Patent ID: 6972660

Claim:
A system for providing access with respect to a hotel, said system comprising: a facility server providing centralized storage of information with respect to individuals authorized for said access, wherein said information includes biometric sample data associated with said individuals; a front desk user terminal in communication with said facility server and operable under control of an application program for registering one or more said individuals as guests of said hotel and capturing said biometric sample data, wherein said front desk user terminal is in communication with said facility server via a first local host; and a room user terminal in communication with said facility server and operable to capture biometric data for real-time comparison to said biometric sample data and to release a lock as a function of said comparison, wherein said room user terminal is in communication with said facility server via a second local host; wherein said first and second local hosts provide localized storage of at least a portion of said information with respect to said individuals authorized for said access, wherein said information includes said biometric sample data associated with said individuals.