CHICAGO—This week at the historic Chicago Motor Club—an Art Deco building that’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is now a LEED-certified Hampton by Hilton hotel—LG Electronics USA conducted a Living Case Study focused on the properties energy and television solutions. The event included private tours of the property’s rooftop and guestrooms.
Kevin McNamara, VP and general manager for LG Electronics USA’s air conditioning business, said, “As you travel around the country, buildings like this have had a very uncertain future, and to see buildings repurposed and still maintain their physical integrity and the detail is neat to see. This building has infinite potential. Innovation is an easy word to throw around, but to have it be as functional, efficient and productive as any new building is a real testament to the team that worked on this.”
During the property’s renovation, the hotel installed the Multi V IV Heat Recovery System, ductless Art Cool Mirror in-room units and the AC Smart IV thermostat. In addition, the hotel uses LG’s televisions, including its Pro:Centric interactive platform.
A major challenge in the renovation was to install a heating and air conditioning system that would allow the Chicago Motor Club building to maintain its architectural integrity, while also providing the comfort that guest’s expect. In addition, the project was challenged due to limited interior and rooftop space for the HVAC solutions. The Chicago Motor Club building is a 17-story hotel with 143 guestrooms.
Midwest Applied Solutions oversaw the installation of the LG Multi V IV system currently in-use at the hotel. The LG Multi V IV outdoor units on the roof of the Chicago Motor Club building provided installation flexibility and were easily installed for minimal visibility in addition to providing optimal guest comfort, according to the company.
In each guestroom, the mirrored finish of the LG ductless Art Cool Mirror unit complements the stylized Art Deco decor of the hotel, the company noted. These indoor units maintain very low sound levels (as low as 23 dBA). To manage and monitor all of these units, LG’s AC Smart IV central controller communicates with all of the LG indoor units.
Ryan McKenzie, the hotel’s general manager, noted, “One of the biggest complaints throughout the hotel industry with guest satisfaction is how loud the air units are in the rooms. Someone asked me, ‘Are you getting positive comments about these units?’ I said, ‘No, the great thing is we’re not getting comments about it. No one knows it’s there.’”
In addition, each guestroom utilizes LG hotel TVs. Mike Kosla, vice president, hospitality commercial displays, LG Electronics USA, said, “As the industry leader in hotel TV technology, we’re proud of our role in bringing this iconic property into the 21st century.” The Hampton Inn Chicago Downtown selected LG’s 42-in. class LG LY570H series hotel TVs with the Pro:Centric platform. It features an interactive Electronic Program Guide that enables guests to navigate TV channels and electronic billboards for guests to view hotel amenities on the TV. Pro:Centric also offers Internet-delivered content from LG industry partners, including Rhapsody, Crackle, Vtuner and YouTube.
“We’ve gotten extremely positive feedback with how crisp the picture is and how user-friendly the interactive guide is,” said McKenzie. “Now we’ve implemented the Pro:Centric guide so we can advertise our bar’s happy hour, the services we offer and speak up Morton’s Steakhouse across the street.”