Confronting huge pressure from the changing the demands of modern travellers, Gallant believes that the effort to build hotels consciously should start early on in the hotel design process. Editor Hamish Kilburn speaks to the company’s Business Development Director, Lee Bell, to understand more…
With so much emphasis on eco-friendly initiatives and designs, Hotel Designs digs beneath the surface by speaking to leading HVAC specialists, Gallant, to understand how developers and architects can start from the foundations up when designing and building an sustainable hotel building.
Hamish kilburn: Can you explain how the company has grown since 2000?
Lee Bell: The company has achieved successive years of profitable growth during its 19 years of trading and now employs more than 35 individuals and operates from three UK offices to provide the necessary support platform to accomplish our further forecast development over the next three years and beyond.
HK: How can hotels fulfil their guests’ demands for eco-friendly hotels with the right heating ventilation and air conditioning units?
LB: An eco friendly ethos is paramount to the design principles utilised to apply air conditioning systems to hotels as we strive for increased energy efficiency. This is achieved via, efficient use of diversity, effective time scheduled operation and integration of heat recovery ventilation to adhere to regulations including BSEN378 whilst attaining BREEAM and ECA accreditation
HK: What sets Gallant aside from other companies within the market?
Gallant takes full, unambiguous responsibility for the entirety of its agreed demarcation of works this includes design, supply, commissioning, after sales service and maintenance, all underpinned by industry leading warranties.
HK: How have guest behaviours inspired your product designs and services to evolve?
LB: The guests desire for bespoke control and their familiarity and comfort with their own hand held device has focused our attention into differentiating via more sophisticated control options This emphasis can lead to a hotel guest eventually having the ability to:
- Book and pay for a room on website(s).
- Receive subsequent confirmation that the room is ready via email.
- Being directed to their room via the app.
- Unlocking the room with the app
- Controlling the Lights, Blinds, HVAC, TV and Door Lock with the app.
- Checkout from within the room.
Image credit: Gallant
HK: What are your thoughts on the future hotel room being a fully customisable and personalised space?
LB: Evolution of individual control solutions tailored to each specific individual will allow them to re create their own personal experience in any hotel room in the world. This will allow them to replicate preferred climate conditions and media / TV content via a hotel rooms services as they would enjoy in the comfort of their own home.
HK: What is the biggest misconception people have of Gallant?
HK: The most significant misunderstanding of Gallant is that our scope of supply is only limited to that of comfort cooling.
HK: What are some common pitfalls designers/hotels fall into when specifying the products that you offer?
LB: The three main common pitfalls can be summarised as follows:
- A complicated, layered route to market providing the end user with a confused method of resolving issues that arise after the initial 12 month defect period.
- Unbalanced indoor / outdoor combination ratio’s resulting in too many rooms being over reliant on one condenser.
- The impact of an ill disciplined maintenance regime, which jeopardises warranty and increases the likelihood of guest complaints and off line rooms.
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Main image credit: Gallant
