Upscale resorts such as Revel in Atlantic City are setting a new standard in luxury accommodations. Crestron integrates all of Revel’s major systems and everything in every room, including lighting, HVAC, BMS, event scheduling, AV, door locks, mini bar, shades and drapes. It’s enabled Revel to create an experience that keeps guests coming back. Even better, it’s simplified system monitoring and maintenance, resulting in $2 million in savings over the cost of installing and managing separate systems.

Automated amenities
One of the biggest advances that Revel brings to the hotel
industry is automation of its sleeping rooms. The Crestron system
goes to work as soon as the guest checks in, automatically
setting temperature and lighting levels to comfortable,
welcoming levels.
Once in the room, the guest has full control over lights, climate,
TV, pay-per-view movies, and the mini bar from a simple,
Crestron handheld remote. Press the “Do Not Disturb” button
and the doorbell is disabled and a red indicator is displayed
outside. Press “Housekeeping” and a green “Service Needed”
indicator lights up outside. Before guests leave the room, they
can simply turn off all systems with the touch of one button.
In ADA-accessible rooms and suites, the system also provides
drapery and shading control.
All of these functions are connected to Revel’s property
management system, so that the front desk, reservations,
billing, marketing and security can access them as needed.
When guests check out, the Crestron management system
automatically turns off everything (lights, TV, climate control,
etc.) in that room, resulting in significant energy savings.
In addition, each of the guest room systems is constantly
monitored for possible problems through Crestron Fusion RVTM
software. Assurity staff works in tandem with the IT and facility
departments to help maintain and operate these systems,
Schafer explains. “They know if there’s a problem in the room,
even before the guest notices. For example, if the temperature
hits 80 degrees and that’s not how the guest normally likes it,
we will check to see if there’s a mechanical problem, an
electronics problem, or if the guest desired this temperature.
The system is so comprehensive, Schafer adds, “It will know
when the batteries need to be replaced in a remote.”
Although similar systems have been installed in high-roller
suites in some Las Vegas hotels, at Revel every one of its
1,898 guest rooms is automated, from standard guest rooms
to luxurious loft suites, which feature two stories of windows
with spectacular views. Furthermore, this is the first time
these systems have been integrated to this degree, and that’s
a major advantage to the property.
“As in most other hotels,” Schafer explains, “everyone’s product
is networked. You have a mini bar that rides on a wireless
network, as does the room key system and a doorbell/room
entry system, with each company normally installing its own
network and its own server.
“In a building this size, to install those three separate
networks, each with its own wiring and parts would have cost
close to $2 million more than our solution, which was to
integrate everything onto a single Crestron network.”
Another important advantage to Revel’s guest room system is
that it can be upgraded very rapidly. “For example, we recently
added a sleep timer function similar to what you’d find on a
TV remote, except that it turns the lights off in addition to the
TV. Once we had written the code and tested it, we were able
to upgrade the entire building in about 30 minutes, without the
need to visit a single room or disturb a single guest.” Another
new feature, which Schafer hopes to implement soon, will
save guests’ temperature and lighting preferences, so that
when they return for future stays, their room will automatically
be set up the way they like it.

Luxury suites
The hotel features five two-bedroom Hospitality Suites and
two three-bedroom Sky Suites on its exclusive 44th floor, each
with a living room, mini kitchen and bar, two full baths and a
dining/conference area.
Each of these suites offers guests a music system with multiple
iPod® docs and XM® radio, using a multi-zone Crestron
Adagio® media system to allow guests to play what they
choose in any room. The suites also include a wireless
Crestron touch screen controller to further simplify the use of
the various electronic systems.
Two super-luxurious Sky Suites add a media room, two private
massage rooms and a butler’s pantry to the floor plan. In
addition to the other amenities, they offer a Crestron
DigitalMediaTM solution that allows guests to watch the same
movie on any or all of six large-screen TVs, either from the
hotel’s video system or an in-room Blu-ray Disc®
player.
The electronics in the luxury suites represent collaboration
between Assurity Design for the electronic amenities and
Cerami & Associates of New York City for the audio/video
systems, with KMK Technologies of Monroeville, NJ handling
the installation.

Conference and common areas
The innovations at Revel continue beyond its guest rooms and
suites.
The common and back-of-house areas of the hotel –the
lobbies, halls, employee lounges and restrooms– all use
centralized Crestron lighting control, together with Crestron
dimming systems and occupancy sensors – to maximize their
energy efficiency and minimize their carbon footprint.
In addition, Cerami & Associates designed audio/video systems
for a conference center and more than a dozen restaurants
and bars, all using Crestron DigitalMedia technology, to optimize
quality while reducing installation and maintenance costs. These
systems also feature Crestron control to simplify operations.
“We have integrated all of these systems with Fusion RV as
well, so that Assurity staff can monitor them constantly and
anticipate any problems before they occur,” Schafer explains.
For Atlantic City, the opening of Revel is more than the addition
of a fancy new hotel and casino. “Governor Christie worked
hard to ensure that this property was built here, because he
saw it as an opportunity for the state, which it definitely is,”
Schafer says.
“Four years ago I started traveling to Atlantic City regularly
to work on this project. In those few years I’ve seen a
transformation. The city has been revitalized. New homes and
condos are being built. Other hotels have been watching what
Revel has been building, and I think they’ve been saying,
‘we’ve got to pick up our game.’
“Revel is setting the bar, and that’s a great thing for the hotel
industry.”