The Thompson Hotel and The National Install Audiovisual Solution
A Historic Landmark Meets Modern Innovation
Located in the historic National Building in downtown Dallas, the Thompson Hotel by Hyatt is a mixed-use luxury property offering award-winning hospitality and scenic views. Within the same structure is The National Residences, a high-rise rental community that offers urban-luxury living and incredible amenities, including all of the Thompson Hotel’s perks and services.
Both properties offer an unrivaled travel and living experience, with multiple in-house restaurants led by the nation’s most prominent chefs and art curated by world-renowned artists. First-class amenities for all residents and guests include a 14,000 square foot ballroom, two-acre pool deck, library, wine room, theater, golf simulator, inroom dining, housekeeping, dry cleaning, valet parking, pet concierge services, a full-service spa, yoga lawn, and fitness center – just to name a few. The National houses 219 rooms with 52 suites in the 51-story historic building.
The Challenge
Bridging Hospitality and MDU Automation
As a historic Dallas landmark, the National needed an AV system that would enhance the luxury experience for employees, residents, and guests while also adhering to the city’s strict historical building code. “AV project timelines and budgets don’t have a lot of cushion – especially when dealing with historical building regulations,” said Terra Bridge CEO Alan Hill. “It’s too time-consuming to develop unique solutions from scratch, so it’s critical to develop documented, proven code and configuration standards that can be modularized and reused.”
Creating a unified control and automation system to accommodate the specific needs of the hotel industry as well as the unique needs of an apartment community presented its own set of challenges. First, the project required a robust control, video, and content distribution system to manage expansive common spaces and amenity offerings. Simultaneously, this system needed to be simple enough for users - from employees and hotel guests to long-term residents – to operate without any training. Terra Bridge, the AV integration firm tasked with searching for the perfect solution, found it in SAVI.
The Solution
Flexible Programming and Scalable AV Framework
“AV programming should be approached like an abstract puzzle where pieces can be interchangeable and expandable, rather than a piece of art that is static and complex. Programming needs to be written in a way that is easy to modify and maintain,” said Hill. “SAVI’s flexible and scalable system allowed us to conquer the ever-changing regulations while still meeting strict project deadlines.”
“Experienced AV programmers avoid developing one off solutions,” explained SAVI GM of Commercial Sales, Byron Baird. “Instead, they develop a flexible software framework that can be reused for multiple systems and variations. Not only do these solutions provide efficiency and save money, they also address the need for consistency and ease of equipment upgrades.”
SAVI’s dramatically reduced programming and installation time meant Terra Bridge could focus more on providing an incredible AV experience for employees, residents, and guests and less time trying to configure an overly complex system.
The Results
Efficiency Without Compromise
The cost-efficiency and simplicity of SAVI produced a unified and powerful system that controls hundreds of devices in the 51-story building. SAVI is designed to eliminate the need for extra equipment for each project, saving dealers and end-users time and money, especially in difficult installation environments such as those protected by government agencies. SAVI Creator meant that Terra Bridge could program (or reprogram) in a flash, while the modular 1U hardware allowed for quick rack adjustments. If (and when) a construction issue arose, Terra Bridge was able to quickly modify or move devices within the SAVI system without disrupting installation or building timelines.
The unique end-user interface of SAVI not only allowed management and staff to easily navigate the system with little training, but it also “allowed guests and residents to effortlessly interact and customize their AV experience in amenity spaces, heightening the luxury environment with a new sense of independence,” said Baird.