Hotel managers and owners always seek to discover new ways through which they can enhance revenue while providing better experience to guests. There is one opportunity that is under the nose of your guests and in their pockets (no pun intended) all over their stay: custom hotel key cards. More than just a means of granting access to rooms, these tiny pieces of plastic or sustainable materials can be a powerful marketing tool that opens the doors on many additional sources of revenue across your property.
Each guest is given a key card which equals a guaranteed touchpoint with 100% visibility. Custom hotel key cards provide an excellent marketing location in that the guest will be carrying it with them throughout their entire stay. Compared to digital promotions which can easily go unheeded in email inbox or in mobile notifications, physical key cards remain in hands of guests several times a day.
Across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, the UK and Canada hospitality properties have started to realize the potential and convert the standard room keys into strategic revenue generating assets. When thoughtfully designed, promotional key cards offer guests multiple chances to be engaged with your hotel amenities and services.
Various hotel facilities are characterized by expected usage patterns, with restaurants being busiest during normal meal hours and pools or fitness centers experiencing their peak traffic about certain hours. Hotel key cards can be custom made to help balance the use of facilities and also produce additional revenue by advertising special deals for normally decreased periods.
Toronto’s Hotel has been successful in increasing afternoon bar revenues by posting a Happy Hour Special: NOT veiled promotions on 3-5 PM key cards. The optimal timing allowed for guests to return in the afternoon to the rooms to stop by the bar providing new revenue at previously lull hours and still allowed capacity for traditional dinner service.
The check-in process presents a prime opportunity to highlight room upgrades and premium services. Custom hotel key cards with tiered designs can visually reinforce different room categories and their benefits. Hotels in London have implemented color-coded key cards that distinguish between standard, deluxe, and suite accommodations, creating natural conversation starters about available upgrades.
Front desk staff can use these visual cues to mention, "I see you've booked our standard room. You could enjoy our deluxe accommodations with this gold key card, including complimentary breakfast and extended checkout." The physical difference between card designs makes the upgrade benefits tangible even before guests see their rooms.
Hotels in tourist destinations can forge mutually beneficial relationships with nearby attractions by featuring partner promotions on custom hotel key cards. A resort in Jeddah increased guest satisfaction while generating commission revenue by printing exclusive discounts for popular local tours and experiences on their room keys.
Guests appreciated the convenience of having curated local recommendations literally at their fingertips, while the hotel earned commission on each booking. Partner businesses valued the targeted exposure to qualified tourists already in the area, creating a win-win-win arrangement.
