Many people still associate smart lockers with "express delivery lockers" or "supermarket lockers." But today, Shanghai Yishan Technology demonstrated that smart lockers are becoming an "invisible magic weapon" for upgrading hotels' self-service capabilities.
Question1：Would my hotel be suitable for smart lockers? Where should they be installed?--The answer is: almost any hotel is suitable, the key is to place it in the right location.
1,Lobby luggage lockers
These luggage lockers, placed in the hotel lobby luggage room or embedded in the lobby wall, allow guests to quickly, efficiently, privately, and securely retrieve their luggage by swiping their cards. They are especially suitable for chain hotels, business hotels, hostels, and fully self-service hotels, where guests can check in and check out without any contact with the front desk.
2,Disposable supplies dispensing cabinet
Placed in the hotel lobby or public areas on the guest room floors, guests can collect toothbrushes, combs, razors, and other room amenities 24 hours a day through a self-service system. Guests simply scan a code to retrieve their items, eliminating the need for front desk staff to deliver them – a must-have for fully self-service hotels.
3,Double-sided takeaway cabinet
Placed on the wall at the hotel's back door or entrance, one side faces outward for delivery riders to place the food, and the other side faces inward for guests to pick up. Delivery doesn't enter the lobby, so it doesn't disturb other guests; it's safe, presentable, and a standard feature of fully self-service hotels.
One cabinet serves three scenarios, covering the three high-frequency needs of hotel guests: "storage, retrieval, and taking".
Question2：Will smart lockers ruin the lobby's design aesthetic?--The answer is: No. The smart lockers at Shanghai Yishan are "grown" in the lobby, not "stuffed" in.
Customizable Appearance: Cabinet size and color can be customized, with wood grain, artistic patterns, and various textures to choose from, perfectly matching the hotel's design style.
Integrable into Luggage Rooms: Star-rated hotels typically have separate luggage rooms. The smart cabinets can be designed within these rooms, allowing guests to access their luggage independently. This doesn't affect the lobby's aesthetics and improves service efficiency.
Optional Features: Charging ports, advertising screens… can be configured as needed, enhancing practicality without compromising aesthetics.
Question3：Can smart lockers really save us trouble?--The answer is: Yes, and the effect is immediate.
Freeing up front desk staff. Without smart lockers, front desk staff had to manually register guests, write storage tags, help with luggage, and verify recipients… During peak seasons, these tasks could consume 1.5 person-days of manpower.
With smart lockers, guests complete these tasks themselves, allowing the front desk to focus on providing "warm service"-check-in, making recommendations, and handling customer complaints.
Enhancing guest experience. Guests can swipe their cards, set their own passwords, or scan codes to deposit and retrieve their luggage instantly, without queuing, waiting at the front desk, or writing storage tags by hand. Guests of fully self-service hotels especially appreciate this "contactless, high-efficiency" service.
Reducing security risks. Handwritten storage tags are easily lost or miswritten. With one smart locker per person, access is linked, storage and retrieval records are traceable, responsibility is clear, and the hotel has peace of mind.
Question4：Are smart lockers expensive? Are they difficult to install?--This is the issue that procurement is most concerned about.
First, let's talk about cost. The price of one smart luggage locker is roughly equivalent to 2-3 months' salary for a front desk employee. However, it can be used for 5-8 years. Therefore, the payback period is less than one year.
Next, let's discuss installation. The smart lockers at Shanghai Yishan Hotel use a modular design, making them plug-and-play. As long as there's a lobby, space, and power, they can be installed.
Regarding system integration, they support connection to hotel PMS, mini-programs, and membership systems without complex modifications. For fully self-service hotels, they can also be linked with self-check-in and self-check-out systems to achieve a fully automated process.
Question5：Why do star-rated hotels also need smart lockers?--Because guests have higher expectations for service. Guests at star-rated hotels are more concerned about "respectability," "convenience," and "privacy."
Smart lockers perfectly meet these "invisible needs."
More importantly, star-rated hotels typically have separate luggage rooms. Shanghai Yishan's smart luggage lockers can be designed within these rooms, allowing guests to access their luggage independently-quick, efficient, private, and secure. They retain the functionality of traditional luggage rooms while upgrading them into "unmanned, self-service" intelligent spaces.
Therefore, smart lockers are not "cheap substitutes," but rather a standard feature for upgrading hotel services.