Introduction

The hotel sector has grown significantly in recent years and has also implemented a number of initiatives to encourage travel and tourism. In fact, adapting to modern requirements has always shaped the industry. Today’s tourists anticipate having full access to the newest fashions and technologies while staying at a hotel. Hence, the desire to build infrastructures of the highest calibre and increased awareness of security and safety have raised the level of automation in hotels, leading to an increased usage of technological advancements, sensors, monitors, digital video cameras, smart cards, access cards, and other systems. 

A Building Management System (BMS) has evolved as a solution to manage, control, and monitor hotel spaces in a more effective way due to the growing use of technological advancements in hotels. This has caused the industry to change from a standalone market industry to an integrated BMS market. In this blog, we will discuss the benefits of implementing a smart building management system in hotels.

Building Management System – Explained!

Building management systems are rapidly gaining popularity in the hospitality industry. In recent years, the use of BMS has become increasingly widespread among hotels, offering numerous benefits that are highly valued by property owners and managers. This technology integrates the management of multiple building systems, such as heating, cooling, lighting, security, and energy management, into one centralised platform. With its real-time data collection, analysis, and control capabilities, BMS provides an efficient and convenient way to manage a hotel’s infrastructure and operations in a single dashboard.

Since the visuals and navigation on a computer-based interface are superior to those on a standalone device, BMS is typically more user-friendly. The interface comes with security measures, like password protection, and the option to establish weekly or seasonal schedules for the connected utilities or systems, regardless of whether the controls are on your computer or a different device. The key benefit of a BMS is that you can operate all of these systems from a single interface because the BMS is connected to multiple systems across your building. Typical features include:

• Lighting: Since an efficient BMS can turn lights on and off and track usage, facility managers can see how much energy the lighting system uses by glancing at the dashboard. The BMS can notify them when light bulbs need to be changed, and they can create lighting schedules to, for instance, have outdoor lights switch on automatically at night. 
• HVAC: The BMS can be used to control heating, air conditioning, and air handling systems. Facility managers can keep track of usage and receive notifications when HVAC systems require maintenance, just like with the lighting system.
• Security: The BMS can link with your alarm system for real-time monitoring and administration of the facility.
• Access Control: Hotels have several different entry points, including locks on guest rooms and doors leading to facilities like swimming pools and parking lots.Based on the access control data, BMS can also provide valuable information regarding the occupancy status of rooms and the number of individuals present in a given area. For instance, with BMS, facility managers can analyse how often an amenity is used or immediately turn off access when the facility is closed. 
• Sprinkler and fire safety systems: Sprinkler and fire safety systems can be connected to the BMS so that it can continuously check for fires inside the building and take appropriate action. The ideal location to manage emergency use of lifts, fire exits, and ventilation systems is still the fire alarm panel in the majority of buildings.
• Real-time reporting: Reporting can be customised to the needs of the client and is crucial for improving building operations. The most effective analytics features of the BMS will generate reports that can identify patterns and show how you’re getting closer to your efficiency targets. In addition, smart data analytics combined with BMS produce customised, understandable reports highlighting particular areas for change-focused actions.

Why is BMS Crucial for the Hotel Sector?

Two seemingly opposing factors—things customers notice and things they, hopefully, never think about—are what determine a hotel’s reputation. It can be easier to stand out and provide unforgettable experiences if you have amenities like a fantastic restaurant, a heated pool, opulent rooms, and exceptional customer service. However, some items, like broken air conditioning or dirty restrooms, might have a bigger impact on the guest experience than the wonderful things because they are only noticed—and remembered—when things go wrong. 

In the hotel and tourism sector, facility managers must ensure that building systems increase visitor comfort while minimising expenditures. You can balance these requirements by streamlining operations, increasing energy efficiency, and improving guest experiences using a building management system for hotels that incorporates smart technology and analytics.

Up until the beginning of 2006, the majority of the systems installed in hotels were conventional building management systems that could only be partially integrated with other features. The number of contemporary hotels that use interconnected networking, internet protocol (IP) based systems, interactive technology, and modern devices to give a sophisticated BMS solution or a genuinely integrated BMS has significantly increased since 2006. New prospects in hotel automation are being created by developments in building technology, including IP-based building unification, enterprise-wide integration, and internet services enabled anywhere-anytime monitoring. Thus, implementing BMS contributes to providing safety, comfort, single-point operation, quick reaction to accidents, energy conservation, and operational cost reduction.

The main purposes of modern engineering and technology are to benefit people and have intelligence. As a result, a building management system is now a standard component of every hotel with cutting-edge communication network capabilities. In order to accomplish seamless integration of complicated network and engineering systems, security, heating, alarms, energy, uninterrupted electrical supply, and IT, these integrated technologies have therefore grown to be the standard choice for many Greenfield and Brownfield modern luxury hotels.

With claims of a large decrease in overall cost and improved operation and maintenance, the move to IoT-integrated systems has enhanced central monitoring and control, enabling energy savings and improving both operation and maintenance. Such all-in-one functions can be found in modern BMS systems. BMS helps the hotel and hospitality sector by improving the energy efficiency, guest comfort and safety, and reducing operational costs. 

