Putting the Crowne on a Major Renovation
Renovating a hotel is never an easy task, especially when it involves converting a value hotel into a high end luxury brand property. Every aspect of the hotel needs to be updated. Even the smallest details cannot be overlooked.
Under the direction of Sanjay Sukhramani, Managing Director of Vega Hospitality Group, which is developing the Crowne Plaza Chicago Southwest in Burr Ridge, Illinois, the goal of the multimillion-dollar renovation was to turn a older dated hotel, built in 1969, into a glamorous Crowne Plaza, which is part of the InterContinental Hotels Group.
The three-story, 123-guestroom hotel is only a 20 minute drive from downtown Chicago. It is also conveniently located between Chicago O’Hare and Chicago Midway airports. The hotel is even walking distance to downtown Burr Ridge, which offers ample shopping, restaurants and other leisure activities.
Opened in May 2017, the newly redesigned Crowne Plaza features all new guest rooms, a 24-hour fitness center, indoor pool, business and nearly 8,000 square feet of banquet/meeting facilities, also a new restaurant Poets Modern Cocktails and Eats. The renovation even involved a complete new exterior, new roof, windows and a complete gut of the interior of the building. The design and construction team investigated and thoroughly planned out every detail from the walls, windows, doors, corridors, roofing, plumbing and bathtubs to the smallest aspects such as light bulbs.
Light Affect
In fact, one of the major objectives during the renovation project’s planning was a strong commitment to the environment and reducing the hotel’s carbon footprint. Sukhramani’s decision to use LED lighting was a non-negotiable factor in specifying and selecting the hotel’s lighting. He wanted to ensure that the Crowne Plaza Southwest was focused on sustainability.
“Lighting affects every room in the hotel,” said Sukhramani. “It was not something that we took for granted. The lighting has to reflect the beauty and craftsmanship of our hotel without wasting energy. We are excited about the beautiful amenities of our property. However, if our guests don’t notice the special details of our facility under the lights, then we might not be making our best impression.”
“We also realize that the lighting will affect the mood of our guests and employees, as well as help them complete their tasks in our rooms. We will not let them down,” Sukhramani added.
After careful investigation and thoroughly reviewing lumen levels and color rendering tests, the Crowne Plaza Chicago Southwest specified A19 and A21 LED EarthBulbs from EarthTronics, Muskegon, Michigan. The Energy Star-rated light bulbs feature multi-chipset, high-power LED; an advanced cooling system that provides extended performance life, high-color rendering of greater than 80 CRI, and smooth dimming capabilities from 100 percent to less than 5 percent.
The 13-watt A19 EarthBulb LED delivers 1100 lumens and replaces a standard 75-watt incandescent bulb, while the 17-watt A21 LED produces 1600 lumens to replace 100-watt incandescent bulbs and both provide a full radial illumination. Crowne Plaza guests have additional control over their lighting with the 3-Way A21 EarthBulb LED providing 450, 800, 1600 lumens respectively to replace 40, 60 and 100-watt incandescent light levels. Guests can select three levels of lighting (low, medium, and high) for different applications and moods at the flip of a switch on a ceiling fixture and table or floor lamps.
Some Place Like Home
“The bedroom and bathroom in our guest rooms have a much more residential feel. The LED lamps respond just like the incandescent bulb they replace,” Sukhramani said. “The LEDs provide 2700K of soft white color to provide a warmer, comforting lighting to make our guests feel right at home and relaxed during their stay. Our guests will enjoy the wonderful atmosphere we created with the LED technology.”
Each of the A-type light bulbs have a 25,000 hour-rated life and a 10-year warranty to reduce unexpected maintenance costs. And, the A-type EarthBulbs will provide an energy savings that exceed 80 percent for a quick return on investment.
“We like the fact that the LEDs will have a quick ROI related to energy savings. It fits nicely into our sustainability program,” Sukhramani said. “Just as important, EarthBulb LEDs expected performance will allow us to concentrate on our guests rather than worrying about interrupting their visit with the untimely changing of bulbs that could ruin a comfortable stay.”