Salon Suite Access Control: The Ultimate Guide for Owners

In the beauty and wellness industry, first impressions matter. Appearances are everything. From the moment clients arrive, their experience should be effortless, welcoming, and secure. For salon suite owners and independent beauty and spa professionals, managing salon suite access control for clients while ensuring privacy and safety can be challenging—especially without a dedicated front desk or receptionist.

Modern smart intercom systems offer a solution for salon suite access control. These advanced systems streamline client entry, enhance security, improve efficiency, and add a touch of luxury to the salon experience. In this article, we’ll explore why salon suites benefit from smart intercom systems and how they can transform tenant operations and client satisfaction. 

Table of Contents

• What Are Salon Suites?
• Why Salon Suites Need Modern Intercom Systems
• How Smart Intercoms for Salon Suites Work
• Key Considerations and Desired Outcomes
• Swiftlane as an All-in-one Salon Suite Access Control Solution
• Frequently Asked Questions

What Are Salon Suites?

Salon and spa suites are private spaces rented by beauty and wellness professionals within a larger retail building. Salon suite tenants run their businesses independently in enclosed spaces that are more petite than a typical salon or spa. These suites can accommodate hairstylists, estheticians, massage therapists, nail technicians, and other beauty professionals.  

Salon suites provide a turnkey real estate solution to the many beauty and spa professionals who want to live the life of an independent business owner. They offer professionals more control over their business, allowing them to set their schedules, pricing, and client experience. Salon suites also provide privacy for clients, a more personalized environment, and the ability to create a unique brand identity within a shared commercial property.

Why Salon Suites Need Modern Intercom Systems

As sole proprietors, salon suite tenants often can’t invest in assistants or receptionists to manage the flow of client arrivals. Many salon suite building owners are also wary of cutting into net operating income (NOI) by staffing a building front desk. This is where smart intercoms can provide a holistic solution for building owners and salon suite small businesses.

Modern smart intercoms help buildings meet the following needs:

1. Secure & Controlled Access

• Salon suites operate in a semi-private commercial setting, with multiple tenants and clients coming and going. A smart intercom system ensures that only authorized individuals (tenants, scheduled clients, and staff) can enter, reducing security risks.
• Many salon suites are in buildings with limited front-desk staff, making controlled access crucial.

2. Seamless Client Experience

• Clients expect a smooth, high-end experience, starting with entry. A smart intercom allows tenants to grant access remotely via an app or automatic scheduling, reducing wait times and confusion at the door.
• It eliminates the need for front desk personnel, creating a boutique and exclusive feel, while helping to enhance building NOI.

3. Convenience for Stylists & Tenants

• Professionals working in salon suites often manage everything themselves (appointments, payments, customer service, etc.). A smart intercom lets them grant entry without interrupting a session.
• Tenants or guests can receive deliveries without physically going to the entrance, thanks to the remote door unlock.

4. Enhancing Business Efficiency

• Integrated intercom and access control systems can sync with scheduling apps, granting clients access only during booked appointment times.
• A smart intercom reduces time spent managing door access, allowing stylists to focus on services and revenue generation.

5. Contactless & Hygienic Entry

• With some intercom systems, clients can enter without touching a keypad or doorbell, improving hygiene, which is especially important in beauty and wellness environments.
• Smart intercoms with facial recognition, mobile entry, or QR code access enhance cleanliness and ease of use.

6. Better Security & Monitoring

• Salon owners and property managers can monitor entry logs, ensuring only authorized individuals enter at specific times.
• Security cameras integrated with intercoms provide additional protection against unauthorized access.

7. Supports 24/7 Access for Tenants

• Many salon suite businesses offer 24/7 access to tenants.
• A smart intercom ensures stylists can access their suite anytime without needing a key, making it safer and more flexible.

How Smart Intercoms for Salon Suites Work

Most smart intercoms for salon suites, such as our Swiftlane Swiftreader X, are based around a tenant app that links via the Internet to a video intercom at the building door. 

1. Client Arrives at the Salon Suite – They tap a button to select their stylist or spa from the tenant directory to request entry. Or, they use a visitor PIN or QR code provided in advance by the tenant or stylist. 

2. Tenant or Owner Receives a Notification—They see a live video feed and can verify their visitor or client visually. They can optionally greet the client with a two-way video.