The BMS controls and monitors the hotel’s heating, ventilation, air conditioning, lighting, and other building services, enabling the hotel to optimise its energy usage, ensure guest comfort and safety, and reduce maintenance costs. Additionally, the BMS can also provide real-time data and analytics that help the hotel make informed decisions about energy usage and resource allocation. Therefore, the implementation of a BMS can lead to a more efficient, comfortable, and cost-effective hotel operation.

In addition, due to rising energy prices as well as the growing significance of energy savings and efficiency, building management systems have become more important over the last two to three years, especially in the hotel sector. Energy expenses are no longer just a cost item on a hotel’s account; they are now a crucial component that must be managed from the perspectives of availability, quality, and utilisation in addition to the cost. Regulations like the Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC), which is anticipated to become required, are probably going to help the development of energy management in hotels even more. BMS in hotels may also have growing potential due to the goal to have green buildings as part of their long-term sustainability strategies.

Benefits of Implementing Building Management System in Hotels

Are you looking for a strategy to lower your hotel’s energy use and expenses? How can building owners effectively manage their hotel’s HVAC system, smart building devices (IoT), lighting controls, security, and access management with a lower staff than in the past? For high-end, modern hotels and other commercial structures with intricate mechanical and electronic activities that consume a lot of energy, a building management system is crucial. 

Smart control systems can help huge buildings save thousands, perhaps millions, of dollars annually through energy savings. Any facility management strategy for preventive maintenance and building operations must start with BMS systems. The advantages of employing a building management system extend beyond the engineering team; they include lower utility costs, the elimination of countless hours of manual labour, increased sustainability, and even better visitor ratings. 

Although a BMS is an outstanding piece of technology, it provides more advantages than just a flashy user interface. In addition to improving your financial line, using a building management system can also improve visitor satisfaction and the environmental effect of your hotel. We’ll go over the potential advantages of employing a building management system.

Ensures Guest Comfort

BMS delivers a highly comfortable experience for your visitors and employees when it is placed in a hotel property that you manage. You can make sure that everyone in your hotel is comfortable all the time by setting daily and seasonal routines for lighting, air quality, and climate control. For instance, you could programme the gym’s air conditioning to come on during operating hours while turning up the fan significantly more at busy times. Similar to this, you may programme your restaurant’s kitchen exhaust system to operate at maximum capacity when business is brisk.

Easy to Manage End-devices

Compared to standalone systems, BMS is much simpler to control. It may seem straightforward, yet utilising a single integrated system provides several advantages versus using multiple independent systems. It can be advantageous for new staff to only have to learn how to operate the BMS rather than having to learn how to operate the HVAC system, the lighting control, the security alarm system, and other devices. The BMS interface may also be easier to use than traditional standalone systems, which would speed up task completion and lower the possibility of human mistakes.

Increased Conservation of Energy

The improved energy management capability of BMS can lower utility bills and increase system longevity. Instead of leaving lights on all the time or depending on staff to manually turn them on and off, scheduling light turns is far more cost-effective and efficient. Thus, the carbon footprint can be reduced with better energy management. Understanding your energy usage helps you cut utilisation in ways you would not have known about before, as well as being more efficient in terms of manpower and electricity expenses. For instance, if your gym is open around-the-clock, but the BMS reveals that nobody uses it between midnight and five in the morning, you can programme the air conditioning to shut off and the lights to dim during those hours to save money and improve the environment.

Real-time Analysis

The flexibility of the BMS to integrate with other systems enhances its utility in managing all devices from a single location. The BMS can connect to other systems for a seamless data flow, much like how your property management system can interface with a business intelligence system or accounting software. The BMS creates a tonne of data on utility usage and logs of electrical or mechanical events, therefore one typical integration is with a business intelligence programme so you can slice and dice it. You may transform BMS data into useful insight with the aid of these integrations. Real-time monitoring also identifies problems before they become serious; for instance, the system will warn you if an air filter is getting old rather than waiting until it malfunctions.

How to choose the right BMS for the Hotel Facility?

When choosing a building management system for a hotel facility, there are several key considerations to take into account. First, consider the size and complexity of the hotel and the types of systems it requires to be managed, such as the HVAC, lighting, and energy management. It is important to choose a BMS that can handle the specific needs of the hotel and integrate with the systems in place.

Second, consider the level of control and automation required. A BMS should provide real-time monitoring and control, as well as the ability to schedule and automate tasks. It should also provide access to data and analytics, allowing you to make informed decisions about energy usage and efficiency. Third, consider the scalability of the system. As the hotel grows and expands, the BMS should be able to accommodate these changes and adapt to the evolving needs of the facility.

You should also take this into account when determining your budget because you could need to take rooms out of service or even close the hotel for a few days if wiring or hardware needs to be installed. In addition to considering the price, consider whether you want the BMS support team to provide you with hands-on assistance and whether the BMS integrates with other programmes you already use. You may choose a product wisely if you keep all of these things in mind.