Locking up the Inn

[JBloggs]

[FONT=&quot] All of you with key pads - do you still give out individual room keys? If so, why the need for a key pad? Just do like Oceans does. Key each room separately and the same key opens the front and back doors. [/FONT]A master key opens everything. I got rid of my key pad after realizing that one key works better..

[FONT=&quot] All of you with key pads - do you still give out individual room keys? If so, why the need for a key pad? Just do like Oceans does. Key each room separately and the same key opens the front and back doors. [/FONT]A master key opens everything. I got rid of my key pad after realizing that one key works better.

Not likely we are going to rekey all rooms. Hard enough just to fix dings and scratches everywhere.
The keypad is for the front door. Bad enough when guests take the keys as it is! If I would, I would have all new fresh guest room doors with keypads on every one and zero keys. But then it is not possible. You have to realize when our guests go out on the porch they don't necessarily carry their room keys out there with them each and every time or every time they go to their car. The keypad solves all those issues for us.
Now the room locks are another subject, a royal pain, I would get rid of every lock, chain and bolt and replace if I could. There are lot of things I would like to do.

 

[Copperhead]

[FONT=&quot] All of you with key pads - do you still give out individual room keys? If so, why the need for a key pad? Just do like Oceans does. Key each room separately and the same key opens the front and back doors. [/FONT]A master key opens everything. I got rid of my key pad after realizing that one key works better..

[FONT= &quot] All of you with key pads - do you still give out individual room keys? If so, why the need for a key pad? Just do like Oceans does. Key each room separately and the same key opens the front and back doors. [/FONT]A master key opens everything. I got rid of my key pad after realizing that one key works better.

As a former Key entry now KeyPad B&B, I find relief in knowing that the key to my home is not floating about all over. If someone loses their room key with our code on it (name of inn is not on it) I have a quick fix in changing the code. I would not be happy in having to contact a locksmith to rekey the entire inn in case someone nice and wise googles my room name and finds where I am! Theives have all the research options open to them as we do and we are more of an open book than we think. We place pictures of our home for the world to see too, so if they are quick to think, having found a key is as simple as a quick search. I hate to appear so negative, but in this world it is better to be safe rather than sorry.

 

[Innkeep]

[FONT=&quot] All of you with key pads - do you still give out individual room keys? If so, why the need for a key pad? Just do like Oceans does. Key each room separately and the same key opens the front and back doors. [/FONT]A master key opens everything. I got rid of my key pad after realizing that one key works better..

I have several business guests that have stayed at the B&B multiple times. For some of those repeaters I find it very convenient to email them the front door code so that they can let themselves in. We live 2 hours from the airport, so it isn't that unusual for travellers to arrive late. My repeaters appreciate the convenience of just being able to come in whenever and I'm not up until all hours waiting for them to check in. Also, if a guest leaves without remembering to turn in their key, it's just the room key that gets away.
I believe Yellowsocks uses keypads for her guest rooms as well as front door.

 

[Copperhead]

[FONT=&quot] All of you with key pads - do you still give out individual room keys? If so, why the need for a key pad? Just do like Oceans does. Key each room separately and the same key opens the front and back doors. [/FONT]A master key opens everything. I got rid of my key pad after realizing that one key works better..

[FONT=&quot] All of you with key pads - do you still give out individual room keys? If so, why the need for a key pad? Just do like Oceans does. Key each room separately and the same key opens the front and back doors. [/FONT]A master key opens everything. I got rid of my key pad after realizing that one key works better.

Not likely we are going to rekey all rooms. Hard enough just to fix dings and scratches everywhere.
The keypad is for the front door. Bad enough when guests take the keys as it is! If I would, I would have all new fresh guest room doors with keypads on every one and zero keys. But then it is not possible. You have to realize when our guests go out on the porch they don't necessarily carry their room keys out there with them each and every time or every time they go to their car. The keypad solves all those issues for us.
Now the room locks are another subject, a royal pain, I would get rid of every lock, chain and bolt and replace if I could. There are lot of things I would like to do.
.

The keypad is for
the front door. Bad enough when guests take the keys as it is! If I would, I would have all new fresh guest room doors with keypads on every one and zero keys. But then it is not possible. You have to realize when our guests go out on the porch they don't necessarily carry their room keys out there with them each and every time or every time they go to their car. The keypad solves all those issues for us.
Now the room locks are another subject, a royal pain, I would get rid of every lock, chain and bolt and replace if I could. There are lot of things I would like to do.

Wish I could do the same, no keys just codes but will settle now with the ones on the front door.

