The Hakuba Hotel Group (HHG) is a premier hospitality provider in Japan’s northwestern Nagano Prefecture. HHG manages a diverse portfolio of chalets, lodges, hotels, and restaurants – including 10 hotel properties and 12 food and beverage facilities – and has played a leading role in transforming Hakuba Valley into a year-round holiday destination.
Peak season runs from December to March, as winter sports enthusiasts flock to the gentle ski slopes that define Hakuba Valley. However, summer is becoming an increasingly popular time for hikers in search of alpine charm. International visitors arrive in large numbers, particularly from Australia, the US, Europe, and various countries in Southeast Asia – all eager to sample Japan’s unique blend of cultural heritage and outstanding natural beauty.
villas, apartments, and boutique rooms
ski lockers
staff
Salto has helped us elevate the overall guest experience while also making things more efficient behind the scenes. This solution perfectly reflects who we are as a brand: modern, premium, and built around the guest. It’s the kind of technology that just works – you don’t have to think about it.
HHG is a fantastic example of how premium hospitality providers can use smart access to strike the right balance between guest freedom and operational efficiency. With Salto, HHG is not just offering a keyless experience – they’re delivering seamless, secure, and scalable access across an entire portfolio. It’s a model for modern hospitality in action
As a growing boutique hotel business with a strong reputation for premium service, Hakuba Hotel Group needed to modernise its guest experience without compromising operational efficiency. Traditional check-in methods and physical keycards were no longer aligned with their innovative, forward-thinking approach.
HHG needed a seamless, centrally managed, digital solution to remove friction at check-in and throughout guests' stay at their properties. From facilitating the use of ski lockers to providing smooth and secure access to the on-site onsens, HHG wanted a comprehensive access control system that would meet the demands of the exclusive experience their hotels seek to offer.
Alongside improved guest comfort, streamlining operations was also at the forefront of the group’s plans, as they sought to unify systems across various properties under their management. This brought up a series of security considerations, especially given the significant seasonal fluctuations of staff numbers, as well as the need to maintain cohesive operations throughout the year.
After evaluating multiple access control systems, HHG selected Salto as its partner in this project. Our smart solutions stood out due to their seamless integration with HHG’s Mews property management system (PMS), and the ability to deliver a mobile-first guest experience in combination with the Duve Guest App.
Additionally, the flexibility of Salto’s solution in supporting both digital and physical credentials eased the transition for staff and guests. This ensured a more convenient experience now while setting a scalable foundation for growth.
HHG implemented Salto Space as an all-inclusive smart access solution at one of its newest properties, owing to its intuitive interface, seamless PMS integration, and support for a fully mobile and digital guest journey. Hotel guests can now access rooms and all hotel amenities using just their smartphone – eliminating the need for physical key cards and reinforcing the brand’s sophisticated, tech-forward identity.
Thanks to this integrated solution, HHG has successfully unified the guest experience across all its properties. Several Salto electronic locks, lockers and wall readers have been installed in different locations. Because of these smart devices, both visitors and staff can unlock doors to rooms, onsens, lockers, and other shared amenities via mobile phone digital keys or key card.
Following this successful initial deployment, HHG plans to roll out Salto’s smart access solutions in all future developments and retrofit existing properties. Additionally, each ski-in/ski-out property features a dedicated ski locker in every room. The next phase will involve upgrading to Salto locker locks, compatible with both digital keys and RFID key cards. Guests will be able to use the same credentials to access their ski locker throughout their stay, with their codes expiring automatically at checkout.
- Contactless guest arrival, with 24/7 booking, online check-in, and mobile access via digital key delivered right to a guest’s smartphone.
- Integrated Mews PMS, guest app, and access control, guaranteeing frictionless, keyless access throughout the property at any time – even outside reception hours. Guests can also order room service or rent ski gear from the comfort of a mobile phone.
- Operational efficiency, with a powerful, integrated tech stack streamlining booking and check-in from a central location while reducing wait times during peak hours.
- Increased security through digital logs and audit trails that provide visibility and assist in resolving incidents.
- Scalability, via a solution that grows with the hotel’s needs and makes it easy to train new staff.
The Hakuba Hotel Group (HHG) is a premier hospitality provider in Japan’s northwestern Nagano Prefecture. HHG manages a diverse portfolio of chalets, lodges, hotels, and restaurants – including 10 hotel properties and 12 food and beverage facilities – and has played a leading role in transforming Hakuba Valley into a year-round holiday destination.
