Smart Lock Platform

Smart Lock Platform

This smart lock platform runs two very different property types on one core. Boarding houses use offline Bluetooth locks. Hotels use gateway-connected access tied to the booking lifecycle. I built it as a full product: cloud backend, integration API, mobile app, and admin panel.

Challenge

Boarding houses and hotels need door access for opposite reasons. A boarding house owner needs something cheap to install, with no wiring or dependency on the building's infrastructure. It still has to solve lost keys, undetectable duplicates, and tenants who never return one.

A hotel needs the opposite: access rights that follow the booking lifecycle with no manual step. Assigning a room should issue access automatically, and checkout should revoke it the moment the guest leaves. No one should have to remember to walk over and do it.

Solution

The platform runs on a single core with two connection tiers. For boarding houses, locks operate over pure Bluetooth. The manager's phone acts as the bridge, and credentials are checked inside the lock itself. Access keeps working at the door with no gateway and no internet connection.

For hotels, locks connect through gateways, which gives the backend real-time state and remote control. This tier plugs into the hotel management system. Assigning a room issues access automatically, and checkout revokes it immediately. Room and lock state stay visible at the front desk instead of buried in a separate lock app.

Both tiers share the same integration API and mobile app. Access can be issued and revoked programmatically instead of through a dedicated interface.

Impact

One platform now serves both ends of the market, without forcing hotel-grade infrastructure onto a boarding house or a consumer lock onto a hotel. Boarding houses get an install with no wiring and no per-floor hardware. Hotels get access that follows the booking automatically. It leaves no front desk step to remember, no lingering credential after checkout.