 

[JBloggs]

[FONT=&quot] All of you with key pads - do you still give out individual room keys? If so, why the need for a key pad? Just do like Oceans does. Key each room separately and the same key opens the front and back doors. [/FONT]A master key opens everything. I got rid of my key pad after realizing that one key works better..

I have several business guests that have stayed at the B&B multiple times. For some of those repeaters I find it very convenient to email them the front door code so that they can let themselves in. We live 2 hours from the airport, so it isn't that unusual for travellers to arrive late. My repeaters appreciate the convenience of just being able to come in whenever and I'm not up until all hours waiting for them to check in. Also, if a guest leaves without remembering to turn in their key, it's just the room key that gets away.
I believe Yellowsocks uses keypads for her guest rooms as well as front door.
.

I have several business guests that have stayed at the B&B multiple times. For some of those repeaters I find it very convenient to email them the front door code so that they can let themselves in. We live 2 hours from the airport, so it isn't that unusual for travellers to arrive late. My repeaters appreciate the convenience of just being able to come in whenever and I'm not up until all hours waiting for them to check in. Also, if a guest leaves without remembering to turn in their key, it's just the room key that gets away.
I believe Yellowsocks uses keypads for her guest rooms as well as front door.

Just had our guests call from the road and won't be here til late. They have their code now and I did put a welcome note with some more info on the front door for them as well (telling them about an event tonight and to help themselves to sodas, snacks etc...and directions to their room).
I won't wait up for guests - we have a family and need our time - heck we need to eat, need to sleep and everything in between. I won't be glued to this place any more than 80 hours a day as it is!
I can tell you that many guests are relieved to get here when they get here and not have to put someone out by waiting around for them. But we get plenty who travel all day and this is their stop for the night. We cater to adults, they have responsible jobs like launching missiles (specifically to the one guest checking in tonight) and we don't need to hold their hands - they can hold each other's hands.

 

[Morticia]

[FONT=&quot] All of you with key pads - do you still give out individual room keys? If so, why the need for a key pad? Just do like Oceans does. Key each room separately and the same key opens the front and back doors. [/FONT]A master key opens everything. I got rid of my key pad after realizing that one key works better..

[FONT= &quot] All of you with key pads - do you still give out individual room keys? If so, why the need for a key pad? Just do like Oceans does. Key each room separately and the same key opens the front and back doors. [/FONT]A master key opens everything. I got rid of my key pad after realizing that one key works better.

Good idea. If the lock is never in an unlocked state from the outside, that works very well. Never even thought of it to tell the truth. We have too many guests who liked to be 'helpful' and left the door unlocked, or locked it when it shouldn't have been. If there is no mechanism on the inside the guest can play with, then it works.
I guess the only problem I could see is getting someone out to key all the keys the same. We have 28 sets of keys for the rooms. And, redoing it if the guest lost the keys would be a fortune. So this one we can do ourselves whenever we want.

 

[PoppaSmurf]

I still don't have a keypad on the front door and not sure if we will ever get one. The current doorknob is always locked on the outside and only the guest room keys will open that door. The knob never turns...it is the key that turns and you push the door open. So it is keyed to where all the room keys open the front door but the keys don't open other guests rooms. Everyone has a different key for their own rooms. I have one master key for everything..

Same for us.
Our only issue is reminding guests to not let in anyone else who may or may not be a guest. A keypad would have the same issue.

 

[Morticia]

I still don't have a keypad on the front door and not sure if we will ever get one. The current doorknob is always locked on the outside and only the guest room keys will open that door. The knob never turns...it is the key that turns and you push the door open. So it is keyed to where all the room keys open the front door but the keys don't open other guests rooms. Everyone has a different key for their own rooms. I have one master key for everything..

Same for us.
Our only issue is reminding guests to not let in anyone else who may or may not be a guest. A keypad would have the same issue.
.

Same for us.
Our only issue is reminding guests to not let in anyone else who may or may not be a guest. A keypad would have the same issue.

They just don't get that, do they? If they let someone in, I don't know that person is here, do I? And then that person wanders around getting upset that no one has come to greet them.
I've had guests ask if they should answer the door. I tell them no and if they DO answer the door, then they're in charge of figuring out what to do next. Most of them back off after that.
We had to lock the door as it was the PO's policy to allow self check-ins all the time. It was so bad at first we didn't know who was in the house and who wasn't. We'd be waiting up for someone who had already let themselves into their room and gone back out for dinner!

