A hotel automation system connects the lighting, air conditioning, curtains and door lock in each guest room to one control platform. Your staff can then set, check and change every room from one place, and empty rooms can drop back to a setting that uses less energy.
This guide is for owners, developers, contractors and designers of hotels and serviced apartments in Dubai. It covers guest room control, energy management and access, and then how we work with each of you.
We build on Symphony, our automation platform. We designed it to make large, complex homes easier to manage, and a building full of guest rooms needs the same thing on a bigger scale.
What does guest room control do?
Guest room control lets each room run its own lighting, AC and curtains from keypads, the app or a tablet, inside limits you set. Guests get simple controls. You keep control of the settings that affect comfort and energy use.
You decide what each keypad button does and how much guests can change. One account can see and manage several properties in the same app, which helps if you run serviced apartments spread across more than one building.
- Lighting scenes on keypads, such as a welcome scene by the door and an all-off button by the bed
- Air conditioning that guests can adjust, but only between the lowest and highest temperatures you allow
- Motorised curtains and blinds that close on a schedule, or at sunrise and sunset, to keep the afternoon sun out
- Limited guest control in the app or on a tablet (lights and AC only, for example), kept separate from your own controls
- Presence sensors, small devices that notice when someone is in a room, so lights and AC respond to real use
What about hotel-specific features?
Key card holders, do not disturb and make up room buttons, and links to front desk software all depend on your building and the systems you already run. Tell us at the survey which of these you need. Our engineer will check them against your rooms and your existing equipment before anything goes into the quote.
If your building has a central building management system (BMS, the software that runs plant such as chillers and pumps), our system can connect to it.
How does a hotel automation system save energy?
It saves energy by not cooling or lighting rooms that nobody is using. Cooling makes up almost half of Dubai's electricity demand, so air conditioning is where energy management matters most.
When a room is empty, it moves to away mode: lights off, curtains closed and the AC held at a milder temperature. Symphony can also start cooling a room before a guest arrives, so it is comfortable when they open the door.
We connect to all brands and types of air conditioning. That includes split units, ducted systems, VRF (one outdoor system serving many indoor units) and chilled-water fan coils. A gateway, a small interface between the AC and the control system, lets the two talk to each other. Our guide to air conditioning control and energy management explains how this shows up on DEWA bills in summer.
We will not promise a set saving. It depends on how full the building is, how it was built and how strict your settings are. Usage reports let you see the change for yourself.
- Away mode for empty, unsold or vacated rooms
- Temperature limits, so no one can leave a room at its coldest setting all day
- Curtains and blinds on schedules that keep running without the internet
- Usage reports in the app, on a tablet or on your own computer, as detailed or as basic as you need
How does access work for guests and staff?
Smart locks let guests in with a code or their phone, and you can change who gets in without handing out keys. For serviced apartments and smaller properties, we fit locks from several manufacturers, including Oji, Tedee, Yale and Aqara.
Guest codes can be created and removed automatically from booking platforms. If the internet goes down, remote access stops, but the lock keeps working at the door. The locks we recommend also have a physical key or an emergency power option for when the batteries run flat. Which lock suits a door depends on how the door is used and how much direct sun it gets.
The lock links to Symphony, so opening the door can turn on the welcome lights and start the AC. For intercoms we use Akuvox and Ubiquiti, with UniFi Protect for cameras. Staff can see a visitor and open the door from the same app. Camera recordings are stored in the building, with an option for cloud backup.
- Most built-in lobby intercoms cannot be connected to a third-party system without voiding their warranty.
- Our licensed CCTV partners carry out CCTV planning and installation.
- If your hotel already runs a card lock system, tell us which one at the survey so our engineer can plan around it.
- If you let out a few apartments rather than run a building, our guide to smart homes for holiday homes and rental landlords is a better fit.
Wired or wireless: which suits a hotel?
For a new build or a full renovation, we recommend wired KNX, the wiring standard most wired systems use. In a building that is already open and cannot close floors for long, wireless is usually the practical choice.
KNX cables go in before the walls are closed. Avario is a registered KNX Partner and our engineers hold KNX certification. Our guide to KNX automation in Dubai explains how it works.
For wireless we use Zigbee, which we consider the best wireless option in the UAE. It means no cutting into walls. In a single home a wireless install usually takes a couple of days. In a hotel, the programme depends on how many rooms you can close at once.
Cost depends on the number of rooms and public areas, wired or wireless, new build or retrofit, the brands you choose and how much each room controls. The engineering survey gives you a written quote for your building.
If you are a developer or hotel owner
Bring us in as early as you can, ideally at preliminary design, before the electrical drawings are fixed. That is when cable, back boxes for keypads and space for the hub and network cabinet are easiest to add. We work from your drawings and can give you a budgetary estimate from them.
You get one named project engineer from specification to handover. We can set a standard specification for each unit type, with upgrades buyers can choose at sales stage, and fit out a show apartment so buyers can try the system.
Our own team handles all programming and commissioning, so one team is responsible for how every room behaves. On KNX systems, you get the ETS project file (the KNX programming file), passwords, drawings and a wiring schedule at handover. Another qualified team could work on the system later if you ever needed one.
Our page on home automation for property developers explains Keystone, our programme for developers.
If you are a contractor or MEP team
We work alongside your MEP team (the mechanical, electrical and plumbing contractor), or our own team runs the cable. We give you the cable plan and agree where keypads, sensors, AC gateways and the network cabinet go. During the primary wiring stage we are on site and check the contractor's work every 2 days.
We can contract with the main contractor, the developer or the end client, whichever suits the project.
Plan water leak protection for bathrooms and plant rooms now, while it is easy. Motorised shut-off valves are much easier to fit during construction than afterwards. Our leak sensors are wireless, and the setup can be anything from a simple alarm to closing the valve automatically.
If you are an interior designer or architect
You decide how the room looks, and we make the controls fit it. We offer keypads and switch panels from 18 high-end suppliers, and we deliver samples to you so you and your client can see the finishes in hand.
We provide lighting design with local lighting specialists. You get a lighting layout, a fitting schedule and light level calculations. We can supply the fittings, or work with your lighting contractor. For curtains, we work alongside your curtain supplier and fit motors from brands such as Somfy and Aqara.
What support does the building get after handover?
Monday to Saturday, 8am to 7pm, our team responds in the support chat inside the app, and call-outs are within 4 hours. About 90% of our support is done remotely. You approve each remote session, and you can switch remote access off completely.
We build each maintenance plan around what your building needs, rather than selling a fixed package.
Questions people ask
Will guest rooms still work if the internet goes down? Yes. Keypads keep working, the app still controls rooms over the building's Wi-Fi, and locks keep working at the door. Remote access stops until the connection returns.
Can you add automation to a hotel that is already open? Yes. A wireless Zigbee system avoids cutting into walls. Wired KNX is best left for a major renovation.
Will it work with our existing air conditioning? We connect to all AC brands and types. With VRF, the options depend on the equipment fitted when the system was installed, and our engineer checks this at the survey.
How much does a hotel automation system cost? It depends on the number of rooms, wired or wireless, new build or retrofit, the brands and how much each room controls. The engineering survey gives you a written quote.
Next step
Book an engineering survey. Our engineer looks at your drawings or your existing rooms, and then you get a written quote. If you are a contractor, developer or designer, call +971 4 458 2205 and ask for our B2B team.
