LODGING LEADERS
147 | Mobile Keyless Entry and Remote Check-In with TJ Person
LODGING LEADERS
As CEO and founder, TJ Person made OpenKey the leader in universal mobile key access technology. With more than 17 years of experience in technology, business management and marketing, TJ knows what it takes to make a company successful. He is known for both his strategic leadership and marketing innovation capabilities.
Under his leadership, OpenKey has partnered with the largest global BLE lock companies and successfully raised millions in strategic investments from some of the largest hotel management and ownership companies such as Ashford Hospitality Trust (NYSE MKT: AHT).
Prior to OpenKey, TJ was the founder and CEO of Koupon Media, the industry’s first one-time-use mobile coupon platform built for brands and agencies. In 2005, TJ co-founded Mango Mobile, a leading mobile marketing agency where he was responsible for global marketing strategy. Omnicom Group acquired the company in 2007 after record growth.
In This Episode, TJ Reveals:
- The vision behind OpenKey, the problem their solving and who they serve.
- The top things hotels should consider before moving to mobile locks, and why some hotels might opt to stay with traditional electronic door locks.
- How long the OpenKey check-in process takes, how secure it is, and what happens if the tech fails or the guest doesn’t wish to use it.
- Why it’s important for the door locks to integrate with other hotel systems, and how OpenKey integrates with a hotel’s ecosystem.
- The costs for their service.
Resources & Links
TJ Person
- tperson@openkey.co
OpenKey
LODGING LEADERS
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288 | ‘The Big Pause’: Hotels retooling employment policies as business slowly returns
Two viruses emerged in the U.S. this year – COVID-19 and society’s backlash against racism. The coronavirus pandemic forced hotels to close or drastically cut back on their workforces as occupancy plummeted to unprecedented lows. And America’s streets resounded with the voices of citizens protesting racism as businesses began to respond by promising new and better commitments toward diversity, inclusion and equality in hiring and promotion. In Episode 288 of Lodging Leaders podcast, we explore the issues hotels are facing in bringing back laid-off workers and recruiting new employees in the midst of a health pandemic that seems to have no end and society’s desperate call for Corporate America to get serious about ending systemic racism.
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287 | The Long Haul: Extended-stay hotels show their strength in a crisis
Extended-stay hotels are weathering the coronavirus crisis better than their transient cousins, according to reports. The Highland Group’s half-year report shows economy and mid-priced extended-stay hotels are faring better than upscale extended-stay accommodations. Second-quarter earnings reports from companies such as Extended Stay America prove the resiliency of the sector, especially when sales teams shift their focus to new prospects such as college students, leisure travelers who value the kitchen and essential workers in it for the long haul. Long Live Lodging examines what gives extended-stay its muscle in a weak economy. This report is part of our ongoing coverage of the coronavirus crisis and its impact on the hotel industry.