The Portobello Hotel, a renowned luxury boutique establishment in vibrant and trendy Notting Hill, West London, known for its eclectic charm, sought to upgrade its fire safety system. This building encapsulates the bohemian spirit of the Portobello Road Market, the real eclectic soul of Notting Hill and London of the swinging 60s. Since its founding in 1971, with 21 rooms, this building has hosted, many famous celebrities of music, show business, and fashion, becoming an important landmark. The hotel needed a cutting-edge solution to upgrade its Fire Alarm System that aligned with its aesthetic values and preserved the heritage of the building.
Preserving the Heritage Portobello Hotel
The project involved replacing the outdated fire alarm system, which was approximately 10 years old, with the state-of-the-art Hyfire Taurus Wireless Fire System. The hotel, spanning four stories, posed a unique challenge due to its heritage status and the desire to maintain the building’s visual integrity.
“One of the main challenges was related to the aesthetics of the hotel, which is an old heritage building, – said Brett Boyd, regional sales manager London and South East for Hyfire – . Therefore, the decision had to fall on a system whose installation did not involve chasing walls and putting cabling through the hotel”.
The choice of the Hyfire Taurus Wireless System was driven by its ability to provide a comprehensive and efficient solution without the need for extensive wiring throughout the hotel: “replacing a previous generation of Hyfire system – told Boyd – The solution proposed and implemented for this project was that of a hybrid system”.
In fact on the ground floor, where the panel control is, there are few hardwired devices while now everything else is wireless throughout the building.
Critical areas when surveying the project were the escape routes. “Both on the East Wing and the West Wing there are two different stairwells which had been more challenging to cover- continues Boyd – The choice of the Taurus system was because it’ offered a very unobtrusive, clean and easy solution to install”.
The wireless devices seamlessly integrated into the boutique hotel, ensuring a quick and unobtrusive installation process.
Swift installation, minimal disruption
The hotel had previously chosen Hyfire solutions, which made the replacement of devices even quicker. In fact, the installation was executed swiftly and efficiently, with minimal disruption to hotel operations. Importantly, the hotel remained open during the installation, and work was conducted after hours to minimise guest inconvenience: “The installation was very quick, 3-5 days, without the hotel being closed – retraces the Sales manager – . Since the installation happened afterhours and if the room was busy, the installation and commissioning was left for the next day. This idealic approach lead to minimum disprution to the hotel and guests”.
The replacement of Hyfire previous static range with 122 Taurus devices followed after years of successful performance.
Seamless setup, happy customers
Feedback from the end user, the hotel management, was overwhelmingly positive. The new system seamlessly integrated into the hotel’s operations, and the end client expressed satisfaction with the quick and smooth installation process. “According to the customer’s feedback, everything is running smoothly and quickly without creating inconveniences, with a positive response from the end user – relates Charlie Biggenden, Sensor Fire Ltd, the installation company -. The aesthetic appeal of the wireless devices contributed to the overall positive experience. The choice of the white device already present in the Portobello Hotel was to continue the style of the building”.
The successful installation of the Hyfire Wireless Fire System at The Portobello Hotel not only addressed the crucial need for a modern and reliable fire safety solution but also demonstrated the adaptability of such systems in heritage buildings. The project exemplifies the seamless integration of advanced technology in preserving the safety and charm of iconic establishments.
Established in 2007, Hyfire is an integral component of the Orama group. Renowned for its unwavering commitment to quality, reliability, and innovation in the commercial fire sector, the brand has solidified its reputation through continuous research, product development, and close market engagement. Hyfire has emerged as a beacon of excellence in the industry by pioneering the introduction of some of the first commercial wireless detection and alarm devices that are fully certified to EN54 standards. This milestone has positioned Hyfire at the forefront of technological advancement in fire safety. Setting a benchmark for assurance, Hyfire’s devices come with a comprehensive five-year warranty, supported by a dedicated partner programme to ensure the best survey installation, commissioning, after sales service and exceptional technical support.