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| Panasonic WV-CW960 CCTV discreetly mounted on the hotel's natural surroundings |
Set amongst some of Scotland's most beautiful countryside, the five-star DeVere Cameron House Hotel offers a sumptuous rural retreat. Its comprehensive facilities and breathtaking location are not only popular with tourists but also host many corporate entertainment events, as well as team building and training courses. It's not difficult to understand why the hotel is the first choice for many blue-chip companies, finds itself regularly hosting extravagant wedding parties and frequently playing host to the Scottish national football team.
DeVere Camerson House hotel's management pride themselves on providing the very best in service to their guests, to help ensure that each customer's stay is as relaxing and enjoyable as possible. "We want our guests to feel at home in the surroundings of the hotel," explains Vince Fenwick, Cameron House's Financial Manager. "A major part of this philosophy is to make our guests feel secure within the hotel's grounds. Our original CCTV system was a big help with our security effort. However, advancements in CCTV technology and the general wear and tear on the system was beginning to illustrate the installation's age."
Effective imaging
To conduct a complete overhaul of visual security measures at Cameron House, Vince Fenwick chose Panasonic Premier Integrator, Clear Image. Jim Duncan, Panasonic Business Development Manager and Neil Alexander, Regional Manager at Clear Image liaised heavily with Vince to specify and install a system that would fulfil the hotel's specific needs.
To this end, Clear Image installed 16 Panasonic WV-CW960 dome cameras to cover the hotel's exterior and vast grounds; to deliver a cost-effective installation, whilst permitting comprehensive site coverage. The camera system's comprehensive coverage includes the area immediately outside the hotel building, elements of its 108 acre grounds, including its perimeter, 96 luxury log-built timeshare lodges on the banks of the loch and marina area, and the hotel's motor yacht, including over 200 other privately owned boats.
Panasonic WV-CU650CJ/B controllers manage the systems' WJ-SX150A camera switching matrices and video playback |
Designed to cope with all outdoor conditions, Panasonic's WV-CW960 dome camera were used to cover the hotel's external grounds. Due to the geographic location of the hotel, these cameras are required to view brightly lit open spaces and contrasting darker/ shaded areas, notably between buildings, and all-in-one pre-set surveillance sweep. The Super Dynamic III technology the WV-CW960 dome affords hotel staff effective 24-hour operation, allied to a high 510 lines resolution; permitting effective observation in outdoor light conditions as low as a mere 0.03 lux.
The interior of the hotel is protected using Panasonic WV-CF224EX dome cameras. Equipped with a 380,000 pixel, 1/4-type CCD they can be used with both AC and DC power sources. In addition to 480 TV lines horizontal resolution, the unit can operate effectively in lighting as low as 1.6 lux, affording visual surveillance across the varying lighting conditions of the hotel's reception area and adjoining corridors.
Neil Alexander of Panasonic Premier Integrator Clear Image explains why these cameras were specified: "Using Panasonic's WV-CF224EX in the interior is a natural choice. This discreet camera's size-to-performance ratio is unrivalled for this type of application and allows a high-performance surveillance system to be installed without detracting from the hotel's luxurious interior."
"Using Panasonic's WV-CW960 dome cameras for the building's exterior and vast surrounding grounds meant that we were able to install a camera that would be unobtrusive in the peaceful natural surroundings of the loch. We also used a variety of Panasonic lenses to permit maximum scene coverage, meaning fewer cameras needed to be installed."
High specification
Camera images are transmitted to two on-site security offices. One is situated in the hotel's management suit adjacent to the main reception and records information from the internal camera system onto a hard disk digital video recorder (DVR). The other is located in the hotel's marina office, which records information from the external cameras for archive, via a WJ-HD316A 16-channel DVR. Both DVRs are programmed for seven-day event recording and provide the hotel's management crystal clear images of any incidents captured, making for easy identification of the scenario and individuals involved.
To accommodate future developments at the hotel, Clear chose Panasonic WV-CU650CJ/B controllers at both facilities to manage the systems' WJ-SX150A camera switching matrices and video playback. The company specified the Panasonic based system as Cameron House management had designed an expansion to the hotel that would require extra cameras. These cameras could therefore be absorbed into the existing ‘expansion ready' system, without the need for any further camera switching matrix upgrade.
Essential benefits
Cameron House Hotel now operates a high-spec CCTV system that supplies not only essential security benefits but has also proved to be an invaluable management tool. With this system, Vince and his team can keep a watchful eye on the hotel's expansive site, viewing every part of the hotel's key operations, protecting both the guests and the property successfully.
