Jason Ng, Marketing Communications Specialist, MK Electric
Hotels everywhere invest significant sums of money annually in building and refurbishing rooms designed to match the brand of their particular establishment. Sleek and stylish with leather and bright colours, grand and traditional with mahogany and brass. A customer’s impression of a hotel is sealed the minute they step into their room, drop their bag and look around. Hoteliers instinctively understand this. One area that is usually an exception is wiring accessories; inevitably incongruous with the rest of the carefully honed décor.However as electrical manufacturers start to raise their game – offering a wide selection of customised finishes matching seasonal trends – hoteliers are running out of excuses to accept that wiring accessories in their hotel rooms, not to mention lobby, conference rooms or other shared spaces, can be an eye sore. On the contrary, the latest innovation in fashionable, customisable sockets and light switches presents hoteliers with another big opportunity to build their establishment’s brand.
At MK Electric we have already embraced this trend with our Decorative Collection, offering 5000 different combinations of wiring devices matched closely with the hottest interior design trends. Each product provides an elegant aesthetic and also offers unrivalled longevity and functionality as is synonymous with the MK Electric brand. Bespoke designs can also be developed using MK Electric’s Design Service team, offering hoteliers a full palette of designs and textures to lift a room aesthetically.
This month MK Electric also launches its Elements Collection; four different material groups – Glass Effect, Metallic, Synthetics, Naturals – all presented in 16 different finishes across more than 180 different devices. Drawing inspirations from a gamut of different materials and textures – stone, leather, wood and metal – it provides a wealth of options for hoteliers hunting for the perfect complement to a particular style of room.
A hotel’s ‘brand’ isn’t just about what you can see. It’s often about what you can’t. The desire to hide ugly wiring has brought about a boost in adoption of wireless technology. For example, a sophisticated, intelligent lighting control system – like Astral from MK Electric – can significantly lift a guest’s impression by allowing them to control lighting in their room using a simple remote control. It can also manage lighting across the whole building; a dimly lit, moody bar through to a brightly lit, welcoming lobby area.
Perhaps one of the most exciting, transformational innovations for hoteliers is the emergence of wireless, batteryless and self-powered light switches and controls which use ambient energy in the room to operate. This is particularly useful when it comes to serving multi-purpose spaces like conference or function rooms. Normally hoteliers would need to compromise between unsightly extension cables or extended wiring and having the space poorly lit during certain usage calibrations. With Echo, a light switch can be added just about anywhere without damaging any aesthetic impact.
Whether it’s providing a warm, welcoming reception area for guests, a cool bar serving cocktails, or backing up your sustainable image by carefully managing and reducing energy consumption, heating is also an important part of a hotel’s overall brand. Echo also links to a building management system, which allows staff to accurately monitor – and automatically adjust – energy use in different parts of a hotel. Hotels can use the technology to detect presence and control the air-conditioning or heating.
In summary, wiring accessories don’t need to detract from the impact of your hotel’s decor. They are increasingly a tool for hoteliers to enhance the overall look and feel of their hotel. The sensation of a light switch, the warmth of a room, the sleek, minimalist look of a socket can all boost your guest’s impression of your space. Hoteliers must act quickly to capitalise on the opportunity.