 

[Samster]

Another vote for keyless entry with a keypad. We have Schlage locks - quiet and the battery lasts forever.
We've not had anyone forget the code in 2 years. A couple of people forgot how to work the deadbolt mechanism on our main house door lock, but the lever type (like in Joey's post), no problem EVER and it locks automatically on exit. I HIGHLY recommend the type that locks automatically when the door is shut behind the guest.
For us this was a great solution as the guests have one key to keep track of. Unlike others, we change our code frequently. A few guests have hidden their room keys somewhere in the house near their room so they didn't even have to carry a room key. I found that amusing.

 

[Innkeeper To Go]

I still don't have a keypad on the front door and not sure if we will ever get one. The current doorknob is always locked on the outside and only the guest room keys will open that door. The knob never turns...it is the key that turns and you push the door open. So it is keyed to where all the room keys open the front door but the keys don't open other guests rooms. Everyone has a different key for their own rooms. I have one master key for everything..

Same for us.
Our only issue is reminding guests to not let in anyone else who may or may not be a guest. A keypad would have the same issue.
.

Same for us.
Our only issue is reminding guests to not let in anyone else who may or may not be a guest. A keypad would have the same issue.

They just don't get that, do they? If they let someone in, I don't know that person is here, do I? And then that person wanders around getting upset that no one has come to greet them.
I've had guests ask if they should answer the door. I tell them no and if they DO answer the door, then they're in charge of figuring out what to do next. Most of them back off after that.
We had to lock the door as it was the PO's policy to allow self check-ins all the time. It was so bad at first we didn't know who was in the house and who wasn't. We'd be waiting up for someone who had already let themselves into their room and gone back out for dinner!
.

We had to lock the door as it was the PO's policy to allow self check-ins all the time. It was so bad at first we didn't know who was in the house and who wasn't. We'd be waiting up for someone who had already let themselves into their room and gone back out for dinner!

That is just crazy.

 

[Penelope]

I still don't have a keypad on the front door and not sure if we will ever get one. The current doorknob is always locked on the outside and only the guest room keys will open that door. The knob never turns...it is the key that turns and you push the door open. So it is keyed to where all the room keys open the front door but the keys don't open other guests rooms. Everyone has a different key for their own rooms. I have one master key for everything..

Same for us.
Our only issue is reminding guests to not let in anyone else who may or may not be a guest. A keypad would have the same issue.
.

Same for us.
Our only issue is reminding guests to not let in anyone else who may or may not be a guest. A keypad would have the same issue.

That happened to me when I showed up for my job interview. One of the guests let me in as they saw me walking up the steps. In I walk, ask where I can find the owner, the GUEST shows me and I (naive that I was) go forward to introduce myself. Her first question was: "How did you get in here? " Not a very good way to start a job interview. I got the job, thankfully, but knowing how much that bothers her, I am very surprised they called me back

 

[Copperhead]

I still don't have a keypad on the front door and not sure if we will ever get one. The current doorknob is always locked on the outside and only the guest room keys will open that door. The knob never turns...it is the key that turns and you push the door open. So it is keyed to where all the room keys open the front door but the keys don't open other guests rooms. Everyone has a different key for their own rooms. I have one master key for everything..

Same for us.
Our only issue is reminding guests to not let in anyone else who may or may not be a guest. A keypad would have the same issue.
.

Same for us.
Our only issue is reminding guests to not let in anyone else who may or may not be a guest. A keypad would have the same issue.

That happened to me when I showed up for my job interview. One of the guests let me in as they saw me walking up the steps. In I walk, ask where I can find the owner, the GUEST shows me and I (naive that I was) go forward to introduce myself. Her first question was: "How did you get in here? " Not a very good way to start a job interview. I got the job, thankfully, but knowing how much that bothers her, I am very surprised they called me back
.

This can be an issue no matter what you do with your door, just like most everything there is seldom a fool proof fix. The only thing that can be done is while over the door use is to say everyone that should have access to the house has a code, all others need to ring the bell.
I always tell my guests that the door is always locked to keep the honest people out, all others can find their own way in.

This usually gets a laugh and a nod in understanding.
We haven't had that problem, but we are off the beaten path enough not to get many walk ups and I (or DH) am generally watching for check-ins.

 

[JBloggs]

We have had guests let people in off the street, I have no idea why anyone would do this. Once I was in the midst of cooking and walked out to find a salesman in the foyer yelling for me to attend to him. I said, where did you come from? The guests at the table said "we let him in?" and I said in front of this rude salesman, "WHY?"
Ridiculous. There is a lock there for a reason.