Rydges Kensington completes £5m renovation

15 August 2011 12:06:19 GMT

The Rydges Kensington London embarked on a £5 million project at the start of 2011 to reach the coveted 4* deluxe rating. The project involved a complete refurbishment of all guest rooms and facilities, as well as a new gym and conference rooms.

The initial stages began with repairs to the roof and stripping back to the horsehair plaster and original timber floorboards in the guest rooms. The floors were renovated two at a time, with all 81 rooms completed by the end of July 2011. A former 19th century family home, the building was not purpose-built as a hotel, and so of the 81 different rooms there are 36 different room sizes. This meant that a lot of the furniture and electrics were customised to fit individual rooms.

Key to the renovation was updating the wiring accessories (plugs, sockets and switches) and electrical infrastructure in the rooms and public areas. The hotel put the work out to tender and as a result selected the Siemens Building Technologies division to ensure the supply of high quality products delivered on time throughout the project. Siemens was tasked with sourcing replacement high quality, modern distribution boards as well as providing the wiring accessories throughout. The low voltage distribution boards were installed as part of an upgrade to help the electrical system cope more efficiently with the energy demands of the newly refurbished hotel.

In addition to updating the guest bedrooms, the hotel is also developing a gym and building new conference rooms. Creating a boutique, bespoke feel to the hotel has been an important part of the project. To achieve this, an interior designer was brought in to create memorable and slightly quirky décor making the hotel stand out in the market.

As the hotel remained open during the refurbishment project, it was vital that any disruptions were kept to a minimum. This was achieved by completing the work two floors at a time, meaning that guests could still occupy the other floors without being disturbed. Keeping the hotel up and running during the refurbishment was also something the hotel needed to consider carefully when upgrading the distribution boards, as, although unoccupied, loss of power for any significant period of time over the two floors currently in refurbishment would have delayed other aspects of the project.

The solution was to use existing Siemens technology already in place to integrate the new distribution boards quickly, keeping disruption to power supply at a minimum. The new distribution boards supplied by Siemens were also smaller than the previous range, taking up less room which meant that much-needed space would be saved.

When it came to deciding on wiring accessories, Siemens worked closely with the hotel’s interior designer to ensure that the new products would blend in with the hotel’s new look. Chrome Crabtree wiring accessories were used throughout to give a professional finish, while also meeting the hotel’s quality specification. The wiring accessories, which were from the Crabtree Platinum range, were screw-less and easy to install, which again made this aspect of the refurbishment project straight-forward and efficient.

Siemens began managing the supply of products for the project in January 2011, and has been on hand at each stage of the refurbishment project to provide technical expertise as the new hotel began to take shape.

Joanna Carruthers, Manager of the Rydges Kensington London, comments: “The refurbishment of a hotel of this size and age is a complex project. While it’s something we all take for granted, the electrics were a key part of the refurbishment as they are fundamental to the efficient running of the hotel. It’s been great that this element of the refurbishment has been completed efficiently and with the minimum level of disruption.

“We have an excellent relationship with Siemens as they are proactive in following up with us and keeping us informed – something that is really appreciated with such a big project on our hands. Siemens ensured all products were delivered on time and in budget and were of the highest quality. Delivery of the products was essential to keep the project on track and allow us to achieve our vision for the Rydges.”

Nigel Galling, UK National Account Manager Hotels for Siemens, explains: “Taking into account a number of considerations such as aesthetics, space-saving, disruption to guests and the timeline of the project as a whole, meant that we had to come up with innovative solutions, such as using existing Siemens technology within the building to integrate the new distribution equipment.

“Working with The Rydges has been a great experience and has really enabled us to explore new technology and new ways of delivering the desired outcome. Working in conjunction with the interior designer was really useful in making sure everybody was aiming for the same goal.”

Joanna Carruthers adds: “With a planning application underway to restore the exterior of the hotel, we are preparing to create a new frontage to complete the wow factor. We are now focussed on welcoming more guests to the Rydges, particularly corporate businesses, and thanks to the sterling job by Siemens and our contractors, we are ideally positioned to do so.”