Hand Picked Hotels, a privately owned and managed hotel group, is a collection of 4 Star luxury country house hotels located throughout the UK and Channel Islands. Providing guests with welcoming and charming service, set within the inspirational environment of magnificent country house hotels, guests are encouraged to feel at home, and relax in sumptuous and luxurious surroundings.
Located in 40-acres of Warwickshire countryside, and with the River Stour meandering through its grounds, Ettington Park Hotel is a jewel in Hand Picked Hotels' portfolio. Just five miles from the centre of Stratford-upon-Avon, the spectacular Neo-Gothic mansion is a world apart from the hustle and bustle of modern day life, furnished with exquisite antiques, fine paintings, and decorated with dozens of friezes that trace its centuries of tradition and heritage. Radiating style and luxury, Ettington Park Hotel has recently completed a full refurbishment of its bedrooms, and has been awarded the accolade of four Red Stars by The AA.
Surveillance update
Complementing a recent refurbishment programme, the latest surveillance technology from Panasonichas also been installed, to protect the hotel's guests and staff, 24-hours a day, whilst being purposefully designed to remain unobtrusive and blend-in with the building's opulent surroundings.
WIth the Panasonic IP system, all site movements can be monitored from the hotel's reception area |
Installed by Panasonic Premier Integrator, Reflex, the system was commissioned to assist with the security and management of the whole site, and in particular, the newly refurbished and extended swimming pool and leisure complex. John Pye, Managing Director of Reflex Group explains: "Because the hotel was converted from a mansion, there are many areas around the building, both internal and external, that were hidden from view of the hotel staff. Although not previously experiencing any problems with security, it made sense for the hotel to apply the latest surveillance technology at the time of the refurbishment."
Jonathan Squire, General Manager of the Hotel adds: "At Ettington Park, we are committed to employing the latest technologies and solutions, procured and installed in sympathy with our ‘traditional' decor, ultimately with the aim of enhancing each customer's stay. Alongside traditional furnishings and fittings, this is perfectly illustrated with the specification of flat-screen televisions and DVD players in each of the hotel's room. Building on this ethos, we wanted the new security system to follow the same principles, using tried and tested, ‘best-of-breed' technology, to enable us to enhance the experience of our guests' stay - and without clashing with the hotel's historic surroundings. When Reflex suggested using Panasonic technology to provide a suitable ‘end-to-end' surveillance solution, we were confident of a successful installation, utilising equipment sourced from this major household name."
Completed at the end of September 2008, the system now incorporates the latest Panasonic i-Pro technology, with Power-over-Ethernet capability (PoE) to provide a flexible, future-proof security and management aid - one that reassures guests, whilst remaining unobtrusive to their stay.
The right technology
Highly detailed camera images of the hotel's site entrances are captured via the deployment of Panasonic WV-NP1000 Series megapixel colour cameras, located both on the main driveway and the staff/goods access road. With a screen resolution of 1 megapixel, the IP network camera is coupled with Dual MPEG4 and JPEG digital signal outputs for simultaneous live monitoring and high-resolution recording, offering maximum performance, delivered over the hotel's IP networked system. Images from these dedicated cameras constantly monitor traffic flow through the driveway areas and are used to identify vehicles both accessing and leaving the site.
The exterior of the Hotel is covered by Panasonic WV-NW484 series vandal proof network colour dome cameras. In addition to an advanced Day/Night feature, these cameras are equipped with the newly developed ‘anti-shock' Auto Back Focus (ABF) system, ensuring the ultimate in clarity of surveillance, around the clock. Its robust, waterproof, construction complies with IP66 and is fully equipped with the highest image quality, including a 160x dynamic range. Thanks to its rugged capabilities and IP66 rating, this unit was also specified for use in the hotel's leisure complex area and pool, where steam and moisture are constantly present.
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| The WV-NW484's rugged design and IP66 rating made it a suitable choice for the steam prone pool area |
Monitoring the rest of the hotel's opulent interior are Panasonic WV-NF284 network colour dome cameras. Set in the hotel's luxurious interior, featuring Dual Streaming and Power-over-Ethernet capabilities, its small dimensions help it to remain unobtrusive. Images from the expansive camera network are distributed via a specifically installed high-speed data network, and are recorded via a Panasonic WJ-ND300A Network Recorder. Boasting high image quality and frame rates, and multi-channel capabilities, the WJND300A provides full support for storage, replay and live monitoring of all camera images captured. Use of an optional WJ-HDE300 Extension Unit at Ettington Park means that the total digital video storage capacity has been extended to 2 Terabytes, with the capability to expand up to 7 Terabytes, should any additional future system storage requirements become necessary.
Successful system
Jonathan Squire explains some of the new surveillance system's advantages: "All site movements can now be monitored from the hotel's reception area, providing a complete overview of the hotel's exterior, grounds, and interior, via the best quality images I have ever seen. This CCTV tool is particularly invaluable to our night-time staff, with its superb low-light images being displayed even from unlit areas; giving a comprehensive picture of the whole site. Equally, due to the nature of the site and its complex historic layout, the system acts to provide a fantastic managerial aid, affording visual confirmation of staff location and task management - in an instant. Health and Safety issues are also addressed by the system, particularly in the leisure complex." Here, the unmanned pool, sauna, steam room and Jacuzzi are covered by multiple Panasonic WV-NW484 series cameras. Due to the ever present airborne moisture, this harsh environment required a rugged camera unit, and the IP rated WV-NW484 was ideal, mounted here using the optional flush-mount bracket, to ensure the camera is as discrete as possible in the minimalist decor of the pool.
"Using the leisure facility's cameras, permanently displayed in the reception area, we can monitor the pool and leisure complex around the clock, just in case anyone gets into difficulty whilst using the facilities," continues Jonathan. "We can also effectively control who enters the complex and people flow during busy periods. Working in conjunction with the access control system (also installed by Reflex), crystal clear images allow our reception staff to confirm the identity of guests before remotely unlocking the door. Having a maximum usage number for the facility at any one time, we can also check on the concentration of users and decide whether we are able to admit further guests or not."
"It was very important for us that the use of the surveillance system did not intrude with a guest's stay. We didn't want them to feel like they were being watched or that we had a specific issue that the CCTV was addressing. Using compact Panasonic products, combined with a professional, sympathetic installation, we now have a system that strikes a delicate balance between maintaining effective security, and the reassurance of our guests."
"Furthermore, the system is so easy and intuitive to use that staff can be trained in its operation quickly and easily, confidently accessing key operational features within a very short timeframe. This allows our team to fully exploit the benefits the system provides, and alongside the expandability of the system, assures that the installation will continue to protect our customers for many years to come."
