Intelligent door systems: a stylish welcome to the Radisson Blu Malo-Les-Bains**** & Spa
For the elegant 4-star Radisson Blu Malo-Les-Bains hotel and spa in Dunkirk, France, the aim was to use smart door planning to meet the building’s demands for safety, comfort and stylish design while also improving the hotel's energy efficiency. GEZE masters this balancing act with sophisticated interlocking doors for three external entrances as well as different door solutions in the inner area. In order to meet high aesthetic requirements, the door systems were manufactured in a special colour tailored to the customer's wishes.
GEZE door technology for the hotel and catering industry
The 4-star Radisson Blu Malo-Les-Baines hotel and spa impresses with its aesthetics and comfort. © Nathalie Leopold / GEZE France
Designed by Jean-François Le Gal and his architecture and urban planning studio Advento, the 4-star Radisson Blu Malo-Les-Bains hotel and spa is operated by the Pichet Group, which has been active in the French property sector for 30 years, and the Radisson Hotel Group, one of the world's largest international hotel groups.
The architectural firm commissioned GEZE, an international enterprise with many years of experience and a local company in GEZE France, with planning and implementing doors and door technology in various areas of the hotel. The aim was to maximise comfort and accessibility for all guests while at the same time increasing energy efficiency. After all, sustainability aspects and economic factors play a decisive role for hotel operators. Another particular challenge for the Radisson Blu was to find a solution that blended in with the colour concept of the building and underscored the charm of its unique architecture.
Door planning for hotels – key factors
The requirements for hotel doors worldwide are similar: doors need to underscore the style of the hotel while increasing safety and comfort.
Planning hotel doors: choose door technology wisely
Safe, energy-efficient, and quiet: The requirements for doors in hotels could hardly be more varied. Hotel planners should therefore consider different aspects of door planning:
- Access for all in the hotel: Access for all is the decisive factor in the hotel industry when it comes to getting from the foyer to a room or to the restaurant. This is an issue due to large suitcases that have to be manoeuvred through the entrance area and corridors on the one hand; on the other, guests with mobility impairments also need to be able to get around without any obstacles.
- Smoke and heat extraction system / fire protection in hotels: In a building that is frequented by many guests, the safety of guests and staff is a top priority. State-of-the-art smoke and heat extraction systems and fire protection doors not only ensure efficient smoke extraction in the event of a fire, but also integrate seamlessly into the architectural design without detracting from the building’s aesthetic appearance.
- Emergency exit safety (EES): A well thought-out emergency exit concept protects lives and contributes significantly to guests' confidence in the hotel's safety standards. Accessible emergency exits ensure quick and safe evacuations in an emergency, minimising potential risks for hotel guests and staff.
- Hotel energy efficiency: Energy efficiency plays an important role in hotel operations, both from an economic and an ecological point of view. High-quality and intelligent door systems that not only integrate aesthetically into the hotel's design concept, but are also designed to be energy-efficient in order to minimise heat loss and thus reduce the hotel's energy requirements, are crucial here.
- Noise protection in the hotel industry: A pleasant and quiet ambience is crucial for hotels to ensure their guests have a relaxing stay.
Despite these basic objectives when planning hotel doors, the individual circumstances and requirements of a hotel must be considered in order to find the best possible solutions.
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High-quality door systems from GEZE: custom design meets functionality
High-quality and functional door systems from GEZE emphasise the stylish elegance of the 4-star hotel. © Nathalie Leopold / GEZE France
The Radisson Blu Malo-Les-Bains is a hotel that impresses with its stylish elegance and soothing design. Naturally, the hotel's doors needed to reflect these objectives and emphasise the design concept. For this reason, the following factors also played important roles in door planning:
- Aesthetics and design: Doors must not only be functional, but also be in line with the aesthetic design of the hotel. Customised door systems in special colours blend discreetly into the aesthetics of the hotel.
- Functionality and accessibility:Entrances and exits must be easily accessible for guests, including people with special needs such as wheelchair users or families with prams. At the same time, they must guarantee safety and privacy.
- Noise protection: In a hotel like the Radisson Blu Malo-Les-Bains, peace and quiet is an important asset. The entrance and room doors must therefore close quietly to allow guests a quiet and relaxed stay.
- Maintenance and durability: Due to the high volume of guests they serve, hotel doors must be robust and durable. At the same time, maintenance of the doors should be simple and cost-effective in order to keep operations running smoothly.
Thanks to GEZE's sophisticated and intelligent door technology, all requirements in terms of design, safety, efficiency and convenience were met and the legal regulations complied with. With individually coordinated special colours, the systems integrate seamlessly into the special aesthetics of the hotel while ensuring the highest safety standards.
