This update brings more clarity and efficiency to your hotel operations. From organizing events to keeping rooms and finances in perfect order, every improvement is designed to elevate your team’s workflow.
What’s new for hoteliers?
1. Unlock doors with mobile access via Seam Door Lock integration
Guests can now open doors securely using their mobile devices through our new mobile key access feature for Seam Door Lock users.
When a reservation status changes to Checked In, the system automatically sends the guest an email with a unique Instant Key URL. By opening this link in their browser (with Bluetooth enabled) and holding their phone near the lock, they can instantly unlock the door, no key card required.
A dedicated email template for the Mobile Key Link has been added to the Communications module for Seam users. The message text is customizable, and each key link is generated individually for security.
The next update will expand this functionality to the Concierge App, allowing guests to unlock doors directly through the native HotelFriend App and giving hoteliers the flexibility to use both card and mobile access modes.
2. Organize events with a native Event Management module
The new Event Management feature helps hotels plan, schedule, and oversee all in-house events in one place. Found under In-House module, it allows administrators to:
- ● Create events with detailed descriptions and schedules.
- ● Assign tasks and track required equipment.
- ● Configure templates by defining which fields should be displayed.
This gives your team a clear structure for managing everything from small meetings to large gatherings. The feature is available to clients who have the Event Management module included in their subscription.
3. Improvements to the booking and reservation experience
We’ve refined the booking workflow to make daily operations more intuitive and consistent:
● Improved rate filters: Room rate filters in the Room Rate Overview now always show the relevant rate, preventing confusion when no rate is selected.
● Default guests per booking: Set your preferred default number of adults and children for new reservations, just like in the Booking Engine. This appears automatically in the Add Booking modal.
● Notify companies instantly: When creating a booking for a company, a new “Notify company” checkbox lets you send a confirmation email directly from the booking modal.
4. New status added to the Housekeeping module
We’ve made it easier to monitor room readiness and streamline staff coordination across teams.
A new “Inspected” status has been added to the Housekeeping module, appearing after the “Clean” status. This makes it simple for staff to see which rooms have been checked and are ready for check-in. The new status is visible to Housekeeping, Reception, and Admin users, helping everyone stay on the same page when managing daily operations.
Additionally, the “Assigning task to order” button is now hidden for housekeeper roles. This ensures that only relevant staff members, such as supervisors or receptionists, have access to this function.
5. Easier payment referencing and improved accounting control
Managing and verifying payments is now more efficient. Hoteliers can copy PSP references directly from the Payments grid and payment details with a single click, which is especially useful for tracking transactions processed via Adyen or other payment service providers.
This enhancement saves time when reconciling payments, checking transaction histories, or communicating with accounting teams.
Together with recent accounting improvements introduced in previous updates, this change further streamlines your financial processes and reduces manual work for your staff.
6. Communicate with Booking.com and Airbnb guests through HotelFriend
Hoteliers can now send and receive messages with guests who booked via Booking.com and Airbnb, all within the Communications module. Platform icons appear next to each message for quick identification.
Only chats linked to reservations are supported, and image attachments can be exchanged, though PDFs and other file types are not transmitted. To activate this feature, make sure Channex Messages are enabled on your side.
7. General platform improvements
- ● Correct transmission of room capacity data (max adults and children) during Booking Engine searches.
- ● Fixed visibility issue for services marked Reception Only in the Concierge App and Booking Engine.
- ● Restored functionality of the Active/Not active filter on the Room Rates page.
- ● Added missing German translations for charge types in the Charges selector.
- ● Fixed a bug allowing selection of the same room twice in the Add Package Booking modal.
- ● Added an error page for portal crashes to prevent blank screens.
- ● Added decimal validation in the Add Payment modal (maximum two digits after a comma or dot).
We remain committed to enhancing your experience with HotelFriend. Please feel free to share any feedback or suggestions that could help us improve further.
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