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dormakaba

dormakaba is a locking-system vendor that LIKE MAGIC supports for guest room and common-door access. Connected to LIKE MAGIC, dormakaba can hand a guest a room key as a physical key card encoded at a kiosk or front desk, or, on the separate dormakaba Wallet setup, as an Apple/Google Wallet key. This guide covers connecting dormakaba and mapping its locks; the guest-facing side is described in Mobile Key & Door Access for Guests.

ℹ️ Note: LIKE MAGIC supports dormakaba in two shapes, and a property runs one of them. dormakaba covers key-card encoding for the property's locks, reached either through the on-premise gateway or through dormakaba's Ambiance cloud. dormakaba Wallet is a separate door provider that issues Apple/Google Wallet keys. "Saflok" is a dormakaba product line, not a separate LIKE MAGIC integration. If you are unsure which one your property runs, ask via a Support Ticket.


1. Prerequisites

  • A live dormakaba environment for the property, with locks installed and named by dormakaba or your locksmith before you map them here.
  • The dormakaba connection credentials: the gateway address plus a user name and password, and for the Ambiance cloud additionally the Ambiance operator credentials. LIKE MAGIC holds them in the property configuration; there is no self-service screen for them.

2. How the dormakaba Integration Works

LIKE MAGIC talks to the property's dormakaba system. On behalf of a reservation, the platform can:

  • Issue a key for the guest's doors as a physical card, over the on-premise gateway or the Ambiance cloud.
  • Encode a physical card at a connected encoder.
  • Revoke access when the stay ends, so keys stop working at the right time.
  • List the doors and encoders available in the property so you can map them.

You do not trigger any of this by hand. It happens automatically as guests check in, receive keys and check out. Your job as operator is the one-time connection and lock mapping.


3. Connecting dormakaba

  1. Complete the setup with dormakaba so the locking system and, for Ambiance, the cloud access exist for the property.
  2. Submit the dormakaba connection credentials to LIKE MAGIC via a Support Ticket. They are not entered in a self-service screen.
  3. LIKE MAGIC sets the property's door provider to dormakaba (or dormakaba Wallet). Once set, the property's dormakaba doors and encoders become available for mapping in Settings.

⚠️ Note: Provider selection and credentials are set by LIKE MAGIC, not on a self-service settings page. If dormakaba doors do not appear in Door Access, the connection is the first thing to check. Request a verification via a Support Ticket.


4. Mapping Locks

Once connected, map each dormakaba lock to the right accessibility (and, for room doors, the right unit) in Settings → Door Access. The full mapping procedure (accessibility levels, private-door assignment, sort priority, save & publish) is described in Door Access.

Locks matched to a PMS unit arrive as Private with the unit assigned; unmatched locks arrive as Restricted and must be assigned:

  • Private: room doors, assigned to a PMS unit.
  • Public / Public (In-House): shared doors, with access timing.
  • Service: doors sold as a service.
  • Restricted: doors LIKE MAGIC should not manage.

5. Key Media (Card and Wallet)

dormakaba delivers keys in these media, depending on which door provider your property runs:

  • Card: a physical key card, encoded at a kiosk or front desk. Delivered by the dormakaba provider, over the on-premise gateway or the Ambiance cloud.
  • Wallet: an Apple or Google Wallet key added to the guest's phone. Delivered by the dormakaba Wallet provider.

Which media a guest actually sees is governed by the guest-experience settings in Mobile Key & Door Access for Guests and by the encoders you connect (next section).


6. Encoders for Key Cards

To issue physical key cards, connect the property's card encoders in Settings → Door Access Encoders (see Door Access, section Connect Encoder Devices). Each encoder has a name and an encoder key obtained from dormakaba. Which encoder a kiosk uses is set on the kiosk itself in Settings → Kiosks, not on the encoder.

ℹ️ Note: Encoders are needed wherever card keys are issued, which both dormakaba variants do.


7. Verifying the Connection

  1. In Settings → Door Access, confirm the property's dormakaba doors and encoders are listed.
  2. Map a test room door to a unit and save & publish.
  3. On a test reservation, check in and confirm the guest receives the expected key media (card or Wallet).
  4. Open the door with that key, then check out and confirm access is revoked.

8. Conclusion

Connecting dormakaba means submitting the credentials, letting LIKE MAGIC set the door provider, and mapping each lock in Door Access. The dormakaba provider issues encoded key cards; the separate dormakaba Wallet provider issues Apple/Google Wallet keys. Connect encoders only if you issue cards, and always verify a full issue-open-checkout cycle on a test reservation before the property goes live.

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