access rule.

  • Loyalty Tier

  • Rate/Package

  • Add-ons

  • Room Floor

  • Guest Type (part of more tab)

  • Recurring Charge (part of more tab)

  • VIP Level (part of more tab)

  • Building (part of more tab)

    By default, four categories are displayed, followed by the More option. When users click More, a drop-down list with the remaining categories is displayed.

    The values for each category will be displayed with a checkbox.

    Users can select the preferred values and the count will be dynamically updated based on the selection under the respective categories. To select all access areas, users can select the Select All option.

    Only active values will be displayed under every category. Newly added values and inactive values will be updated accordingly for each category.

When users click Save, the rule will be created successfully. The following columns in the Key Access Configuration tab displays the details of the key access rule created:

Field

Description

Rule Name

Displays the name of the rule.

Rule Code

Displays the unique code configured for the rule code.

Applied To

Displays all the categories selected in the rule and the number of values chosen for each category. For example, Loyalty (3) - which means Loyalty is one of the categories for which three values have been selected.

The user can see the values selected in the category by hovering over the count. Hovering over the count displays the category’s name followed by the values with code. Categories will be displayed in alphabetical order.

Access Areas

Display the access area(s) selected in the rule. Areas are displayed in alphabetical order. Users have the option to sort areas.

Users can search for a rule using the rule name, rule code, and access area. Users can also filter rules by their categories.

The following table lists the various scenarios in which key access areas are granted to a reservation:

Scenario

Action

When the property creates multiple key access area rules with the same categories

Reservation will get access to all the key access areas.

When a reservation is modified after it has been checked-in

Key access area will not be added or removed from the reservation based on the modification. Users must update the access area by clicking the Refresh button in the keys section of the reservation

When a user manually removes the key access area added based on the rule.

After saving the changes in the Access Area pop-up screen, the user will be displayed a message in the Key section of the reservation: The key access area has been manually removed. The warning will be displayed until the user adds the cleared access area associated with the rule in the reservation.

If the access has been manually removed, the key access will get updated based on the following changes:

  • The user will manually re-issue a new key if a physical key is being used.

  • For the digital keys, once the user updates the key access area(s) in the reservations key section, a notification will get sent to the key vendor to update the key access.

When a user performs a copy reservation

Access areas are automatically assigned to the reservation once the room is assigned.

When a user moves a reservation

Access areas are automatically assigned to the reservation based on the rules configured.

When a reservation has a scheduled room change and alterations in the reservation details

Access areas are automatically assigned to the reservation based on the change in the room number.

When a rule is created using only one access area and the access area is made inactive

The access area will be removed from the reservation/group.

When a physical key has been issued before check-in and the access area gets updated based on rule

  • The user will manually re-issue a new key if a physical key is being used.

  • For the digital keys, once the user updates the key access area(s) in the reservations key section, a notification will get sent to the key vendor to update the key access.
Key History

A new column, Access Areas, is added to the History tab of the Keys section. The access area applicable for the reservation will be displayed in this column. The column will also display any modifications when any access areas have been removed.

Reservation Audit Logs

When the user updates any of the following, the log is captured in the Reservation History section with the date, time, and username.

  • An access area is added to the reservation.

  • An access area is edited/deleted from the reservation.

System Changes

To support this enhancement, the following changes have been made:

  • A new field Access Area has been added to the Keys section of the reservation.

  • A new multiselect drop-down list, Key Access Area, is added to the Reservation Presets section of groups.

  • A new tab, Key Access Configuration, is added in the Rooms Setup screen (Settings ➜All settings ➜General ➜Rooms & Room Types ➜Key Access Configuration).

  • A new column, Access Areas, is added to the History tab of the Keys section.