EVEN™ Hotels Introduce PDC’s Smart Band® RFID Wristband System for Keyless Room Entry and Cashless Purchasing

RFID Wristbands Improve the Guest Experience and Help Boost Revenue through Seamless Purchase Experience

Valencia, CA (August 27, 2014) PDC, the global leader of innovative identification solutions, in collaboration with EVEN^™ Hotels, InterContinental Hotels Group’s newest holistic wellness hotel brand in the U.S., recently installed PDC’s Smart Band^® RFID Wristband System to enhance the guest experience through keyless and cashless applications. The two new EVEN^™ Hotels properties opened June 2014 in Rockville, Maryland and Norwalk, Connecticut.

Upon check in, EVEN^™ Hotels guests receive an RFID room keycard, and for $8, may purchase a waterproof Smart Band^® with a securely sealed RFID chip inside that stores and verifies guest data when scanned by a reader. Guests may take Smart Band^® with them upon leaving the property, and re-use when visiting any EVEN^™ Hotel. As each chip contains a unique ID number, the bands are impossible to duplicate.

Guests are able to access their rooms by presenting their Smart Band^® over RFID-enabled locks. Unlike common magnetic stripe key cards that can be lost or misplaced—particularly in water and recreational environments—Smart Band^® is more secure, staying fastened on the wrist. Its re-wearable silicone design allows removal when not in use.

Smart Band’s contactless interface provides performance advantages over magnetic stripe key cards. Dirt and debris can collect on the cards, which can impact performance, often requiring maintenance or replacement. “RFID wristbands are not only recognized as a smarter and more reliable technology than magnetic stripe cards, they’re also much more convenient,” said Robin Barber, Vice President of Leisure & Entertainment for PDC. “We all know the experience of fiddling for the hotel door card when your hands are full of luggage. Smart Band^® provides quick access with just a slight wave of the wrist.”

The PDC Smart Band^® also serves as a convenient “wrist wallet,” enabling EVEN^™ Hotel guests to make cashless purchases at the hotel’s Cork & Kale^™ Market and Bar via a quick scan of the band. Barber said that the instant transactions “take about half the time compared to using credit cards or cash, which leads to shorter lines and happier customers who can spend more time enjoying the hotel’s amenities.” In addition to the efficiency benefits, the system increases the potential for impulse purchases, which can boost spending.    

“By automating manual procedures, PDC’s Smart Band^® RFID Wristband System helps us deliver outstanding conveniences to our guests at EVEN^™ Hotels,” said Adam Glickman, head of EVEN^™ Hotels. “The system supports our mission to provide solutions for all aspects of our guests’ wellness needs through innovative technologies and a distinctive service culture that differentiates EVEN^™ Hotels in our industry.”

EVEN^™ Hotels has three additional locations in the pipeline – two in midtown Manhattan and one in Brooklyn, N.Y. These properties will begin opening in late 2015, and all three will incorporate PDC’s Smart Band^® RFID Wristband System.

Smart Band^® is available in a variety of colors and materials and can be completely customized with company logo, slogan, and contact information to boost brand awareness and promote special events. The wristband also serves as a colorful souvenir for guests to remember their visit long after their stay. Silicone wristbands can be ordered with any combination of silk screen printing, debossing and embossing.

About PDC

With more than 55 years of experience, PDC connects people, products, and technology through innovative ID systems that deliver superior customer experiences worldwide. PDC is the global leader and pacesetter in the development of wristbands, lanyards and RFID solutions. The company serves the leisure & entertainment, law enforcement, and animal identification industries. A pioneer of innovative technologies, PDC introduced the first bar code wristband system, first thermal printer wristband, first Smart Band^® RFID wristband system, and the award-winning PDC Smart^® Kiosk, among many other innovations.

Since its launch in 2000, PDC’s Smart Band^® RFID wristband system has been used by leading amusement parks, water parks, resorts, and music festivals to deliver unique and convenient applications that help redefine the guest experience, while reaping bottom line benefits to the companies who use them. Applications include: cashless point-of-sale; cashless arcade and vending; social media integration; keyless hotel and locker access; electronic access control; photo management systems; and customer loyalty programs. Additional PDC RFID solutions include PDC Smart^® Cards, key fobs, lanyards and parking passes.

On Dec. 28, 2012, PDC was acquired by Brady Corporation, (NYSE:BRC) a leader in identification and safety solutions for people, products and places.

About Even^™ Hotels

EVEN^™ Hotels, the newest brand from IHG, meets the large and growing demand for a hotel brand to help wellness-minded travelers keep their balance on the road at an affordable price point. An industry first, EVEN Hotels invites wellness on every journey by providing solutions for all aspects of travelers’ wellness needs. With an emphasis on four components, Eating Well, Resting Easy, Keeping Active and Accomplishing More, the brand serves as a travel partner, helping guests feel better about their experience and themselves based on the choices they are able to make.

The brand launched in 2012 and is expected to be a key pillar in the IHG portfolio of preferred brands. EVEN^™ Hotels opened its first two properties in June 2014 in Norwalk, Connecticut, and Rockville, Maryland. The brand has an additional three properties in the pipeline, two in midtown Manhattan and one in Brooklyn, New York. For more information, visit http://EVENHotels.com/. Find EVEN Hotels on Twitter, http://www.twitter.com/EvenHotels, or Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/EvenHotels.