Door codes tied to bookings mean a guest pays, signs the waiver and gets a code that works for their slot. Early access to unattended hours is here, built around the booking, your smart lock and a person on call.
Door codes tied to bookings, as an early access feature
Thursday, 9:40 p.m. A golfer wants a bay for an hour. Your staff went home at 8. In some venues that booking does not happen, or someone drives back to open up.
Door codes tied to bookings are one answer, and we are putting them in your hands as early access. Early access means the software is built and has been tested against simulated locks, and that we want to test with your lock before you rely on it. We will not say it has run on your door until it has.
What is new: the booking becomes the key
You connect your own smart lock, through Seam or RemoteLock. When a booking is paid and its waivers are signed, VenueChief creates a code on the lock, delivers it to the guest before the slot and removes it afterward. That is smart lock booking integration with the booking as the source of truth.
- By default the code works from 10 minutes before the start to 10 minutes after the end. Move the booking and the window moves. Cancel it and the code is revoked.
- The first unlock checks the guest in.
- If nobody has unlocked 15 minutes after the start, the guest gets a nudge at 10 minutes and you get an alert at 15.
- The master switch is off until you turn it on, and the timing can be set per resource type.
Book a demo and tell us the make and model.
The unattended toolkit
A code alone does not run a room. Early access includes what has to surround it:
- Arrival page. The guest sees the door, a photo of the keypad and what to do.
- Pre-flight checks. Before the guest travels, VenueChief checks that the booking is paid, the waivers are signed and the code is on the lock. For a booking with a sim rig, it also checks that the rig is reachable and free and that the content is ready. If something fails, the guest is told.
- On-call card. If a guest cannot get in, there is an “I cannot get in” button. The person on call can unlock the door after the guest reads back their confirmation code. The on-call person has to be signed in, and every unlock is recorded.
- Tonight board and morning report. See who is in, who did not arrive and what was escalated. The next morning an email lists who got in, who did not and what happened.
- Prove it. A rehearsal walks a visit through your settings step by step, using sample data, and tells you what would fail and where to fix it. It creates no booking and no code and opens no door.
After-hours access that fits your room
For unmanned golf simulator bays, a guest books a bay, pays and walks in. For sim racing, the pre-flight check includes whether the rig is reachable and free. For batting cages, escape rooms and party rooms, the same code logic applies to the door of the room. It uses the smart lock you already have, and the code opens the door that the booking covers.
What the guest receives
The day before, a separate message says when the code will arrive and how to find the door. By default, 30 minutes before the slot, the code reaches the guest by email, and by text where they have agreed to texts, once the lock holds it. The arrival page shows the door and the keypad. The code works from ten minutes before the start, and the first unlock checks the guest in. If the booking is canceled or moved, the code is revoked or moves with it. Door codes tied to bookings only work because every step is connected.
Who it suits
Golf simulator lounges, batting cage facilities, sim racing centers and any venue that wants to offer hours when nobody is behind the counter. You still need someone reachable. Unattended means no one at the desk, not no one responsible.
What it changes on a busy week
- Late-evening hours can be offered without a closing shift, once your door has been tested with us.
- A guest’s arrival is explained before they park.
- A problem at 10 p.m. reaches a person, with a record.
Availability and fine print
Door access is early access. It is included with the Platform plan and available as an add-on on the Booking plan, and the unattended toolkit, on-call card and Tonight board are part of the Platform plan. See pricing.
Results on a real lock depend on the lock, its connection and its battery, so do not plan a night around unattended hours until we have tested your door together. A booking made too close to its start gets no code when the lock needs lead time. The default is 60 minutes. RemoteLock needs a plan with API access. The system opens doors. It has no built-in connection to a turnstile, a badge reader or golf launch monitor software.