Casamast Automates 24/7 Hotel Guest Access in the French Alps

Casamast manages the smart property technologies at Arc 1950, a 5-star winter sports resort in the French Alps, comprising approximately 750 apartments across seven condominiums. With a steady rotation of seasonal rentals, property owners, and local service providers, coordinating key handovers around the clock was a constant struggle.

Historically, the resort relied on a centralized process with a single staff member responsible for managing all access points in the village. While functional, this model was costly and limited in flexibility, leaving significant gaps during the off-season when owners, maintenance staff, and cleaning crews still required secure entry.

Additionally, the resort needed to ensure strict access security and data confidentiality—essential in a 5-star environment where guest and owner expectations are high. Any inability to access apartments or common areas risked dissatisfaction and reputational damage. Casamast needed a secure, flexible, and scalable electronic key management solution that could operate around the clock without requiring permanent on-site personnel.

Keycafe's cloud-enabled key management technology was selected to bridge the gap between physical key security and modern automation. Stéphane Loeb, President of Casamast, evaluated multiple options but chose Keycafe due to its technological openness, flexible cloud management platform, and responsive technical support teams. The system allowed Casamast to build a secure, unattended key exchange point that operates independently of a physical reception desk.

In their daily workflow, the resort uses Keycafe SmartBoxes alongside Salto Systems smart locks. Physical keycards, backup keys, and access media are securely housed in the wall-mounted SmartBox in hotel lobbies. When a guest booking or service appointment is confirmed, the system generates a secure access code. Guests, owners, and contractors can walk up to the SmartBox, input their code, and retrieve their assigned keys or access cards instantly.

Because the system tracks every open and close event in real time, managers can monitor property access from any mobile device, eliminating the need to physically hand over keys or worry about late-night check-ins.

Since implementing Keycafe at Arc 1950, Casamast has established a secure and highly cost-effective access workflow. The shift from a staffed, centralized reception to a cloud-managed key exchange point immediately reduced the resort's operating expenses. Property managers no longer need to pay for 24/7 in-person coverage, yet guests still enjoy round-the-clock check-in convenience.

Since the introduction of Keycafe, the resort has received numerous positive comments from guests and owners about the improved access experience. Compared to a purely physical reception model, the electronic key cabinet system guarantees higher security, better traceability, and greater flexibility—particularly during off-season periods when staffing levels are reduced.

Unexpectedly, the solution also gained traction beyond its original scope. Other condominiums adopted the system, and new use cases emerged between co-ownership groups and service providers, further validating the scalability and adaptability of the Keycafe platform.