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Dubai is a city at a crossroads. On the one hand, it is an ultra-modern, international destination powered by innovation and fast-paced development. Home to the world’s largest mall and tallest building (not to mention a world-famous indoor ski slope), Dubai is a vibrant place full of architectural and technological wonders. On the other hand, it is also a city of great cultural heritage, with roots in the Iron Age and a rich history as a key trading port between Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley. Does this sound like a place where hotel energy efficiency can thrive?
Like any evolving city, Dubai presents certain challenges for developers. For hotel brands, high expectations of sophisticated travelers demand a greater level of operational and energy efficiency.
Despite these challenges, Hilton committed to meeting a critical need in Dubai: affordable, four-star, focused-service accommodations. For the project to be a success, Hilton needed to ensure that they would be able to achieve their efficiency goals, meet aggressive timelines and sustainability standards, and — above all — uphold their dedication to creating exceptional guest experiences.
By partnering with Schneider Electric on a truly innovative and fully integrated hotel technology solution, Hilton accomplished their goals and opened the largest Hilton Garden Inn outside the U.S.: Hilton Garden Inn Dubai Mall of the Emirates.
Integrated Systems: Unparalleled Control, Comfort, and Hotel Energy Efficiency
The key to the success of the project was a unique system integration employed by only a handful of hotels around the world. By creating a seamless “conversation” between the building management system (BMS), guest room management system (GRMS), and property management system (PMS), Schneider Electric was able to give the management and operational staff an unprecedented level of control over the hotel’s many environmental factors. This high level of integration leverages IoT and automation to ensure that Hilton reaches its hotel energy efficiency goals.
One component of the overall solution is the SE8000 Room Controller which drives down energy use in the common areas and guest rooms while giving full comfort control to guests while they are in their rooms. “SE8000 is a very smart system,” says Oliver Kesseler, General Manager, Hilton Garden Inn Dubai Mall of the Emirates. “It allows the engineer to be fully in charge and fully in control of what is happening in every area of the hotel.” In addition to providing detailed monitoring and the ability to manage the entire system remotely, the solution also enables automated, occupancy-based energy management to ensure guest comfort and convenience while simultaneously reducing energy costs.
On the sustainability side, by using Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxureTM for Hotels solution, Hilton achieved Gold-level LEED® certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. “To achieve LEED Gold certification, one of the important factors is BMS. This is kind of the heart of the system,” says Vinesh Hurrychurn, Director of Engineering Operations, Middle East, Africa & Turkey, Hilton. “To comply and meet the tight requirements, it was important to have the right partner on board to deliver an integrated solution. The Schneider Electric system, offering building management, energy management, and the guest room management system, provided a great platform that helped us in achieving the LEED certification.”
Complementary Visions and a Plan for the Future
As a result of the partnership, Schneider and Hilton expect the insights gleaned from the Hilton Garden Inn Dubai Mall of the Emirates will prove valuable to the companies’ future projects.
“Schneider’s vision is to create innovative technology, and our vision is to create exceptional guest experiences,” says Kesseler. “This is exactly where the two come together – Schneider’s vision enables us to create exceptional guest experiences.”
Learn more about how Schneider Electric helped Hilton Garden Inn Dubai Mall of the Emirates exceed their hotel energy efficiency goals and create exceptional guest experiences, or explore Schneider Electric’s full portfolio of hotel technology and solutions.
