The Victorian-style Seamill Hydro Hotel is the epitome of modern luxury. Nestled into the Ayshire countryside, overlooking the Isle of Arran in Scotland, Seamill Hydro Hotel offers the perfect backdrop for weddings and other special events. The family-owned hotel has undergone major renovations in the past decade to make the hotel even more spectacular. Most recently, the hotel completed a $13 million construction project, building a wedding and conferencing venue on the property and named this the Firth Pavilion. The building was designed to encompass the most up to date technology whilst not compromising on the clean cut and classical theme of this venue making this truly to be one of the best wedding and event venues in the world.
The Firth Pavilion includes the richly appointed Glenashdale Bridal Suite, bars, two conference rooms, breakout rooms, a ceremony room, sales office, administrative office, kitchen, buffet area, and stage. Everything in the space is designed to play off the stunning panoramic views of the Ayrshire coastline and the mountain range of Arran. Along with attention to decorative details, technology plays a key role in the venue and includes high-end lighting, shading, video, audio, and security equipment. It also called for a fully integrated control and automation system that would allow the staff to enhance the space through lighting, environment, and entertainment capabilities. Wanting the space to be incomparable, the hotel owners envisioned a system capable of elegant automation that would make weddings and other events truly memorable.
Electronics systems contractor Lairds of Troon, well established with the hotel after overseeing the integration of its Glen Rosa suite, was tasked with designing a system that would provide intuitive control of the lighting and entertainment systems. Because of the successful installation of RTI control and automation systems within the Glen Rosa Suite, the integrator decided RTI was once again the right choice for the hotel. In addition to its ease of integration, RTI would allow Lairds of Troon to efficiently design a highly-customized experience that the owners and staff could operate without a hitch during weddings and other events — events where no detail can afford to go mismanaged.
Selecting the RTI XP-8s control processor, Lairds of Troon can drive a customised automation and control experience throughout the new venue. With the control processor as the backbone of the RTI system, the owners and general manager have overall control of lighting, the Nuvo audio distribution system, WyreStorm video distribution system, QMotion shades, an automatic door, and a CCTV. Lairds strategically installed RTI KX2 and KX3 in-wall touchpanels and two-button RK1+ in-wall keypads in each area, for convenient customized control. Panels are programmed to offer limited control to the staff and public while others are completely password-protected to keep settings from being adjusted.
The biggest priority for the system was creating an automated control sequence for the Bridal entrances, making this unforgettable. Using RTI’s Integration Designer programming software, the integrator created a scene within the system where a touch of a button on a touchpanel would automatically open the ceremony door, entrance music would play, and lights would turn on in sequence. The system was also programmed to automatically open the shades and turn down the lights, giving guests spectacular views of the sunrise and sunset. Despite driving complex, specifically timed events, the hotel staff experience a solution that is simple and easy to use.
“When the owners of Seamill Hydro Hotel shared their vision for this space, we knew every element had to be perfect,” said Mark Laird, founder of Lairds of Troon. “After experiencing the capabilities of RTI system within the Glen Rosa suite, they really put their imaginations to work for the Firth Pavilion. Using RTI, we could deliver the control and automation experience they owner envisioned. The system allows technology to be integrated and controlled in such a way that’s truly elegant and a natural fit for the ambiance of such a grand venue and a magnificent landscape.”
A total of 24 QMotion UK motorised roller blinds have been fitted throughout the Firth Pavilion. They line the impressive floor to ceiling windows which front the principal banqueting room, The Firth Suite. The Firth Suite enjoys an elevated ground floor position and offers staggering views over the Firth of Clyde to the majestic mountains of Arran. QMotion UK blinds have also been used to provide shading over the huge walls of glass in the classical yet contemporary interior of the TorryLinn suite, the ceremony room on the first floor of the Pavilion as well as the luxurious Glen Rosa Suite, designed for use by the bridal group.
In each area, the blinds are versatile enough for operation as a synchronised group or individually from an RTI control panel, silently dropping to a pre-programmed position, when desired. A manual override function ensures that if guests choose to pull on any blind, it will respond, without causing any damage to the automated mechanism.
The QMotion UK solution is also a perfect fit with the performance and interior aesthetic demands of each space. Both Black Out and Sheer fabrics on the same window system are required to help give the option of glare reduction from the sun whilst still allowing guests to enjoy the stunning views, or for room darkening when the space is used for conferences or presentations, if required. QMotion UK blinds are also able to fit both window and door openings in the room. The QMotion UK team worked closely with the Hotel’s interior design team to select the available fabric options and provide information on key specification details, such as, maximum widths, window and door options, etc.