More than 3,000 smart lockers for Spain's largest theme park
The challenge of managing millions of visitors without friction PortAventura World welcomes more than 5 million visitors a year. To ensure a frictionless experience, the resort trusted VACWAY: 3,166 smart lockers distributed across PortAventura World, Ferrari Land, and the Costa Caribe aquatic area. Operating 24/7, no keys, no additional staff. Until the digitalization of its storage system, locker management at the park required constant physical staff presence, created queues during peak times, and limited scaling capacity during season peaks. The solution had to be autonomous and capable of operating 24 hours without human intervention.
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The solution: smart storage infrastructure at scale
VACWAY, a Spanish manufacturer of smart lockers with proprietary technology, deployed a network of 3,166 VACWAYlockers at the PortAventura resort: 1,554 units in the aquatic area and 1,612 between PortAventura World and Ferrari Land. The units are strategically distributed throughout the different areas of the resort, with high-resistance hardware designed for high-humidity environments and intensive use without the need for daily maintenance. The Quick Access system completely eliminates the use of physical keys: visitors access their locker via PIN. Units can be rented through multiple sales channels — the integrated physical kiosk, smartphone, the park's website, or the sales points distributed throughout the venue — drastically reducing access waiting times.
How the system works at PortAventura World
• The visitor selects a locker from the kiosk or their mobile phone • Payment is made by card, contactless, or QR — no cash needed • They receive an instant access code. No keys, no queues, no staff • The real-time dashboard alerts the facilities team to any incident
Operational impact: efficiency and profitability from day one
The implementation of VACWAYlockers transformed facilities management at the park across three key dimensions:
| Reduced operational load | New direct revenue stream | Improved visitor experience |
|---|---|---|
| Autonomous operation freed customer service staff from locker management tasks, allowing them to be reassigned to higher-value functions. The elimination of physical keys put an end to incidents caused by lost keys and claims, one of the main sources of friction with visitors. | Thanks to VACWAY's revenue share model, the park generates recurring revenue from every locker rental with no upfront investment. Since migrating to VACWAY technology, PortAventura World has doubled its revenue from this service compared to the traditional locker model, driven by greater unit availability, dynamic pricing, and the opening of digital sales channels. At the same time, full automation of the process has resulted in a direct reduction in operational costs by eliminating the need for dedicated staff to manage the service. | Quick Access technology has reduced the average waiting time to rent a locker by 80% compared to the traditional model. With no keys, no queues, and no support staff, visitors complete the process autonomously in seconds, eliminating one of the main friction points in high-traffic venues and freeing up time for what matters: enjoying the park. |
100% proprietary technology: the manufacturer advantage
Unlike distributors working with third-party hardware, VACWAY designs and manufactures in Spain the mechanics, electronics, and software of all its products. This vertical integration allows the solution to be adapted to each client without dependence on external suppliers, guarantees continuous firmware updates, and offers agile technical service with minimal response times. For facilities teams, this means a single point of contact for hardware, software, and support, and a solution that evolves with the needs of the venue.
Beyond lockers: a connected ecosystem
VACWAY doesn't just manufacture lockers. Its platform also integrates large-format storage solutions such as luggage and equipment storage. For the facilities team, this means a single system, a single supplier, and a single data source for all storage management across the venue. Although PortAventura World is not a hotel, a significant portion of its visitors arrive with luggage. To address this need, the resort features a dedicated luggage storage area at its entrance managed with VACWAY technology, extending the service beyond the standard locker model. A use case that shares operational logic with the hotel sector: secure, autonomous, and frictionless storage for the guest or visitor who arrives with more than fits in a conventional locker.
