First impressions are everything in the hospitality industry. Before a guest ever experiences your service, they encounter your entrance. Double entry doors serve as more than just a portal; they are a statement of your property’s character, a promise of security, and a testament to quality. As a pivotal component of your commercial exterior doors, selecting the right set requires a careful balance of aesthetics, function, and resilience. Let’s explore the critical considerations in design, security, and durability that define exceptional entryways for hotels and resorts.
The design of your main entrance sets the thematic tone for the entire guest experience. Double entry doors offer a grand, welcoming scale that single doors cannot match, facilitating smooth traffic flow for arriving parties, luggage carts, and groups.
1. Architectural Harmony & Style:
Your doors should be an integral part of your property’s architectural narrative.
Classic Elegance: For historic, luxury, or boutique resorts, crafted wood doors with detailed glass insets, wrought iron accents, or arched designs evoke timeless sophistication.
Modern Minimalism: For contemporary hotels, sleek aluminum or glass commercial exterior doors with clean lines, minimalist hardware, and expansive glass panels create a bright, open, and inviting transparency.
Transitional Appeal: Many properties benefit from hybrid designs—sturdy wood or metal frames with strategic glass elements that offer both warmth and a connection to the outdoors.
2. Material Choices Impacting Aesthetics:
Wood: Offers unparalleled warmth and custom design potential but requires more maintenance.
Aluminum: Provides a slim, modern profile, is lightweight, corrosion-resistant, and works beautifully with large glass panels.
Fiberglass: Can mimic the look of wood grain beautifully while offering superior durability and thermal efficiency.
Steel: The strongest core material, often used in clad systems where it’s covered with a veneer of wood or another finish for aesthetics.
3. Glass and Light:
Strategic use of glass is crucial. Laminated or insulated glass panels maximize natural light, offer views of lobbies or landscapes, and enhance energy efficiency. Decorative elements like frosted patterns, sandblasted logos, or tinting can add privacy and brand identity.

In a hotel or resort, security is non-negotiable. The main entrance is a primary control point, and commercial exterior doors must be engineered to protect.
1. Robust Locking Systems:
A single lock is insufficient for high-traffic double entry doors. Look for:
Multi-Point Locking Systems: These engage bolts at multiple points along the door frame (top, center, and bottom), creating a seal that is extremely difficult to force open.
Grade 1 Commercial Hardware: This is the highest rating for durability and security for locksets, cylinders, and exit devices. Always specify Grade 1 for primary entrances.
Integrated Access Control: Doors can be equipped with systems for keycards, digital keypads, or biometric scanners, seamlessly blending security with modern convenience and audit trails.
2. Structural Integrity Against Intrusion:
The door itself must be impenetrable.
Reinforced Cores and Frames: Solid core construction or reinforced steel inserts prevent kick-ins and physical attacks.
Security Hinges: Non-removable pin hinges or hinges with security studs prevent doors from being lifted off their pins when closed.
3. Safety and Compliance:
Fire Rating: Ensure doors meet local fire code requirements for egress and compartmentalization.
Panic Hardware: For safety, doors must be equipped with compliant exit devices (like touch-bar mechanisms) that allow for immediate, easy exit in an emergency, even when locked from the outside.
Smooth Operation: Heavy-duty commercial-grade closers ensure doors close and latch securely every time, maintaining building security and energy efficiency.
Hospitality entrances face a relentless assault: 24/7 usage, constant opening and closing, exposure to weather, and occasional impacts from luggage and equipment. Durability is an investment in reduced maintenance and long-term cost savings.
1. Weather and Element Resistance:
Quality commercial exterior doors are engineered to withstand local climates.
Seals and Weatherstripping: High-performance perimeter seals prevent drafts, water infiltration, and dust, protecting your lobby interior and reducing HVAC costs.
Corrosion-Resistant Materials: Anodized or powder-coated aluminum, stainless steel hardware, and treated wood or fiberglass resist salt air, humidity, and UV degradation.
2. Core Material Longevity:
Fiberglass-Composite: Excellently resists dents, warping, and rotting. It stands up well to humidity and temperature swings, making it ideal for coastal or variable climates.
Aluminum: Highly durable, low-maintenance, and won’t rust. Its strength allows for larger glass spans.
Engineered Wood & Metal-Clad: These combine the aesthetic appeal of wood with a protective, durable metal or synthetic outer skin, offering the best of both worlds.
3. Hardware and Finish Endurance:
Specify commercial-grade, anti-corrosive finishes on all hardware—hinges, closers, and locks. Regular maintenance of moving parts is far simpler than repairing or replacing a door compromised by failed hardware.
Choosing the right double entry doors for your hotel or resort is a strategic decision. They are not merely an architectural feature but a critical operational asset. By investing in a design that captivates, security that protects, and durability that perseveres, you invest in the lasting impression and safety of every guest. The ideal commercial exterior doors function silently in the background—beautiful yet strong, welcoming yet secure, ensuring that the first thing guests encounter assures them they’ve made the right choice.