14 September 2020
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The easyHotel version of TCUK’s mini-touchscreen controller has just three icons on the home screen – on-off, fan speed and temperature
An international hotel chain is equipping guest rooms across the UK and Europe with Toshiba Carrier UK’s new mini-touchscreen air conditioning controller.
Linked to high-efficiency Toshiba Super Heat Recovery Multi Enhanced (SHRM-e) three-pipe VRF air conditioning, the mini-touchscreen is said to enable easyHotel guests to quickly and easily adjust the temperature and ventilation speed to create ideal comfort conditions in their rooms.
The touch-sensitive screen operates like a Smart phone
David Dunn, Managing Director of TCUK, said: “Traditional air conditioning controllers are often complicated and difficult to use. In some cases, users may struggle to understand the symbols and navigate through complex menus. This is obviously not good for hotel guest satisfaction, or the reputation of air conditioning among the public.”
Toshiba Carrier designed the new controller to easyHotel’s requirements, making it easy to use and complementary to the contemporary décor of the hotel rooms. The controller features a crystal-clear capacitive icon-driven screen and operates on the same principles as a high-end Smart phone. It is designed to be intuitive for the end user and very simple to install for contractors.
“Problems operating room air conditioning are one of the most frequent reasons guests call hotel reception,” said consultant David Yates, Managing Director of Beechfield Consulting Engineers , which works closely with easyHotel. “We wanted to take a new approach to make it as easy as possible for guests to achieve their perfect comfort conditions. Toshiba Carrier was very receptive and we worked closely with them on a completely new approach.
“The result is a game-changer in terms of ease of use, and a perfect fit for the philosophy of easyHotel, which is to make life as easy and convenient as possible for guests. Even though it has a simple interface, it is also very powerful and sophisticated under the hood. It enables clients to monitor the whole estate remotely and adjust key parameters to optimise performance and control running costs.”
For installers, the unit uses the same two-wire connectivity as a standard controller. This means the device can be easily installed onto new and existing systems, with no external power supply needed.
The screen interface can be customised to match any room décor, with up to 30 different backgrounds available to create different moods, or sales messages.
The icons and functions displayed are determined during installer set-up, according to the client’s preference. This feature overcomes a problem with some traditional controllers, which make visible all functions but deny users access to some of them, leading to frustration.
easyHotel guest rooms are equipped with Toshiba SHRM-e VRF systems
Development of the controller followed easyHotel’s decision to specify Toshiba’s SHRM-e VRF as its default air conditioning solution.
“Toshiba equipment is known to be very reliable, and our modelling showed that the SHRM-e system is also highly efficient,” said Yates. “This significantly reduces the cost of ownership over the lifetime of equipment, which is obviously highly desirable for clients operating large air conditioned estates.”
For more information, visit the Toshiba website.
easyHotel has specified Toshiba air conditioning and controls in its guest rooms