3. Instant Access with One Tap – Users unlock the door remotely via the mobile app.

Key Considerations and Desired Outcomes

When selecting an access control system for your Salon Suite, it’s crucial to choose one that:

• Allows remote granting and revoking of access: This feature saves time and effort, as you can manage access rights from anywhere without needing to be on-site.
• Maintains detailed security audit logs: This helps you track who enters and exits the premises, providing accountability and peace of mind.
• Does not require on-site changes: Building owners should opt for a cloud-based system that can be managed remotely, reducing the need for in-person visits and maintenance calls.
• Automatically receives software updates: This feature ensures that your system remains up-to-date and secure without needing a technician, saving you on maintenance costs.
• Is user-friendly: A system that’s easy to use and understand will make it easier to train new users and ensure smooth operation. Modern touchscreen intercoms, like smartphones, have user-friendly designs.
• Two-way video: Tenants’ ability to greet their clients with two-way video is the mark of a high-end customer service experience sought by many salon and spa owners.
• Hands-free keyless entry for tenants: Small business owners often have to carry supplies and don’t want to fumble with keys or key fobs. Choose an intercom with keyless entry methods, such as facial recognition access control. 

Swiftlane as an All-in-one Salon Suite Access Control Solution

There are a few reasons we suggest the Swiftlane intercom system for your salon suite location:

• Impress tenants and their clients: Two-way full-color HD video helps tenants see who is at the door and makes their clients feel welcome from the moment they arrive.
• Parking integration: Our intercom and app can also be used for vehicle access control into gated parking spaces for tenants and their clients.
• Directory that scales: Built-in directory lets each customer find the tenant, so that other stylists and wellness professionals aren’t disturbed.
• Sleek design: Our intercoms are made with elegant designs and 8” touch screens that lend a good first impression to your building entryway.
• Improve net operating income: Let each tenant manage their own customers without needing a receptionist or front desk.
• Great App: Users love our app on the Apple (4.8 stars) and Android (4.7 stars) app stores.
• Remote or preprogrammed unlock: Stylists can answer the door while working with clients.  They can send temporary PINs in advance to clients who can let themselves in.
• Remote concierge or front desk intercom: You can set up a button on the intercom to call a front desk or a remote concierge (such as at your management office) if you want to provide that option.
• Durability for your investment: Our Swiftreader X intercom is rated IP65 against water and dust for all weather conditions and IK10, the highest possible rating, against impact and vandalism.  A two-year warranty is standard.

We achieve a comprehensive access control system for your entire salon facility by offering five key products.

Key Products Offered by Swiftlane

Swiftreader Intercom: Provides a video connection from your front door to your tenants.

Parking Gate: Enables car visitors to call your tenants and request gated parking access. Building tenants can be issued RFID stickers so that the parking gate will open for them automatically.

Indoor RFID Reader: These readers allow you to use RFID fobs or ID cards to control access to doors within your facility.

Indoor keypad: Allows you to use PIN codes to control access to interior doors (e.g., bathroom, supply closets, maintenance areas).

Smart Locks: Individual salon suite tenants can use smart locks to control access to their spaces, which link to the Swiftlane app.

Want to learn more about Swiftlane? Schedule a Demo

Frequently Asked Questions

Can multiple salon suite tenants use the same intercom?

The Swiftreader intercom scales to ten thousand users and can be used even in the largest commercial and retail buildings. It can handle dozens of different spas and salons in the same system. Property owners can also install intercoms at multiple building locations, but all of them can be managed centrally from the property management office using our cloud-based management platform.

Can clients see me on Swiftlane?

Clients and building visitors only see salon suite owners if the owners choose to use two-way video. When you receive a video call from the Swiftreader intercom, the call starts as a one-way video. That means you can see and hear the visitors, but they can only listen to you. If you’d like the visitor to see you, simply click the ‘camera’ button, and they’ll be able to see you, too. For many client-facing businesses, two-way video to greet the customer is becoming viewed as a business best practice.

Does Swiftlane recognize client faces?

Swiftlane intercoms only recognize the faces that property owners add to the system, such as building tenants, stylists, salon owners, and building maintenance staff. Those building regulars download the Swiftlane app and use it to upload facial pictures that program them into the system. Building visitors, such as salon clients, call the intercom to request access from each salon owner.

Is the Swiftlane app good?

Swiftlane’s app has the highest user review ratings for building access control. At the time of writing, it had a 4.8-star rating on the Apple App Store and a 4.7-star rating on the Google Play Store.

Can a salon suite tenant use Swiftlane without a smartphone or tablet?

Yes, salon suite tenants can use Swiftlane to remotely unlock the door using an ordinary cellular or landline phone. When they receive an audio-only call from the intercom, they can press “9” on the keypad to unlock the door after greeting the visitor.