Access control and technology: An Interview with Beth Zdrojewski. We asked Beth about the role technology plays in Hospitality.
Beth Zdrojewski joined SALTO Systems as National Account Manager for Hospitality in September of 2017. Based in the Washington, D.C., Metro Area, Beth develops and expands hospitality relationships for SALTO throughout the United States. She has served in various strategic management roles for companies including Current powered by GE and GE Lighting.
You joined SALTO Systems in September of 2017, what drew you to SALTO?
I’m naturally drawn to the hospitality industry. In my previous role, I was focused on products that contributed to the safety and security of the hospitality industry along with software and controls. Those interests drew a direct line to what SALTO provides customers which is innovation in access control and a strong commitment to research and development. SALTO is always on the cutting edge of “what’s next” in access control, in general, and for electronic lock solutions for hospitality, in particular.
How did your previous work in sales and strategic accounts management prepare you for what you’re doing now?
Being a very outgoing person, networking comes pretty easy for me, so that would be the big win for me in this type of role. Also, understanding who is making the decisions and the influencers in my target accounts were top priorities. Once those connects are realized, creating a strong and valuable relationship with them is key to helping build scale across our sales team.
What are the essential elements of a hotel or lodging property access control system? In other words, in this day and age of security and technology – what should a hotel have in place?
Electronic locks are a key element of a comprehensive security solution. Different sized and type of hotels – business, luxury, boutique, resort, economy – have varying needs but they can each accomplish an effective access control solution with a wireless or networked platform using the latest in today’s technology such as RFID, NFC and BLE. An access control solution must also be able to work together seamlessly with third-party security platforms like room management systems, third-party mobile app developers for check-ins and room energy management systems.
What trends do you see emerging in the hospitality access control vertical?
The trends I see happening revolve around integration of access control and third-party systems or platforms (alarm, video, hotel management, guest management and in-room control systems like smart lights and thermostats). These integrations can lead to energy savings for the hotel and advanced accommodations for the guests. Mobile access is also a hot topic, as it can improve back of house and guest management as well as the guest experience. At the end of the day, these trends – better check-in options for guests, better and optimized key management, more efficiency in room or energy management – lead to a better ROI.
How does SALTO address the changing needs of the industry?
SALTO is instrumental in leading the way for new technologies. Due to the fact that the industry is demanding Bluetooth, wireless, mobile, and cloud solutions in their electronic access control solutions – we have been early adopters of those technologies and are therefore ready for those challenges and requests. The SALTO JustIN mobile application, for example, provides a mobile solution that can help hotels improve the guest experience by giving them a tool to bypass the check-in line and go directly to their hotel room. They can simply use their phone to check-in, access the room, and check out. An application like JustIN Mobile provides a guest-centered solution that helps hotel management save time and money.
