Elizabethan hotel cuts costs and saves energy in LED makeover

(01/09/2014)

A Grade I-listed Elizabethan hotel in Suffolk has seen its electricity use fall by a third after replacing its existing lighting with energy-efficient LEDs from LED Hut Trade.

Hintlesham Hall Hotel, a 16th century manor house set in 175 acres of Ipswich countryside, fitted more than 600 Lumilife LED lamps between August 2013 and April 2014 in a bid to significantly cut costs and consumption. With the entire hotel in line for a lighting update – including 32 guest rooms, communal areas, corridors, conference facilities and dining rooms – sourcing high-performance, cost-saving lamps without compromising on light quality or aesthetics was a top priority. LED Hut Trade’s extensive Lumilife range ticked all the boxes, allowing Hintlesham Hall’s director Ray Payne to give the hotel a modern, energy-efficient lighting makeover while maintaining the desired look and feel throughout.

Ray explains: “When it came to updating the lighting at Hintlesham Hall, we knew we wanted to move over to cost- and energy-saving LEDs – but our main challenge was finding a supplier that could provide all the different types of lamps we needed. We opted for LED Hut Trade because of its vast product range – from dimmable spotlights for the bedrooms to candle-shaped lamps for the chandeliers in the dining rooms. The expert sales team was really helpful, offering advice on the best products to meet our needs and providing sample lamps for us to trial. They also helped us choose between warm white and cool white light depending on the ambience we wanted to achieve in each space, which is always an important consideration for a hotel.

“Our on-site maintenance team found the installation process straightforward, with the vast majority of the lamps simply direct replacements that work seamlessly with our existing fittings. Even with the few that weren’t, we were able to make the necessary adjustments and fit them ourselves, without the help of an electrician. Replacing every lamp in the building was a smart, long-term investment, which more than justified the initial outlay. We completed the project in April after choosing to spread the cost over several months – starting with the public areas, which have the highest lighting demands, and finishing with the bedrooms. Calculations show that our investment will pay for itself in just one year, with continued savings for many more to come.”

The retrofit project saw Hintlesham Hall install a mixture of GU10, B22, E27, E14, and G9 LEDs to replace its existing halogen and incandescent bulbs. As a result, the hotel has already reduced its overall electricity use by 40,722W compared to the same time last year – a significant 32% saving.


Laura Dugdale, LED Hut Trade marketing manager, comments: “Hintlesham Hall is a prime example of how a period property can reap the money- and energy-saving benefits of 21st century lighting and still maintain its traditional aesthetic. Thanks to the breadth of fittings, shapes and colours the Lumilife range offers, Hintlesham Hall now has a modern and stylish LED lighting scheme that blends seamlessly with the building’s historical roots.

“Not only are LEDs a high-performance, super-efficient and economical lighting choice, but they are also far more durable than other lamp types – virtually eliminating the cost and labour associated with regular lamp-changing and replacement. This means they make real financial and logistical sense for hotels like Hintlesham Hall, as well as other commercial buildings with significant lighting needs. At LED Hut Trade, we pride ourselves on the breadth and quality of our Lumilife range – so we’re delighted that we were able to rise to the challenge and meet the hotel’s varied lighting requirements.”

LED Hut Trade provides the ultimate online LED lighting resource, specialising solely in LEDs and selling exclusively to the trade. It offers an unparalleled product portfolio of market-leading LED lighting solutions to suit any application – backed with competitive pricing, strong product guarantees and next-day delivery. For more information, or to register for a trade account, please visit trade.ledhut.co.uk.

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