Founded in 1749 as the first British town in Canada, Halifax, Nova Scotia already has plenty of history. With the opening of the new Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Suites, it now has a peek into the future with radio frequency identification hotel locks.

The hotel — with 119 guestroom locks, a business center lock and common area locks — uses Kaba Ilco's 790 contactless electronic locks “because we wanted a state-of-the-art system in our new hotel,” says Cheryl Ann Grigg, GM of the hotel, the first in Halifax to use RFID. The hotel also uses Ilco's standalone Next Generation FDU (front-desk unit) to accelerate the check-in process. It encodes keycards, tracks system and access control data and programs, manages and audits locks.

Grigg includes the RFID encoders and readers — and not having to swipe keycards — as her favorite features. The RFID keycards only have to be presented to the lock and don't have to be inserted into it in a certain way. They are not susceptible to demagnetizing and are available in fobs and wristband forms. The easy programming and auditing of locks is another feature Grigg appreciates. Using contactless credentials and read-write technology, management can track employee movements by auditing staff keycards. The locks can be audited by staff smartcards and staff members automatically bring back audit information without maintenance staff making a special trip to download lock information.

“Our experience with the system has been excellent,” Grigg says. “It is very user-friendly.” Circle 60

Carpet

Dow's polyurethane backing technology is designed to improve the overall performance of commercial carpet, including appearance retention, durability and ergonomics. The unique molecular structure of the backing allows the carpet to look better and last longer, while improving the comfort of guests. Circle 61

ATMs

ATM units from ATM Systems feature custom-designed cabinets that can blend with any hotel décor. In addition, custom screened graphics can promote in-house events and inform guests about special offerings and services. Circle 62

Icemaker

Hoshizaki America, Inc.'s DT-400BAH-OS Cubelet Icemaker/Dispenser fits in narrow spaces thanks to its self-contained space-saving design and front-in and rear-out airflow. The Opti-Serve hands-free dispensing feature reduces opportunities for cross contamination. The unit produces up to 409 pounds of ice within 24 hours with 40 pounds of storage. Circle 63

Vacuum Cleaners

Rubbermaid Commercial Products offers a new line of commercial vacuums with features that help improve productivity, protect worker safety and facilitate green cleaning. The line offers seven uprights, three backpacks and two wet/dry vacuums. The flagship upright models provide dual motor strength for one-pass cleaning and feature automatic carpet height adjustment. The premium uprights are equipped with electronic indicator lights that warn the user when the collection bag is full or clogged. Circle 64

Upholstery Fabrics

The new Primo 150 Upholstery Fabrics from Spectro Coating Corp. look and feel like Ultrasuede but are available in 45 fashionable colors, featuring a nanotechnology finish that is stain-resistant and withstands 150,000 double rubs. Available from stock in 55-inch-wide rolls, Primo 150 is made using environmentally friendly water-based and low-VOC chemicals. Circle 65

LCD TV

Samsung's 450 series offers a 720p hotel LCD HDTV with a unique, integrated PMOLED wake-up/event timer display. The TV has MTI/RS-232C connectivity and has 5v/2.5a power for PPV SBB. It also features dedicated hotel and interactive PPV menus. A TV remote and IR pass-through are included. Circle 66

Lighting

Amerlux Lighting Solutions integrates the latest LED technology into its newest innovation, the Cylindrix II LED track luminaire. The Cylindrix is a thermally efficient, long-lasting and high-output luminaire. It features the latest high-power, warm-white LED technology that delivers high performance lighting with color temperatures similar to that of incandescent. Circle 67

Seating

Tropitone Furniture Co. introduces the Evo Collection, a seating collection fully woven with a synthetic weave that surrounds a weather-resistant, powder-coated aluminum frame. The collection includes a dining chair and chaise longue, as well as a bar stool. It is offered in two colors: dark brown/bronze and black. Circle 68

Icemaker

Ice-O-Matic's new ICE line of icemakers and bins feature a unique safe-holding hinge, which improves access to the bin while retaining the bin door in an open position when users access the ice. The new bins also include two convenient, built-in scoop holders to retain the ice scoop when not in use. The ICE series includes a quick-release panel system that provides full access to the modular ice machine components for easier cleaning and maintenance. Circle 69