mk | hotels
mk | hotels is a young hotel group from Germany with a very modern service approach, carried by a passionate crew. mk | hotels opened its first hotel in Munich in 2009. Their initial motivation was to provide high-quality accommodation for the employees of their family business Lindner Group -Arnstorf, which is an internationally active construction company, while they were on business trips.
The concept of the mk | hotels turned out to be a success and currently manages 13 hotels in 3 countries. All hotels are run by wonderful, young professionals who are passionate, love their home and offer honest and straightforward service.
Key Facts
• 13 hotels across 3 countries
• 13 hotels offer smart mobile keys from 4SUITES
• 950 doors/access points connected
• Cloud-based PMS Integration with Apaleo
Arno Sonderfeld, Head of mk | hotels
We don’t believe in guests downloading an app for every hotel. No one does that these days. The faster and simpler the process, the greater the adaption on the guest side – that’s the only way it will work.
The Challenge
mk | hotels were looking for a solution that would help them streamline their operations, improve the guest experience, and integrate seamlessly with their cloud-based PMS solution. They were not looking to reduce their staff costs, but rather to reduce administrative tasks and give their receptionists more time to focus on the guest.
Their ultimate goal according to Arno Sonderfeld, Managing Director of mk | hotels:
“We wanted to enable 24-hour check-in and give our front office team more time to serve and personally look after our guests instead of being stuck behind a desk with administrative tasks such as manual check-in and check-out. These tasks can be handled by digital solutions and our team can add the human touch.”
Key Decision Criteria
Web app instead of native mobile app
Quick reminder of the difference: Native mobile apps are developed for a specific platform (e.g., iOS or Android), and must be downloaded to the mobile device, a popular example being Google Maps. Web apps, on the other hand, are accessed via the internet browser and adapt to the particular device you are viewing them on, so they do not need to be downloaded.
Recognising that guests do not necessarily want to download a native mobile app for one-time use for every hotel they stay at, mk | hotels was looking for an access solutions provider that offered cloud- based IoT-enabled locks and mobile keys. A quick search brought them to 4SUITES.’
Improving the guest experience
mk | hotels’ second goal was to enable 24-hour check-in and generally automate the check- in process to eliminate queues at check-in and increase guest satisfaction. They were aware of the research which has shown that guest satisfaction scores drop by as much as 50% when there’s a 5-minute wait at check-in. While a survey by Oracle and Skift showed that more than 70% of consumers are willing to stay at hotels that offer self-service technology.
The Solution
mk | hotels selected two cloud-based hospitality technology providers which seamlessly integrate with each other, enabling automated processes which improves mk | hotels’ operational efficiency. They choose Apaleo as their cloud property management software, and 4SUITES to install their cloud-based mobile keys.
Arno Sonderfeld: “In general, the use of digital solutions makes our work at the reception desk much easier. Every hotel in our portfolio will enable guests to check in, access their room, pay check out on their own, because of the integration with our innovative cloud-based software partners. Being able to manage our entire portfolio’s reservations, customer service and revenue departments from a central office, allows us to reduce data silos and enable on-demand quick access to all business data for its teams.”
Arno Sonderfeld, Head of mk | hotels
We now already have an opening rate of 65% via the digital keys of 4SUITES. This means that only a small proportion of our guests actually needs a key card.
The Result
mk | hotels have achieved an impressive 35% adoption rate across all 13 hotels among guests, with some hotels already achieving adoption rates as high as 65%. The variance in adoption rates can be attributed to factors such as the target audience of each hotel and the length of time the mobile keys have been installed. The success of 4SUITES cloud-based mobile keys implementation is remarkable.
This is exemplified by the impressive 90% adoption rate of employees from the Lindner Group – Arnstorf who stay at mk | hotels during their business trips. The high adoption rate among hotel employees is also noteworthy, reaching an impressive 95%. This shows that hotel staff members have found the technology easy to use and that they are motivated to promote it to their guests.
Benefits
In the case of mk | hotels, the adoption of cloud-based mobile keys has brought numerous benefits to its 13 hotels. By replacing traditional keycards, mobile keys have helped to reduce plastic usage and cut down on carbon emissions, making them a more sustainable choice for the environment.
Streamlined Operations
Moreover, the implementation of 4SUITES’ cloud-based mobile keys has allowed the hotel group to streamline their operations by reducing the need for physical keycards and optimizing their night shift operations. With this technology, mk | hotels have been able to operate with only one night manager at one hotel, who can remotely handle requests for all other 11 hotels, resulting in significant cost reductions and increased efficiency. These benefits, combined with the high adoption rates of both guests and employees, demonstrate the potential of mobile keys to transform the hospitality industry for the better.
Remote Access Management
In addition to the benefits of mobile keys themselves, mk | hotels has also experienced significant operational improvements thanks to the cloud-based management platform of 4SUITES. This platform allows hotel employees to grant and revoke access to guest rooms remotely, eliminating the need for physical keycards and streamlining the check-in and check-out process.
Furthermore, the platform enables hotel staff to easily adapt access rights based on changes in guests’ stay data, such as room changes or late checkouts. This level of flexibility enhances guests’ convenience by ensuring that their mobile keys remain up-to-date throughout their stay. Overall, the combination of mobile keys and 4SUITES’ cloud-based management platform has transformed the way mk | hotels operate and enhance the guest experience.
By choosing 4SUITES, mk | hotels benefits from the only 100% cloud-based IoT solution offering:
Mobile keys (no app install needed)
Locks, lock upgrades, and readers for lifts and common areas
Realtime access management and insights
Opening by NFC, iMIFARE® DESFire® EV2, web app
PMS Integration
