Hotel managers looking to cut operating costs should address the efficiency of facilities management systems, an often-overlooked area of hotel administration.

At present, more than 50 per cent of the world‘s hotels are poorly equipped from facility management point of view and more than 70 per cent of the management systems in place in hotels are totally inadequate. 

They are systems developed for any general-purpose, anonymous building rather than being specific to hotels.

 Landis & Staefa is a world market leader in building performance and energy efficiency. Its range of products includes advanced building control technology and related services for the owners and users of buildings. For decades Landis & Staefa Division has specialized in the needs of the hotel industry, explains Levy. 

With each project we discuss the usage concept and objective with the future hotel operators at an early stage and offer consultancy services if required. 

We offer a broad spectrum on integrated solutions that can be matched to the individual requirements of every hotel. Working with a company that develops security for access control as well as a unique system for the timely detection for fires within hotels, the companies come under the control of the Siemens International Hotel Group. 

This division of Siemens, known as Building Technology, provides a comprehensive package of all the technology required by a hotel. It was about a decade ago that we developed the concept of the first technologically advanced room management system, explains Levy. As with any innovation, it’s development and acceptance has taken time, but since it’s launch nine years ago in Italy and Germany, we now have a presence worldwide. 

The system, which runs on the Windows NT platform, manages a wide range of in-room facilities. These are not just to achieve thermal comfort for the guest, through the use of thermostat controls, says Levy. It’s a far more extensive package that for the first time links the building management system to the room management system. The guest’s room is linked with to the room booking system so that a permanent record is generated of the guest’s preferences. If the guest does not want to be disturbed, for instance, they no longer have a to hang a notice on their door which might be removed, they can transmit their wish to the front desk. 

With reference to intelligent hotels, Jacques Levy-Bonvin, who is passionate about his subject and maintains his own web page dedicated to explaining his ideas (www.jlevy.ch) stated: While the hospitality industry produces more and more sophisticated means of administrative management, technical hotel management is often considered of second-rate importance. Nevertheless, technical hotel management is just as important as administrative management in providing customer satisfaction. According to Levy, the fault basically lies in hotel schools, where at best insufficient emphasis is placed on the subject, and at worst, their teaching regarding facility management systems is generally too academic. 

As for hotel managers, comments Levy who for 20 years managed the international division at Staefa Control System, energy wastage forces them to watch considerable sums disappear down the drain every year, while rapidly growing operating costs put a further strain on their budgets. 

The origin of this serious problem? Those responsible for hotels clearly lack the information they need. 
The solution? An analysis based on the real needs of the Hotel, accompanied by modern, tested solutions.