“Creating the right atmosphere in our public spaces is very important for us,” explains Colin Kilby, General Manager of The Breckland Lodge Hotel in Attleborough. “Catering to different types of guests means we have to make doubly sure everyone feels comfortable.
“This is a multi-faceted equation, of which ambient sound is one element. If it were too quiet, the hotel would seem sterile; too noisy and nobody could relax. Generally we think we have reached the right balance, but we always look for opportunities to make things even better.”
A redecoration and refurbishment project was scheduled for early 2013, to make sure the Breckland was at its best for the vital spring and summer seasons. This included a makeover for the public restrooms, which many hoteliers refer to as their most important rooms. Colin asked his designers for modern fittings, good lighting and elegant decor.
“As the refit neared completion, I became aware that the sound of the hand dryers in the ladies carried out into the lobby,” recalls Colin. “This was a bit intrusive; the volume, nature and intermittent nature of the noise all seemed to add up to something slightly disturbing, so I decided to look for alternatives.”
Colin first considered roller towels, paper towels and linen towels, but these all required servicing and impacted the environment by creating waste or laundry. This led him on a quest to find the quietest hand dryer.
It wasn’t long before he had identified the Mitsubishi Electric Jet Towel as the front-runner. This produces only 58dB-61dB, with effectively no motor noise; only a gentle air-rush sound.
“This is a multi-faceted equation, of which ambient sound is one element. If it were too quiet, the hotel would seem sterile; too noisy and nobody could relax. Generally we think we have reached the right balance, but we always look for opportunities to make things even better.”
A redecoration and refurbishment project was scheduled for early 2013, to make sure the Breckland was at its best for the vital spring and summer seasons. This included a makeover for the public restrooms, which many hoteliers refer to as their most important rooms. Colin asked his designers for modern fittings, good lighting and elegant decor.
“As the refit neared completion, I became aware that the sound of the hand dryers in the ladies carried out into the lobby,” recalls Colin. “This was a bit intrusive; the volume, nature and intermittent nature of the noise all seemed to add up to something slightly disturbing, so I decided to look for alternatives.”
Colin first considered roller towels, paper towels and linen towels, but these all required servicing and impacted the environment by creating waste or laundry. This led him on a quest to find the quietest hand dryer.
It wasn’t long before he had identified the Mitsubishi Electric Jet Towel as the front-runner. This produces only 58dB-61dB, with effectively no motor noise; only a gentle air-rush sound.
Mitsubishi Electric Jet Towels are unconventional dryers, in that they do not use hot air to evaporate moisture from hands. Instead, a high-speed laminar flow of air wipes it off and blows it into an integral drain. This proves very energy-efficient as only a small volume of air needs to be put into motion, allowing the use of a tiny motor. In practice, it is found that a Jet Towel uses only about a tenth the energy of an old-fashioned dryer.
The fact that moisture from the hands is directed straight into the drain ensures maximum hygiene – an important consideration in a popular hotel – and also prevents unsightly dripping onto the floor.
Mitsubishi Electric Jet Towels are three times faster than evaporative units, drying hands thoroughly in as little as 9 seconds. This minimises queuing during busy times and also discourages people from the unhygienic practise of walking away with still-damp hands.
The fact that moisture from the hands is directed straight into the drain ensures maximum hygiene – an important consideration in a popular hotel – and also prevents unsightly dripping onto the floor.
Mitsubishi Electric Jet Towels are three times faster than evaporative units, drying hands thoroughly in as little as 9 seconds. This minimises queuing during busy times and also discourages people from the unhygienic practise of walking away with still-damp hands.
Mitsubishi Electric has made the Jet Towel available in a range of stylish colours including pristine white, jet black and stylish silver. The Breckland went for the sleek silver, which perfectly matches with the decor of the washrooms.
A hidden switch on the Mitsubishi Electric Jet Towels lets them run with heated or unheated air. Colin trialled both and thinks he will run them cool in the summer and warm in the winter. “It is this sort of attention to details that makes guests feel really comfortable,” he says.
A hidden switch on the Mitsubishi Electric Jet Towels lets them run with heated or unheated air. Colin trialled both and thinks he will run them cool in the summer and warm in the winter. “It is this sort of attention to details that makes guests feel really comfortable,” he says.
