Behind the door
The people, companies and decisions that changed how we arrive.
Reported stories about guest access: where it came from, what went wrong and what comes next. Looking for practical explanations? Explore the Guides.
Vingcard says a 1974 hotel-room attack on singer Connie Francis inspired Norwegian engineer Tor Sørnes to rethink the lock. His answer involved two punched cards—and a way to make yesterday’s key stop working.
Companies That Shaped Keyless Check-In · Part 1
Airbnb helped make unattended arrival normal. At its scale, even a small platform decision can reshape the tools hosts depend on—and reach all the way to a guest standing at a locked door.
Companies That Shaped Keyless Check-In · Part 5
In 2012, Cody Brocious showed how a cheap device could open a hotel lock without a guest card. The surprising part was where the permission came from: the lock itself.
Companies That Shaped Keyless Check-In · Part 3
In 2014, SPG Keyless promised a walk past reception and a room opened by phone. One early reviewer got a demonstration, some troubleshooting and a plastic card. The idea was bigger than the key. So were the things that could go wrong.
Companies That Shaped Keyless Check-In · Part 4
It made the humble door lock look like the future. The accounts told a different story. Now Latch is DOOR. How much has actually changed?
Companies That Shaped Keyless Check-In · Part 2
