VDA’s latest project was with the luxury boutique hotel The Address, the newest of the McGettigan Hotels in Dublin. Warren Edwards, General Manager for VDA Ireland, explains: “The Address is a new hotel by Brian and Ciaran McGettigan, sitting adjacent to the North Star Hotel in Dublin. Our brief was to design technology with simple and clear controls that add to the luxurious guest experience that the McGettigan’s wished to create in their new property.”

Although The Address and The North Star Hotels will share a new and specially designed reception area, The Address has its own lift to allow guests to access their rooms. As such, in order to meet the unique requirements of this new hotel, VDA created a system specifically to meet that brief. Warren says: “We designed a key-card which allows the guests of The Address to access the lift, the doors to the corridors of their rooms, as well as access their own particular room – all from the one key-card designed by VDA.”

VDA has developed technology which enhances the guest experience as well as providing cost-saving solutions for hotels. The technology VDA designed at The Address had such an impact on their guests that reviews such as the below mentioned were shared on TripAdvisor; “…the hotel was very new, lift access was only allowable with our room key. We were on the fifth floor, rooms are very modern – touch buttons for lights and curtains. Wi-Fi was accessed through the TV with our unique code”.

And another from an American guest, “We spent eight nights at this hotel and would recommend it. It was new with a nice TV bed and bathroom. Cool features like automated lights and curtains”.

The type of systems that VDA installs also can include the controls for electric curtains, which can open and close automatically. Warren explains: “In a south-facing room, for example, the curtains can close automatically when the guest is out of the room, to keep the room cool, but also to save furnishings and upholstery from sun damage. These curtains can also be started and stopped at any point using the TV remote or Ipad. The TV remote also controls the lighting, room temperature and can be used to order in-room services as well as look up local attractions by way of an app installed on the TV. The guest’s mobile and tablet devices can also be used to access this app and avail of the simple to use in-room controls.”

VDA has been investing in the very latest technology that will allow guests to download their key card onto their mobile phone. This makes the guest experience easy and convenient, as they can have access to their room using their mobile phone as their key-card.

Another feature of the in-room technology which VDA has brought to The Address is the suitable lighting from bed to bathroom. Warren continues: “We installed PIR sensors so that when guests are in bed, instead of having to turn the lights on to go to the bathroom, a low-wattage light switches on under the bed automatically and lights the way to the bathroom. This enhances comfort and convenience for the guests, them not having to switch on a bright light during the night in order to locate bathroom, and thus also not disturbing their partner.”

VDA has increased its presence in the Irish market, servicing over 65 hotels and 9000 rooms. Another recent addition to the Irish portfolio is the 28-room extension to the Dylan Hotel in Dublin. VDA is also a global company and recently secured a contract with MGM Grand in Macau, China for a 2500-bedroomed hotel.

VDA also is the technology providers to the ‘Hub’ by Premier Inn, it supplies in-room controls to the ALT Hotel group, where its equipment is installed into pod-constructed rooms in Poland, shipped out and erected in Canada.

However, the company continues to develop its services to the hospitality industry by expanding its digital signage for hotels which includes; signage for reception areas, meeting rooms, events as well as F&B service areas. The company has also expanded its support services to the Dublin region.

As VDA’s presence within the Irish hospitality market grows, it is reassuring to know that its attention to its customers’ needs remain as personal as ever.