Case Study: 40-Room Boutique Hotel in Dubai Business Bay
How we delivered a complete GRMS solution for a 40-room boutique hotel in Dubai Business Bay. Mid-range DALI system, 4-month timeline, 32% energy savings.
Project Background
Dubai Business Bay
40
New build boutique hotel
4 months from order to commissioning
Client Requirements
- Budget-conscious but quality-driven — the owner wanted premium guest experience without luxury-system pricing.
- Must integrate with existing BMS — the building management system was already specified and the GRMS needed to communicate via Modbus.
- Minimal wiring (pre-fab rooms) — rooms were pre-fabricated off-site, so the system had to work with limited in-wall cabling.
- Touch panel in each room with 4 scenes — guests needed one-touch access to Welcome, Relax, Reading, and Night modes.
Our Solution
We recommended a mid-range DALI-based system with pre-commissioned RCU units to match the prefab construction approach.
| Item | Model / Spec | Qty |
|---|---|---|
| RCU Main Unit | DALI-2 RCU, 8-relay + 4-dimmer | 40 units |
| Touch Panel 4-scene | 7" LCD, flush-mount, PoE | 40 units |
| Occupancy Sensor | Ceiling PIR + lux, DALI bus | 40 units |
| Door Sensor | Magnetic reed, NC contact | 40 units |
| RFID Card Switch | Mifare, 48V output | 40 units |
| Curtain Motor Controller | DALI curtain module | 40 units |
| Floor Gateway | Modbus TCP to DALI | 4 units |
| Head-End Server | Rack-mount, GRMS Management SW | 1 unit |
System Architecture
The head-end server was installed in the IT room on the ground floor, running the GRMS management software for monitoring, reporting, and integration. Four floor gateways — one per floor — connected to the server over the hotel's TCP/IP backbone using Modbus TCP. On each floor, the gateway communicated with all room RCUs via the DALI bus, forming a clean star-of-stars topology. Each RCU was mounted behind a ceiling access panel in the room, controlling lighting circuits, the curtain motor, and interfacing with sensors and the touch panel. The head-end server exported a Modbus TCP interface to the building's BMS, allowing central monitoring of room occupancy and energy consumption.
Results & ROI
Energy savings vs traditional system
Installation time reduced (pre-commissioned RCUs)
Guest satisfaction score
Payback period
Client Testimonial
“HotelGRMS understood our vision from day one. They delivered a system that feels premium to our guests but fit comfortably within our budget. The pre-commissioned RCUs saved us weeks on site, and the energy savings have been exactly as promised.”