FOR 25 YEARS THE KEY PLAYER FOR EVERY HOTEL
More personal attention through digitization
In September, Hotek Hospitality Group will celebrate its 25th anniversary. A good moment to talk to owner Dolf Mulder about the company's history, entrepreneurship, and the future of access control.
Since 1999, Hotek Hospitality Group specializes in keycard systems, key management, and access control solutions. Based in Etten-Leur, the company serves over 10.000 customers in the Netherlands and abroad. The story of Hotek actually begins in 1994, when Mulder did an internship at a Spanish lock manufacturer during his studies. "Because I spoke good English, I was allowed to do a lot there in seven months. I learned that it really pays off when you put in effort and invest in contacts." After graduating, Mulder started working at a Dutch dealer. "This company had the mindset that you only supply to a hotel once. I thought very differently about this! I saw a wider range of products for me than just the lock itself. Actually, I was already an entrepreneur before I knew it."
From importing to innovating
A Swedish supplier sees potential in Mulder and asks him to distribute his locks in the Netherlands. "I didn't have any capital at all, but I was very ambitious. That's how I started with Hotek." For the first seven years, Hotek remains an importer until the Swedish company is acquired by another major lock brand. "After that, we searched unsuccessfully for locks that fit our vision." The search ends when Mulder comes into contact with former employees of the Spanish company where he once interned around 2008. "They worked in the R&D department and now they went to work for me to develop locks. That was a tough time. Our strong products emerged through trial and error."
Popular RFID upgrade kits for every hotel lock
One of the milestones in Hotek's history is the early introduction of RFID technology. "Magnetic card systems were easily demagnetized. RFID systems do not have that problem; they are very secure and user-friendly. To facilitate the transition to RFID, we introduced special upgrade kits in 2010. Not only for our locks, but also for those of our competitors. Chains often work with different brands. Thanks to our upgrade kit, which we could easily send out, it was possible to bring all locks together under one software platform. With this, we as a company made a huge leap." Digitization is the biggest change Mulder has seen in 25 years. "It may seem impersonal, but I strongly believe that we can use digitization to offer even more personal attention. The product itself is no longer important, but the solution is. If a hostess no longer has to look at a screen all the time, she can truly welcome and inform the guest." With Your Mobile Key, with Hotek's mobile access technology, guests can open doors without an app. We use the internet as a basis. Through WhatsApp, the customer immediately gains access to the right environment, and opening the door is just a matter of swiping. Currently, 800 hotels are using this solution. So, things are going well! However, we do notice that it's a product that requires continuous attention. Therefore, 24-hour support is available."
Time for rebranding and celebration
According to Mulder, the anniversary calls for new branding. "Until now, our product groups each had their own brand name: Hotek for the keycard systems, Be Dutch for the 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 with parties at various trade shows because real contact is most important to us. We want to make it informal and cozy and talk together about hospitality and 25 years of Hotek."
'The product itself no longer matters, but the solution does'
