As the M&E contractor on the impressive five-storey at the existing hotel complex at University Street, JBE Mechanical Electrical had to find the perfect balance between delivering a five- star installation while ensuring existing guests were not unduly disrupted.
The £5million extension, which was funded by Danske Bank, has added 60 new bedrooms to the hotel, which is based in the popular Queen’s Quarter area, and has also revamped much of the public space.
Owned and operated since 1996 by Andras Hotels, it has been reworked under the Holiday Inn Express ‘New Generation’ design concept, and the new bedroom wing extends over three floors and includes two underground car parking decks and parking at surface level.
Each new bedroom has stylish fresh modern decor featuring larger beds with premium bedding, increased connectivity and smart TV, air-conditioning and elegant bathrooms. The lobby and dining areas have also had the New Generation makeover, providing integrated design and flexible dining.
JBE contract was to supply, install, test and commission the mechanical and electrical services associated with the new five-storey extension.
The electrical services included modi cations to the existing switchgear, LV distribution, small power, internal lighting, emergency lighting, external lighting and lighting controls. JBE was also responsible for CCTV, disabled alarm systems, re alarm, deaf alert system, data, TV systems, lightning protection, earthing and bonding.
As part of the contract, JBE will also undertake season commissioning and planned preventative maintenance at the hotel.
Andrew Bridgett, Electrical Contracts Manager at JBE Mechanical Electrical, said communication was a key factor within the success of the project.
“Working on a live hotel project offers a set of unique challenges, so we ensured we had regular meetings with the main contractor, MSM Contracts, and with the client, to keep everyone updated of what stage we were at in the project and future plans,” he said. “We started with the car-park as this was crucial to the smooth running of the hotel during the work on the extension and, that set the tone of working towards minimum disruption for guests.”
The expertise of JBE Mechanical Electrical was also evident in the early design stages of the project. “We had input into the M&E design to not only ensure the highest standards but to deliver a fast and effective installation process. Co- ordination of the M&E services within the risers was a vital part of this.”
The Holiday Express project was Andrew’s first for JBE and he is impressed with how the company operates. “It was a great first project to be involved in, particularly because hotels are just an important sector at the moment in Northern Ireland. However, regardless of the project type, we place the same attention-to-detail on our work to deliver effective quality.”
JBE Mechanical Electrical,
Lamont House,
Braid River Business Park, 1
05 Railway Street, Ballymena, BT42 2AF.
T: 028 2565 8522
W: www.jbe.com
