The hotel elevator is necessary equipment for transporting hotel customers in most hotels.
It is necessary to bring a convenient check-in experience to hotel customers and ensure the safe use of elevators.
Hotel elevators bring customers convenience, speed, and a safe living experience.
No matter how big or small a building is, the elevator is always essential. An example of an industry that emphasizes elevator functions is the hotel industry.
The elevator impacts the hotel’s reputation and customer satisfaction, sometimes even beyond our imagination.
Why? In addition to the hotel elevators, it can provide guests with a more convenient, safe, and comfortable living experience. Once the elevator fails when the hotel guests take it, no matter which country they are in, this cannot be quickly forgotten.
The harmful effects caused by these hesitating failures often lead to a negative reputation for the hotel, primarily through the Internet. As a result, the hotel business is getting worse and worse.
Therefore, it is essential to understand hotel elevators better and do excellent configuration, maintenance, and safety.
According to the classification of elevator driving methods, there are currently three types of elevators most commonly used in hotels: hydraulic elevators, traction elevators, and machine room-less elevators(MRL)
A hydraulic elevator is an elevator that uses a hydraulic power source to press the oil into the cylinder to make the plunger move straight and drive the car directly or indirectly through a steel wire rope.
A hydraulic elevator is integrated into machinery, electricity, electronics, and hydraulics.
It consists of the following relatively independent but interrelated systems: pumping station system, hydraulic system, guiding system, car, door system, electrical control system, safety protection system, etc.
1, Flexible machine room settings: The machine room can be located around the elevator shaft with about 2M*2M, enough to accommodate equipment, installation, and maintenance space, and can be laid out entirely in line with the architectural design.
2, Reduce investment costs: The distance between the top floor is 3.6 meters or more, and there is no need to set up a top-level computer room, which is in line with the aesthetics of the overall building.
The investment cost of hydraulic elevators is lower than that of traction elevators
3, High hoistway utilization rate: Generally, hydraulic elevators are not equipped with counterweight devices, so the utilization rate of the hoistway area can be improved.
4, It runs smoothly and rides comfortably: The hydraulic system transmits the power evenly and smoothly. The proportional valve can realize step-less speed regulation.
The elevator running speed curve changes smoothly, so the comfort is better than the traction speed control ladder.
A hydraulic elevator is higher than a traction elevator in product performance
5, Good safety, high reliability, and easy maintenance.
6, The failure rate is low: Elevator operation failures can be minimized due to the advanced hydraulic system and suitable electro-hydraulic control method.
7, Good energy saving: When the hydraulic elevator descends, it is driven by the pressure generated by its weight, saving energy.
8, The troubleshooting is simple: The personnel can be rescued by simple operation by the management personnel.
The lifting height is limited, half of which is not suitable for buildings above six floors, and the running speed of the elevator is not very fast, generally not exceeding 1M/S.
Some hydraulic elevators have oil leakage and pollution problems.
Due to the smooth running, comfort, low noise, and high utilization rate of hydraulic elevators, hydraulic elevators are widely used in public places such as hotels, factories, shopping malls, office buildings, parking lots, stations, and airports.
They are used with other driving forms (such as traction elevators) as vertical transportation tools.
Traction hotel elevators use traction wheels as driving components. The wire rope is suspended on the traction sheave.
One end suspends the car, and the other stops the counterweight device. The friction between the wire rope and the traction sheave generates the traction force to drive the car up and down.
A Machine room-less elevator is a traction elevator without an additional machine room above the hoistway. The machine is located in the override space and can be accessed from the top of the elevator when necessary for maintenance or repair.
The control box is located in the control room close to the elevator shaft on the highest floor, about 150 feet from the machine.
The machine room-less elevator can travel at a speed of up to 500 feet per minute and a maximum travel distance of up to 250 feet. These elevators are comparable to gear elevators in installation and maintenance costs.
However, machine-room-less elevators’ energy consumption is lower than gear traction elevators.
Due to their operation, reliability, and energy efficiency, these elevators are becoming increasingly popular in mid-tier applications.
The hotel elevator integrates mechanical, electrical, and electronic control technology.
