Best Western Hotel Lowers Utility Bills by 82% with New Guestroom Ventilation Fans
The Best Western Central Hotel, located in Harrisburg, PA, wanted to improve their overall guest experience and lower operating costs. They knew that with the internet continuing to simplify travel planning in recent years, guests expect and demand more from the hotels and resorts competing for the hospitality dollar. According to a recent tourism study, 71% of independent travel-related bookings are now done online, and AdAge reports that 45% of customers share negative reviews on social media. Clearly, hoteliers cannot afford low customer satisfaction.
One area this particular Best Western opted to upgrade was its guest bathrooms - they needed new ventilation fans that were both quiet and effective. Common complaints such as odors, noise, and comfort quickly have a negative effect on overall customer satisfaction, guest retention and reputation. Notably, many people have trouble sleeping with vibration or mechanical noises, typically generated from a shoddy A/C unit or noisy bathroom fan. Unfortunately, these systems vary by building, and not hotel chain.
A high performing IAQ solution
Rising operating and maintenance costs also pose a unique challenge within the hospitality industry. Prolonged moisture in the room can cause wall paper to peel, mildew smells to form, and potentially more serious mold issues that require remediation. For hoteliers who want to improve guest experience, a high performing IAQ solution plays a significant role in customer satisfaction.
To demonstrate their commitment to guest comfort and environmental stewardship, the Best Western Central Hotel updated 174 guest bathrooms with Panasonic‘s FV-08VRE2 WhisperRecessed® LED exhaust fans to quietly improve guest comfort and achieve good IAQ by quickly removing excess moisture.
Improved guest experience
Guest comfort was enhanced with minimal noise at just 1.0 sone for a relaxing and quiet sleep (1.0 sone is equivalent to the sound of a quiet refrigerator, in a quiet kitchen). This was 75% quieter than the previous fans. By choosing to install WhisperRecessed LED, Best Western also got a more powerful and energy efficient solution that helped reduce maintenance and operating costs. Upgrading to ENERGY STAR certified fans resulted in an 82% reduction of power consumption, greatly lowering utility bills.
Upgrading to an ENERGY STAR® certified fan that meets strict standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) means WhisperRecessed LED provides better performance, efficiency and comfort with less noise.
"The Panasonic exhaust fans have been quiet and effective in our guest bathrooms – a great enhancement to our overall guest experience!" said Peter Chiccarine, General Manager.
The emphasis placed by the hotel’s general manager on renovating the guest bathrooms with Panasonic’s high performing, energy efficient Panasonic fans was a long-term, sustainable approach to good IAQ and improved guest comfort. A survey by Expedia found that more than 60% of consumers will give better ratings to hotels with high IAQ, LEED certification and programs in place to improve energy efficiency, conserve water and recycle.