Wood RFID Hotel Key Cards
FSC®-certified wood RFID hotel key cards in maple, walnut and birch — real-wood key cards that encode exactly like PVC for VingCard, Saflok, Onity and SALTO.
Overview
Wood RFID hotel key cards are real-wood key cards built around a 13.56 MHz RFID inlay, so they tap-to-open exactly like a plastic card while giving the guest a warm, natural surface. American Hotel Cards makes them from FSC®-certified maple, walnut and birch veneers, laser-engraved or printed with your branding and encoded blank or pre-programmed for every major U.S. hotel lock system.
A wood key card lands differently in the hand. The grain is real, every card is subtly unique, and the moment a guest feels timber instead of plastic at check-in says more about a property’s values than a printed line on a welcome card ever could. Underneath the veneer sits the same 13.56 MHz inlay as our standard cards, so the credential behaves identically at the door.
We source veneers from FSC®-certified forestry and laminate them around the antenna into a card that holds CR80 dimensions and drops straight into your existing readers and card slots. Branding can be laser-engraved for a burnt, tactile mark or printed in color for full-bleed artwork; many boutique hotels combine an engraved logo on the front with printed wayfinding on the back.
Wood cards are a little thicker than PVC and have a natural variation no two batches fully repeat — which is the point. They suit properties whose guests keep the key as a memento, and they reinforce a sustainability story without compromising on how the lock actually reads the card.
- Boutique and design-led hotels reinforcing a natural material palette
- Eco-certified properties making sustainability tangible at check-in
- Spa and wellness resorts wanting a calm, organic guest touchpoint
- Keepsake keys guests are encouraged to take home
- Brand relaunches where the room key becomes part of the story
Specification
The technical sheet
Real, verifiable specs — the numbers your facilities and procurement teams will ask for.
| Format | CR80 — 85.6 × 54 mm |
|---|---|
| Thickness | ~1.0–1.6 mm depending on veneer |
| Material | FSC®-certified maple, walnut or birch veneer over RFID inlay |
| Chip options | MIFARE Classic 1K · MIFARE DESFire EV1/EV2/EV3 · NTAG213/215 |
| Protocol | ISO/IEC 14443-A |
| Frequency | 13.56 MHz |
| Branding | Laser engraving and/or full-color UV print |
| Encoding | Blank or pre-encoded to your lock & PMS profile |
| MOQ | From 500 cards |
| Lead time | Approx. 2–3 weeks after artwork approval |
Compatibility
Works with your lock
Wood RFID Hotel Key Cards carry standard 13.56 MHz credentials, so they drop into the readers you already own. Pick your system to confirm the exact chip — or send us your lock model and we will spec it for you.
All lock systemsSustainability
A credential with a lighter footprint
Made from FSC®-certified maple, walnut and birch veneer drawn from responsibly managed forests, wood RFID cards replace virgin PVC with a renewable, biodegradable surface. They give your sustainability commitment a form the guest can literally hold — without changing how the lock reads the credential.
Our sustainability approachQuestions
Wood RFID Hotel Key Cards, answered
Do wood key cards work in the same locks as plastic cards?
Yes. The wood is only the surface — inside is the same 13.56 MHz RFID inlay we use in PVC cards, in the same CR80 footprint, so it taps-to-open in your existing VingCard, Saflok, Onity, SALTO and other RFID readers.
Are the cards actually wood, or wood-look plastic?
They are real FSC®-certified wood veneer laminated around the inlay. The grain is genuine, which is why every card varies slightly and why guests can feel the difference.
Can we have our logo engraved instead of printed?
Yes. Laser engraving burns your logo into the grain for a permanent, tactile mark with no ink. Many properties engrave the front and print color wayfinding or a message on the back.
Are wood cards durable enough for repeated guest use?
They are sealed and finished to handle normal guest handling and repeated taps. They are a little thicker than PVC and best suited to properties that reissue between stays; for very high-throughput, high-loss environments we can advise on the right mix.
How sustainable are they really?
The veneer comes from FSC®-certified, responsibly managed forests and is renewable and biodegradable, unlike virgin PVC. Our sustainable card guide compares wood, bamboo, rPVC and seed paper on footprint, durability and cost so you can choose with eyes open.
Keep exploring
Pairs well with
Eco Bamboo RFID Hotel Key Cards
Fast-renewing bamboo blanks — light, durable and fully recyclable.
View
Eco Recycled & rPVC Key Cards
Ocean-bound rPVC, rPET and seed-paper cores that drop into your locks.
View
Eco RFID Wood-Bead Wristbands
Hand-finished wood-bead bands for spa, pool and all-inclusive access.
View
RFID Hotel Key Cards
MIFARE® & NFC key cards encoded for any U.S. hotel lock system.
ViewReady when you are
See and feel wood rfid hotel key cards first
Request a free sample pack to check the stock, the print and the fit with your locks — or send us your lock model and quantity and we will come back with a tailored quote.
Prefer email? sales@americanhotelcards.com · samples@americanhotelcards.com