The mechanical part is equivalent to the human body, the electrical component is identical to the human nerves, and the microcomputer electronic control part is equal to the human brain.
The various parts work together and divide labor to ensure the safe and reliable operation of the elevator.
The primary function of the traction system is to output and transmit power to make the elevator run. The traction system comprises a traction machine, a traction wire rope, a guide wheel, and an anti-rope wheel.
The primary function of the guiding system is to limit the freedom of movement of the car and the counterweight so that the vehicle and the balance can only move up and down along the guide rail.
The guiding system comprises the guide rail, guide shoe, and guide rail frame.
The elevator car is the elevator component that transports passengers and goods. The elevator car is composed of a car frame and a car body.
The primary function of the hotel elevator door system is to seal the landing entrance and the car entrance. The elevator door system comprises a car door, landing door, door opener, and door lock device.
The primary function of the weight balance system is to balance the weight of the elevator car relatively.
During hotel elevator operation, the weight difference between the car and the counterweight can be kept within the limit to ensure the standard traction transmission of the elevator.
The system is mainly composed of counterweight and weight compensation devices.
The function of the electric drive system is to provide power and implement elevator speed control. The electric drive system comprises a traction motor, a power supply system, a speed feedback device, and a motor speed control device.
The primary function of the electrical elevator access control system is to manipulate and control the operation of the elevator.
The electrical hotel elevator control system comprises operating devices, position display devices, elevator control panels (cabinet), leveling devices, layer selectors, etc.
The primary function of a safety protection system is to ensure the safe use of elevators and prevent all accidents that endanger personal safety. It comprises a speed limiter, safety gear, buffer, and terminal protection device.
The hotel passenger elevator adopts a vector-controlled digital closed-loop VVVF frequency converter.
According to the actual load of the car, the up and down speeds can be adjusted to the current size and phase to accurately control the rotation torque of the main engine in real-time to ensure the smooth operation of the elevator.
To learn more about the components of hotel elevators, please check this video:
Typically, a standard hotel should include the following elevators for different purposes: hotel passenger elevator, freight elevator, service elevator, food elevator, fire elevator, and escalator.
An elevator designed for transporting hotel guests, the hotel passenger elevator requires complete safety facilities and a particular car interior decoration.
Some high-end hotels are only available to hotel customers, personnel above the supervisor level, and those below the supervisor level when they need to guide guests.
The hotel freight elevator is mainly used to transfer goods and materials between different floors and the materials that must be replaced to move hotel rooms.
Compared with hotel passenger elevators, the trucks of hotel freight elevators travel slower; they can carry heavier loads and withstand harsher working conditions.
Hotel service elevators and freight elevators are easy to confuse, but several defining characteristics distinguish the two:
Hotel Service elevators are improved passenger elevators usually located in employee-dedicated buildings.
For example, the large elevators seen in the hospital or the elevators used by the staff of the hotel room department. These elevators must be comprehensive and deep enough for large objects such as beds to be placed comfortably.
The hotel service elevator lets employees move around and transport goods quickly without disturbing guests or visitors.
A food elevator refers to a small elevator used to transport food from the hotel kitchen or restaurant to other floors and is only used to transport food.
Unlike other elevators in the hotel, the food elevator must be separated and dedicated. Because it mainly transports food, it must be clean, hygienic, bacteria-free, and often disinfected.
Firefighters use a hotel fire elevator to extinguish and rescue fires in the event of a fire in a hotel to rescue people trapped on higher floors in a building.
The main functions of the fire elevator are:
At the same time, because other working elevators are often out of service due to power outages and unprotected fireworks when a fire occurs, it is necessary to install a hotel fire elevator.
Since there are many elevators for different purposes in hotels, such as passenger, freight, service, fire, etc., these elevators’ specific configurations and requirements are also different in different hotels.
All passenger, freight, service, and fire elevators must have Emergency, automatic, and manual landing functions.
The first floor’s elevator hall (room) and fire center should have elevator manual landing switches (press).
