Listen to this articleHotels have always played an important role in determining a traveller’s experience. Travellers frequently stay in hotels while on vacation or business trips. Hotel guests expect maximum comfort during their stay in order to make the most of their trip. The hotel industry has become dynamic and highly competitive in its pursuit of providing the best possible experience to its guests. With the increase in the number of hotels has come an increase in the challenges associated with managing these establishments. With such a difficult scenario, the job of the Hotel Infrastructure Manager has become critical. The traditional methods of managing the assets won’t suffice in delivering the services up to their full potential. Hence, the need for IoT based automation arises.
IoT based automation in Hotel Industry
IoT-based automation enables multiple physical devices to digitally connect with each other using wireless sensors and actuators, empowering the Infrastructure Manager to monitor and manage operations of large infrastructures efficiently at an ease from anywhere in the world. It allows recording and analyzing data as per the desired perspective using AI/ML algorithms through a centralized cloud platform.
Hotel Industry is in desperate need of IoT-based automation in order to succeed in this high-paced environment and claim a spot on the top. Comprehensive monitoring will enable Hotels to provide a high-quality service, maximize occupant comfort and minimize expenses in this lucrative industry.
ZenConnect – IoT based Energy and Asset management solution for Hotels
Let’s understand how ZenConnect, IoT based solution developed by Zenatix, is designed to benefit Hotel infrastructures.
The equipment in a hotel is broadly classified into four types:
- Incomers– Electricity board, Solar Plant, UPS, etc
- HVAC– Chillers, cooling towers, Exhausts, Air conditioners, etc
- Refrigeration Units– Cold rooms, freezers, etc
- Others– Lighting, Glow sign Boards, etc
The equipment integrates over multiple protocols such as MODBUS, BACnet, etc, and data related to functioning and operations from all types of equipment is extracted by the traditional BMS or Sensors and Actuators.
Ultimately the Zenatix Controller or Gateway transfers the collected data to the Zenatix cloud platform using the internet or various Zenatix components. With the help of AI/ML algorithms, the data and statistics are customized and displayed on the centralized ZenConnect Dashboard which can be accessed using laptops, tablets, etc.
The dashboard empowers the Infrastructure Manager to monitor the entire facility or a group of facilities from any location and take desired actions. The manager can configure the operation of these assets based on schedules or sensors based on the needs. This type of customized control ensures that power is used efficiently. The Dashboard also generates maintenance tickets which alert the manager to take preventive action to repair the fault-prone equipment to avoid any kind of pause in delivering services.
Let’s look forward to a few practical benefits that IOT based automation by Zenatix can provide to hotels. We never get a second chance to make a great first impression. Similarly, Hotels need to provide a favorable temperature to the occupants when they enter the premises of a Hotel from the front-desk section. A favourable temperature along with adequate ventilation is necessary at a well illuminated front-desk section. This makes the occupant feel refreshed and admire the ambience at the Hotel. With proper maintenance and monitoring of HVAC and Lumination System using IOT based mechanism, such desired ambience can be maintained. However, such controls can be customized to provide a favourable atmosphere in rooms, restaurants, lobbies, and recreational areas too. Such customization can also be based upon the occupancy rates throughout the period. Such an upgrade has been seen to improve guest comfort by 25-30%.
Various hotels maintain a stock of perishable food to serve the hotel guest around the clock. Automated control can help them maintain the temperatures of chillers and cold rooms to keep the food fresh. Good and Fresh food always pulls your customer towards your hotel.
Other facilities like dryers, refrigerators, dishwashing machines, laundry machines, and water heaters can also be controlled effortlessly to always be available efficiently to fulfill the needs of the occupants.
Apart from providing luxurious comfort to the guests, it is necessary to render these services continuously. As a part of the hospitality industry, hotels cannot afford any kind of breakdown of such assets since these are the core facilities for which a guest chooses a particular hotel over others. As a solution, continuous monitoring keeps the assets in check around the clock. Any kind of minor fluctuation in any of the equipment is right away alerted to the facility manager as a ticket which enables him to take preventive action to get the equipment checked and repaired before it stops working completely. This enables a 20-25% reduction in equipment breakdown cost.
It is critical to have an overview of power consumption in providing such facilities over various periods of time. It enables the manager to limit their cost and spend as much as it actually required. Such savings are an advantage for the Hotels as well as the environment. Every penny saved by round-the-clock monitoring is every penny earned. Who would want to save 10-20 % of its electricity cost in such an industry where power cost constitutes a massive portion of total expenditure? The Dashboard even enables such monitoring of different infrastructures around the country. Having control of such centralized statistics of various properties allows Hotels to follow the practices as per the most efficient one. A Manager or hotel owner needs to have thorough information of its expenditure and consumption towards power in order to make efficient decisions towards its enhancement.
For hotels, IOT automation serves three primary functions: maximizing customer comfort, lowering energy costs, and easily monitoring the facility, as well as providing consistent visibility across properties. With each day passing, technology is advancing remarkably and we should never lose a chance to utilize the benefits. What amazes us the most is that such automated structures are installed at an ease. Zenatix Solutions provides IoT-based energy and asset management solution for hotels, which will transform traditional hotels into energy-efficient hotels. Your hotel building deserves this update!