More personal attention through digitisation

In September, Hotek Hospitality Group blows out 25 candles. The ideal opportunity for a conversation with founder and owner Dolf Mulder about the company's history, entrepreneurship and the future of access control.

Hotek Hospitality Group specialises in key card systems, hotel accessories, key management and access control solutions. From Etten-Leur, the company serves more than 10,000 customers at home and abroad. Hotek's story started in 1994, when Mulder was an intern at a Spanish lock manufacturer. "I was given a lot of responsibility there because I spoke English so well, so I learned a lot in a short time," he recalls. After his studies, Mulder went to work for a Dutch dealer. "In their vision - you only deliver locks to a hotel once - I could not agree. For me, it's more than just the lock. Actually, I was already an entrepreneur without realising it."

A little later, Mulder was asked by a Swedish supplier to distribute their locks in the Netherlands. "I had no capital yet, but was very ambitious. That's how Hotek was born in 1999," he says. Hotek continued to import the Swedish company's locks until it was taken over by a major lock brand in 2006. "We started looking for other locks that matched our vision. That was not easy. Eventually, in 2008, I got in touch with former R&D staff from the Spanish company where I was once an intern. We decided to develop locks together. It was a tough time, but with a great result: the innovative Hotek product range."

One of the milestones in Hotek's history was the introduction of RFID technology, which stands for radio-frequency identification. "Magnetic card systems easily became demagnetised. With RFID systems, this does not pose a problem. They are secure and user-friendly. To ease the transition to RFID, we introduced special upgrade kits for our own locks and those of our competitors in 2010. This is because chains often work with different brands. Our upgrade kit, which we could easily send, made it possible to bring all locks together under one software platform. It represented a huge leap forward for Hotek."

Digitalisation is the biggest change Mulder has seen in 25 years. "It seems impersonal, but I strongly believe that we can use digitisation to provide just more personalised attention. The product itself no longer matters, but the solution does. If a hostess does not have to look at a screen all the time, she can better welcome and inform the guest," he explains. With Your Mobile Key, Hotek's mobile access technology, guests can open doors without an app. "We use the internet as a base. Through Whatsapp, one has immediate access to the right area, Opening the door is then a matter of swiping." Meanwhile, 800 hotels use this solution, counting on Hotek's support 24/7 to ensure continuity.

An anniversary calls for refreshed branding. Mulder: "Until now, our product groups each had their own brand name: Hotek for key card systems, Be Dutch for hotel accessories and Your Mobile Key. From the end of this year, we will use the Hotek brand name for all our activities. We will celebrate our anniversary at various trade fairs because we attach great importance to personal contact. Each time it will be a cosy and informal opportunity to exchange views on hospitality and 25 years of Hotek."■