1, Hotel passenger elevator waiting time: ≤ the 40s
2, Hotel passenger elevator quantity:
3, Hotel passenger elevator load calculation:
4, Hotel passenger elevator size(WxDxH):
5, Hotel passenger elevator speed:
6, Hotel Passenger elevator door size：
Width:
Height:2100~2400(mm)
1, The elevator car of the lobby on the first floor must be equipped with a fire switch (switch for emergency landing of all elevators in the same area), a fire telephone jack, and an emergency sign.
2, The inside of the elevator car must include the following:
1) Operation panel: there must be two (one on each side of the door in the car, the panel must include all necessary buttons and corresponding braille Symbol setting)
2) Alarm button, five-party (elevator machine room, elevator car-top, elevator car, elevator pit, security control monitoring center), intercom, and multi-party intercom systems.
3) Background music broadcast speaker: placed on the top of the car (also used as emergency broadcast), the elevator supplier needs to provide the accompanying broadcast speaker
4) Emergency light: At least one light above the primary layer selection panel has an emergency function. It is equipped with a charging device and can be used for 1.5 hours.
5) Arrival bell (including prompt arrival sound, door opening and closing quick sound, driving direction immediate sound), arrival lights (going direction indication and necessary layer display).
6) Height difference reservation: If the interior decoration of the elevator car requires the ground to be made of stone, the height difference between the car floor and the ground threshold should generally be reserved at≥ 2cm (combined with the decoration requirements, the elevator manufacturer customizes the size according to the needs ).
7) CCTV camera (hole): The reserved position is generally at the upper right corner of the elevator (the elevator supplier must provide audio and video “high-definition” standard accompanying cables).
8) All relevant emergency functions, such as fire control, emergency power supply, automatic return to the first floor, etc.
9) The CCTV monitoring room must have a display device that shows the elevator running and stopping floors. A character generator is recommended to superimpose the floor characters on the surveillance screen image through the camera video cable.
10) Intelligent group control of multiple elevators, idle allocation, and the carrying flow function (can be superimposed and selected according to requirements).
11) Other functions are selected according to the elevator company’s offer to meet the needs of the hotel’s operation.
12) The elevator car top needs to reserve a dedicated air-conditioning installation space and power supply for the elevator.
13) Liquid crystal display: Each car has an 8-10 inch LCD screen (optional according to actual requirements).
14). Dual and generator power supply (50% elevator operation is guaranteed when the generator is powered).
Configuration without considering the transportation of skirts and guest rooms:
1. Hotel service elevator quantity:
2. Hotel service elevator load capacity: 1250KG~1350KG.
3. Hotel service elevator size of the car (WxDxH): (1950~1600) x (1400~2400) x2500
4. Hotel service elevator Speed: Refer to passenger elevator configuration.
5. Hotel service elevator Car door size: 1100~900mm wide, 2100-2300mm high.
1. The hotel service elevator hall on the first floor must have a fire switch (switch for emergency landing of all elevators in the same area), a fire telephone jack, and an emergency sign.
2. Inside the car:
1) Operation panel: one piece, including all necessary buttons, anti-vandal design, and stainless steel panel.
2) The inner wall is a thick stainless steel panel. Hard impact protection planks (such as oak) are installed horizontally on both sides and back walls, with the center being 300mm above the ground.
3) PVC elastic-plastic floor, non-slip single-sided embossed 6mm thick aluminum plate.
4) Embedded daylight lamps with cover.
5) Other related parts: refer to the passenger elevator part to choose according to needs
6) Dual and generator power supply (50% elevator operation is guaranteed when the generator is powered).
Fire elevator refers to the elevator configured according to the existing passenger and service elevators’ fire protection requirements.
1. Every floor must be reachable.
2. The carload, the net size of the car, the size of the car door, the speed of the elevator, etc., are all based on the requirements of the regional elevator configuration.
5. Relevant regulations set the firefighting function.
6. Dual power supply and generator power supply. Every floor must be reachable.
Freight elevator requirements:
A freight elevator is installed when materials such as beds must be transported from the ground to the room.