Philippe Eugène, Managing Director GEZE FranceOur door solutions for the Radisson Blu in Dunkirk
Thanks to GEZE's broad product portfolio, it has been possible to design and implement customised door systems and solutions for main entrances, side entrances and inner areas. Each door has its own unique requirements. For external applications, the choice fell on interlocking door systems in various designs. Because the hotel is directly by the sea, and faces enormous weather and atmospheric influences as a result, they are ideal for improving the energy efficiency of the building while at the same time ensuring comfort and access for all guests.
Curved sliding doors in a special pearl gold colour create an elegant hotel entrance. © Nathalie Leopold / GEZE France
Hotel doors in the entrance area: prestigious and striking
The entrance area of a hotel serves as its calling card, and makes a first impression for guests. That's why the main entrance to the Radisson Blu Malo-Les-Bains has been carefully designed to welcome customers and visitors in comfort and elegance, giving them a taste of what awaits inside.
Two curved, circular sliding doors of the type Slimdrive SCR form an interlocking door system here. The two-stage automatic opening mechanism ensures that the hotel's pleasant indoor climate is maintained and heat loss and noise from outer areas are minimised.
At the same time, the automatic doors enable a high level of comfort and complete access for all. Thanks to the round shape of the interlocking door system, the entrance area is enlarged and allows for free passage – even with luggage or roller carriages.
Robust and reliable GEZE systems fulfil regulations for safety and access for all in public buildings.
The L'OPALE restaurant with a view of the exterior doors. © Nathalie Leopold / GEZE France
Door systems for the restaurant: double solutions for maximum convenience
In addition to the main entrance, there are other entrances to the hotel:
After a long walk on the beach, the exclusive L'OPALE restaurant invites you to enjoy the view with a first-class menu. A combination of swing doors and automatic sliding doors creates an inviting and safe interlocking door system.
The external doors of this interlocking door system, fitted with concealed Boxer door closers, create a safe and aesthetic solution. The mechanical door stop makes it possible to leave the doors open during business hours to invite guests from outside. The single-leaf automatic sliding door Slimdrive SL NT, which is ideal for high traffic interior and exterior doors thanks to its wide opening width, forms the interior closer of the interlocking door system. This two-part door design is the ideal solution: the quiet atmosphere of the restaurant is ensured and external influences such as temperature differences, wind, noise, as well as sand drifts and spray, remain outside. This reduces costs for heating and air conditioning as well as personnel costs for cleaning.
Door systems in special colours: Customised solutions from GEZE
To ensure that doors blend harmoniously into the aesthetic concept of a hotel, doors can be designed in individually coordinated special colours – as here in beautiful pearl gold (RAL 1036). With a pearl gold colour (RAL 1036), reminiscent of the colours of Belle Epoque villas and underscoring the various elements of the Grand Hotel's architecture, the interlocking door system is harmoniously integrated into the system front of the hotel building.
The open swing door welcomes guests to the spa area. © Nathalie Leopold / GEZE France
An invitation to relax: interlocking doors keep the noise out
Guests can also access the hotel's spacious spa area directly from outside via an interlocking door system: a double swing door protects against wind and spray, as well as against unauthorised persons. It is complemented by the internal automatic sliding door with two type Slimdrive SL NT door leaves. The slim, pearl gold-coloured profiles set the scene for the fixed panels and glass door leaves. The discreet Slimdrive SL NT automatic sliding door system, with a low overall height of just 7 cm, blends harmoniously into the all-glass elements, while the mechanism's advanced technology moves the door leaves efficiently, safely and easily – the perfect accessible solution for access to the spa area and the first step towards well-being.
Planning interior doors in hotels: convenience and safety
In addition to the design of the entrance area, door planning was also required for various inner areas. For all automatic doors, the choice fell on sliding doors, which are useful in many respects:
- Elegant design that blends harmoniously into the interior
- Access for all, even with luggage or prams
- Non-contact passage for greater safety and comfort
- Energy-saving consumption
Access to the restaurant from the inside of the building via a corridor, leading to the meeting and conference rooms. The glass door slides inside the partition wall and disappears completely when in the open position. The powerful Powerdrive door drive, which moves the door, leaves with ease, is concealed in the suspended ceiling and remains invisible, but is easily accessible for maintenance work. The accessible automatic door, of which only the glass leaf is visible, opens up a view to the dining room and facilitates access to the restaurant for guests and staff.
GEZE Services
Doors must function smoothly in order to maintain a high level of comfort in hotels. Doors are naturally exposed to the forces of nature, especially in extreme weather conditions, and should therefore be regularly maintained to ensure they function optimally. Even after completion and commissioning of the systems, GEZE offers customised service contracts for all service matters such as maintenance or repair.
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