Hotels are unusual buildings, in that their occupants have a big influence on how they are operated. Unlike office workers, hotel guests won’t be ignored if their room is too cold or the hot water doesn’t work.

For hotel managers, unhappy guests complaining about the building services can result in lost revenues. In today’s economic climate where many hotels have seen guest numbers fall, this simply isn’t an option.

So in hotels building services really do have an impact on the bottom line. The problem is finding a balance between energy-efficient operation and occupant comfort.

These issues are all covered in this special “MBS Focus” devoted to hotels. There is a wealth of interesting ideas and hard experience in this special section of our web site. Click on any of the items on this page for more.

The MBS Focus panel discusses hotel buildings and examines how their design and operation are affected by owners, operators and guests.

A number of key sporting venues for the 2012 Olympics have made progress over the past few months.

London’s prestigious Savoy Hotel reopens in Autumn 2010 after a £220 million refurbishment that has taken three years to complete.

Whitbread PLC, the UK’s largest hotel and restaurant group, will spend £7 million to boost the environmental performance of its hotels, restaurants and coffee shops. Whitbread includes Premier Inn hotels, Beefeater restaurants and Costa Coffee cafes.

Budget hotel chain Travelodge aims to grow its estate to 1000 hotels by 2020, making it the fastest-growing budget hotel chain in the UK. In summer 2010, Travelodge boosted the number of properties in its chain to 452, raising its room stock to 30,504 across the UK, Ireland and Spain.

Simon Potts and Andrew Miele explain why chp is so well suited to hotel and leisure buildings, and advise on how to make the most of your investment.

The Government sets high targets for achieving low- and zero-carbon buildings, but how can construction professionals make the vision a reality?

Building controls play a vital role in achieving the balance between hotel guest comfort and energy efficiency. Jim Barlow describes the latest technologies.

Hot-water supply is one of the most important aspects of building services for hotels. Paul Marsden explains the importance of understanding hot-water demands in hotels.

Tony Barnes of Calorex explains the important process of controlling humidity, temperature and fresh air for swimming-pool environments.

Phil Chilton and Chris Davis explain how they are helping clients cut waste and use more renewable options to create efficient and comfortable environments.

Geoff Hobbs outlines how one installer used smart thinking to keep hot water running for DeVere hotel guests while replacing a 20-year-old heating system.

Chilled beams are becoming more flexible for the hotel sector. Mike Beeton and Mika Ruponen explain how the technology is being applied.

Birmingham-based building services provider JS Wright has won a £400,000 contract to provide the mechanical services for a ground-breaking modular hotel scheme in the city’s Jewellery Quarter.

Crabtree, part of wiring accessory specialist Electrium, has developed a new range of energy-saving card-operated switches for the hotel market. The switches help to control energy use in hotels by ensuring that electrical devices are not left switched on when rooms are unoccupied.

The Holiday Inn at Birmingham Airport is enjoying green and sustainable heating thanks to the installation of flat-panel solar collectors from MHS Boilers.

Rehau partner White Underfloor Heating has installed almost 1000 m2 of underfloor heating at the newly opened Tollymore National Outdoor Centre.