VIRGINIA BEACH, VA— As more hotel architecture makes use of wall-to-ceiling glass exterior walls, these sleek designs have created a challenge for HVAC engineers and other construction executives. Now that it is no longer practical to install a PTAC unit beneath the guestroom window, alternatives have to be considered. More often hotels are opting to go with the variation on the PTAC known as the Vertical PTAC or VTAC. This was the dilemma facing— and solution reached by— owner/operator Tidewater Hotels & Resorts when it built a 72-unit, 13-story Residence Inn by Marriott that opened on the oceanfront here six months ago. Given the dramatic beach setting, Tidewater and its architects wanted to maximize the Atlantic Ocean views, especially from the upper floors, as much as possible. Similarly, Tidewater— which owns several other area hotels— is using the VTAC solution in another Marriott-branded hotel, a 168-unit SpringHill Suites, which it recently began constructing here for a scheduled June 2007 opening. When installing the PTAC unit horizontally under the window is not an option for a hotel, the VTAC is placed vertically in the guestroom wall with its grill exposed. In terms of the actual construction, the VTAC sits inside a mechanical closet with a louver door that appears to be part of the wall. “VTACs make a lot of sense in all-suite products from both a cost and efficiency perspective, which is why we’re using them in the Residence Inn and SpringHill projects,” said Marcus Lewis, vp of development, Tidewater. “Rather than have two or three separate PTACs in a three-room Residence Inn suite, for example, we have one VTAC unit that connects to the different rooms through ducting.” The grill typically goes in a wall facing the outside. A remote thermostat on one wall controls the temperature settings for all three rooms. The mechanical closet, meanwhile, is kept locked, so guests can’t gain access to it. Like all the latest generation Residence Inns, the Virginia Beach Oceanfront property includes separate living and sleeping areas as well as a fully-equipped kitchen. “Not having to interrupt the floor-to-ceiling glass wall with a traditional PTAC unit is more aesthetically pleasing because it doesn’t mar the architect’s concept for the exterior of the building,” Lewis noted. Complicating the design situation in the case of the Residence Inn, the exterior glass wall includes curving private balconies accessible by sliding glass doors. These allow guests to step out and enjoy the ocean views directly. “So by avoiding PTACs, you can more easily include these features,” Lewis said. Owners and developers save money on construction because “adding traditional PTAC units is labor intensive,” Lewis noted. “Even though installing the VTAC entails additional ducting, final costs are still worth it.” While VTAC units are not inexpensive, the savings come from suites requiring two or three PTACs but only a single VTAC. Louisville, KY-based GE Consumer & Industrial provided VTAC Zoneline units for both the Residence Inn and SpringHill projects. The units are energy efficient. In fact, the units include heat pumps, so they can be three or four times more energy efficient than non-heat pump models. Another benefit, meanwhile, concerns maintenance, Lewis explained. The VTACs’ accessibility makes them easier to maintain. Ease of repair and the potential for having to replace faulty units are important considerations because owners want to avoid having to take rooms out of circulation, if at all possible. Having just one grill for the entire suite with the VTAC approach is also more aesthetically pleasing— and more residential in feel. “In other words, it more closely resembles how people live in their own homes,” Lewis said. Residential ambience becomes more critical in all-suite products than in regular hotels. “Certainly in the case of the Residence Inn, which is an extended-stay product, many guests are booking fo
