Honeywell is the Metro Business blog’s guest columnist this week – one of the multiple high-tech companies making an impact in Atlanta and defining the region’s transition from an industrial to a digital economy. Honeywell Home and Building Technologies relocated to Atlanta this year, taking advantage of our region’s unique assets with a skilled workforce and vibrant cultural scene. The company is at the forefront of Internet of Things technologies with their connected homes and buildings. In this article, they discuss recent work with the Grand Hyatt Atlanta in Buckhead to perfect the guest experience.
Honeywell is the Metro Business blog’s guest columnist this week – one of the multiple high-tech companies making an impact in Atlanta and defining the region’s transition from an industrial to a digital economy. Honeywell Home and Building Technologies relocated to Atlanta this year, taking advantage of our region’s unique assets with a skilled workforce and vibrant cultural scene. The company is at the forefront of Internet of Things technologies with their connected homes and buildings. In this article, they discuss recent work with the Grand Hyatt Atlanta in Buckhead to perfect the guest experience.
As a world-class travel destination, Atlanta is well-known for its southern hospitality. But with each new tech company that calls Atlanta home, the city’s future as a leading U.S. tech hub is clear. So when engineer Wes Shirley and the Grand Hyatt Atlanta in Buckhead decided to upgrade the customer experience through technology, they looked no further than the newly Atlanta-based Honeywell Home and Building Technologies.
As a Hyatt director of engineering, Wes Shirley’s top priority is to give Hyatt guests a perfect hotel experience.
“Our guests are well-travelled business people who expect a trouble-free stay at our property,” Shirley said.
He’s passionate about environmental responsibility and its positive impact on sustainability and the bottom line. He was the engineering force behind the hotel’s 50,000-gallon rainwater harvesting system and 20-panel solar thermal system. His properties have earned awards from Atlanta Better Buildings Challenge 2016 and Good Housekeeping.
Be our guest
One of the most important elements of southern hospitality is making guests comfortable. This past January, Shirley advanced one way the Grand Hyatt does that – he installed Honeywell’s INNCOM Energy Management System.
“At most hotels, air conditioning and heating are the first issues guests complain about,” Shirley said.
Honeywell’s INNCOM suite and Deep Mesh Network wirelessly monitor guestroom air conditioning units, fans and heating units.
Honeywell’s smart building platform collects and communicates guestroom information wirelessly. If INNCOM’s sensors detect that a room’s equipment isn’t heating or cooling correctly, it instantly sends an alert and forwards a text message to Grand Hyatt Atlanta staff for action.
“With INNCOM I know more about what is happening in a guestroom environment than the people who are in those rooms,” Shirley said.
Work smarter, not harder
Smart building technology also reduces energy use and boosts overall operational efficiencies.
Shirley said Honeywell’s smart building platform changed his hotel’s operating philosophy and guestroom maintenance process.
“INNCOM lets us proactively schedule engineering staff to address HVAC repairs before they impact our guests. When INNCOM indicates that a room is vacant, we dispatch a housekeeper to service the room. This improves productivity and keeps our rooms in better condition.”
When guests are happy with their stay, they come back.
“There is no question that the newest networked smart building systems can improve operations and the bottom line,” Shirley said. “We have had virtually no temperature-related guest complaints since we installed INNCOM. All these guest satisfaction improvements and productivity gains contribute to our ROI on the Honeywell system.”
Choose the right partner
For other Atlanta businesses looking for sustainable ways to modernize, Shirley says it’s crucial to look for a technology partner with a proven track record.
“Selecting the best sustainability tech supplier for your properties’ operation is an important decision. After the sales presentation, talk with industry peers to learn what they’re using and if they’ve worked with the companies on your list. We tapped Honeywell based on our previous experience. I also contacted other Atlanta property engineers to get their input. INNCOM is widely installed in the Atlanta metro hotel market. Honeywell’s technology has a good track record, and a solid reputation for professional support.”
For more information on Honeywell, visit: https://www.honeywell.com/
For more on the Grand Hyatt Atlanta in Buckhead, visit: https://atlanta.grand.hyatt.com/en/hotel/home.html
