whait is an Emergency key

[seanauto]

whait is an Emergency key?

In the book of Philips, it is said "A special, usually top-level, hotel master key that
operates all the locks in the hotel at all times. An emergency key will open a
guest room lock even if it is in the shut-out mode. With many types of hotel
locks, this key acts as a shut-out key, making all other change and master
keys inoperative, except the appropriate individual display room key and the
emergency key."

But in the Locksmith Dictionary, "emergency key n. the key which operates a privacy function lockset"

So,which one is the correct one?

[demux]

In most hotel locks, if you go inside your room and turn the thumbturn (sometimes this engages a secondary deadbolt, sometimes it's just marked "Privacy"), the door will then not subsequently open from the outside even when an otherwise-valid key is presented. This is for example to keep the maid from barging in on you when you're fast asleep, or in the shower, or... However hidden away somewhere in the management office (at least in theory) is a special key that overrides this privacy function and will always allow the door to be opened from the outside. This is so, say you have a heart attack while in your room with the privacy function engaged, the paramedics have a way to get to you short of bashing down the whole door or cutting a large hole in the wall. In theory, use of this key is limited to senior hotel management staff and only in emergency situations.

[seanauto]

In most hotel locks, if you go inside your room and turn the thumbturn (sometimes this engages a secondary deadbolt, sometimes it's just marked "Privacy"), the door will then not subsequently open from the outside even when an otherwise-valid key is presented. This is for example to keep the maid from barging in on you when you're fast asleep, or in the shower, or... However hidden away somewhere in the management office (at least in theory) is a special key that overrides this privacy function and will always allow the door to be opened from the outside. This is so, say you have a heart attack while in your room with the privacy function engaged, the paramedics have a way to get to you short of bashing down the whole door or cutting a large hole in the wall. In theory, use of this key is limited to senior hotel management staff and only in emergency situations.

understand, thank you very much

[cledry]

In older hotel locks when you pushed the inside lock button on the door knob it pushed a pin in the side of the cylinder that prevented to maid's key from operating the lock. The special key would by pass this in an emergency.

How's the test going?

[demux]

It's been a looooong time since I've stayed in a hotel with hard keys and cylinders on the doors...

[peterwn]

It's been a looooong time since I've stayed in a hotel with hard keys and cylinders on the doors...

Hotel card locks have a cylinder which presumably provides an emergency key function (or allows entry if the electronics fail). This cylinder is often visible although I presume it is covered in some cases.

[demux]

It's been a looooong time since I've stayed in a hotel with hard keys and cylinders on the doors...

Hotel card locks have a cylinder which presumably provides an emergency key function (or allows entry if the electronics fail). This cylinder is often visible although I presume it is covered in some cases.

Yes, I should have been more specific. I meant "with hard keys and cylinders for regular/guest use". In other words, pretty much any property that doesn't advertise an hourly rate has long since switched to some form of electronic lock. And to be fair, some of the newer electronics really don't have any mechanical override at all, just a data port to plug in an external battery and/or the system programmer to resolve any problems.

[peterwn]

It's been a looooong time since I've stayed in a hotel with hard keys and cylinders on the doors...

Hotel card locks have a cylinder which presumably provides an emergency key function (or allows entry if the electronics fail). This cylinder is often visible although I presume it is covered in some cases.

Yes, I should have been more specific. I meant "with hard keys and cylinders for regular/guest use". In other words, pretty much any property that doesn't advertise an hourly rate has long since switched to some form of electronic lock. And to be fair, some of the newer electronics really don't have any mechanical override at all, just a data port to plug in an external battery and/or the system programmer to resolve any problems.

I read somewhere that such locks are designed so that hotel engineering staff can get the door open with minimum damage if the electronics fail completely. The lock would need to be designed so it is not too easy or difficult to compromise in a hotel setting.
'any property that doesn't advertise an hourly rate' - meaning what? Reminds me of the movie Irma La Douce where the hotel featured in the movie charged by the hour or an old run down motel that had a daily occupancy rate greater than 100%, but this is getting off topic.

[demux]

I read somewhere that such locks are designed so that hotel engineering staff can get the door open with minimum damage if the electronics fail completely. The lock would need to be designed so it is not too easy or difficult to compromise in a hotel setting.

This is not specific to hotel locks, or electronic locks, or electronic locks designed for hotels. Any lockset that has the operating mechanism configured as you would normally find in a hotel room can be fairly easily opened from the outside, with the right knowledge and tools. Saying any more than that would be treading dangerously close to discussing bypass techniques, which are forbidden in the open forum, so I won't.

'any property that doesn't advertise an hourly rate' - meaning what? Reminds me of the movie Irma La Douce where the hotel featured in the movie charged by the hour or an old run down motel that had a daily occupancy rate greater than 100%, but this is getting off topic.

Meaning, any property that is not very shady.

[Squelchtone]