Challenge

Located on the Gaspé Coast, Motel Impérial operates in a highly seasonal tourist market. While the property needed to offer a smooth and reliable check-in experience year-round, its location relied entirely on physical keys rather than digital locks.

As co-owner Nadia Minassian explains, managing those physical keys securely while maintaining flexibility for guests became especially challenging outside peak tourist season. Keeping a front desk fully staffed year-round wasn’t always viable, and closing it meant limiting bookings.

At the same time, the owners wanted a solution that would allow them to manage physical keys today while leaving the door open to future digital access—without having to replace their key management system later on.

Pain Points

• Limited Flexibility: Front desk closures restricted the ability to rent rooms during low season.
• No Key Tracking System: Physical keys required secure tracking for both staff and guest access.
• Operational Overhead: Manual processes increased dependency on staff availability.
• Future Scalability: An outdated key management system would make it difficult and expensive to later switch to digital locks and keycards.

Solution

Motel Impérial implemented Keycafe’s SmartBox system and leveraged the Mews integration to centralize key management and automate the check-in process.

Through the integration, reservations confirmed in Mews automatically trigger a key access creation in Keycafe. The unique access code for the reservation is then sent to the guest, along with their booking details. This allows guests to receive clear instructions and retrieve their keys securely without front desk assistance, while ensuring access is limited to the correct stay dates.

Keycafe enables the team to manage physical keys securely while offering guests an automated check-in option. For staff, the system provides real-time visibility into key usage and clear accountability. For guests, it delivers a simple and intuitive experience—whether the front desk is open or closed.

Motel Impérial’s Implementation

• Automated Guest Check-In: Guests use a code to retrieve keys securely without front desk assistance.
• Staff Key Tracking: Employee access to keys is logged and monitored in real time.
• Mews Integration: Seamless connection between reservations and key access.

Result

With Keycafe, Motel Impérial gained the flexibility to operate beyond peak tourist months while maintaining security and control. Automated check-ins reduced the need for constant front desk staffing, and both guests and employees adapted quickly to the system. “Our customers are always very satisfied when they go through the process with Keycafe.”, said Nadia.

The solution streamlined daily operations, improved the customer journey, and allowed the property to scale operations more sustainably throughout the year.

The Outcome

• Extended Tourist Season: Ability to keep renting rooms during low-demand periods.
• Reliable System: Full visibility into key usage by staff and guests.
• Operational Efficiency: Reduced staffing needs without sacrificing service.
• Guest Satisfaction: Simple, intuitive check-in experience consistently well received.