1. Location: at the service channel or the unloading platform, not on the same floor in the same functional space.
2. Door: Provide a unique double-opening door configuration for freight elevators (central or unilateral opening).
3. Dimensions: The load and platform dimensions are determined according to the project requirements but cannot be smaller than the service elevator.
1. Operation panel: each layer must include up and down instructions. The terminal station has only a one-way display. The operation panel should include an embedded telephone box and indicator buttons; the buttons must be durable.
2. Arrival indicator light: The arrival indicator light must be installed above the hotel elevator entrance of each floor (except the first floor), including the up and down arrival instructions for each elevator.
It will flash in advance, and the hotel elevator will make a sound when it arrives and continue to flash until the elevator leaves. The minimum lead time is 4 seconds.
3. First-floor indicator light: The indicator light is installed above the hotel elevator entrance on the first floor. The floor indicator light must have numbers and lights to show the elevator operation.
The elevator manufacturer can provide standard floor indicators.
4. Elevator floor indicator: The elevator floor indicator should be able to display the operation of each elevator
5. Elevator telephone: The elevator must be equipped with an embedded telephone, and the telephone line must be connected to the telephone exchange room.
The phone case must be made of metal and have a metal-hinged door. The installation position of the telephone must be more than 1.5 meters above the ground.
6. Public address system: each elevator must reserve the position of the broadcasting speaker, and the elevator supplier shall provide the broadcasting speaker with an accompanying cable
7. Decorative surface: The main metal surface of the elevator car, the operation panel, the signal device, and other metal accessories should be stainless steel unless otherwise specified.
8. The car floor of the kitchen service elevator’s surface must be treated with anti-corrosion before laying a PVC elastic-plastic foundation.
The hotel creates a unique elevator environment for disabled guests among some superior hotels.
With hotels with more than 2-floors, a regular-size passenger elevator will work just fine.
Ensure that it has required stoppages on all floors. This should include access to the basement if a guest cannot use the stairs.
Turning the insides of regular passenger elevators for specially-abled guests is quite simple. You must:
Ensure that all décor elements are placed at a decent distance from the elevator doors. Also, check whether the placement blocks access to the call buttons.
A 4-inch gap between decorative items and the elevator call buttons is recommended. Get buttons that showcase the name of the particular floor the guest is on.
All your passenger elevators should have an installed Emergency Communication System. You can also add a communication device to allow your operators to communicate with the occupants.
Moreover, if both these systems are enclosed, accessing them should be easy with even a single hand.
Due to the significant improvements in the design of hotel elevators, their power supply methods, and the intensified competition with more manufacturers to introduce new products to the market over the years, the cost of hotel elevators has been significantly reduced.
Hydration and pneumatic are the most common families of the main types of elevators used in hotels, and different kinds of hotel elevators have different prices.
Hotel hydraulic lift cost: A hotel hydraulic elevator costs US$20,000 to US$50,000.
Hotel traction elevator cost: Hotel traction elevators range from US$23,000 to US$39,000.
Hotel elevator cost by the number of floors: For every additional bed, installing elevators increases by approximately US$8,000.
Since the hotel elevators produced by different elevator manufacturers are different, the corresponding installation environment and requirements are also different.
Therefore, most hotel elevators are installed by elevator manufacturers or companies that sell them.
In many cases, the installation cost is included in the total price of the elevator itself, especially those that are easy to install and do not require shafts or essential structures.
Installation costs may vary greatly depending on the elevator’s location, the type of elevator, whether a shaft is needed, and how many floors the elevator needs to climb.
Estimated installation costs start at around US$8,500; some larger jobs can be as high as US$35,000.
Suppose you already have an elevator system, and after extended use, the hotel elevator is too old and not so convenient and safe to use. In that case, you can consider replacing the hotel elevator.
However, it depends on the type of elevator you are replacing, whether to replace it with a new kind and how much work needs to be done.
Replacing a hotel elevator can be as low as US$10,000 or US$50,000.
For example, switching to a different style, such as a cable-driven elevator to a hydraulic hotel elevator, usually increases the project cost by 5,000 to 10,000 US dollars.
Hotel Elevators allow the guests to navigate and travel through the hotel easily. This is why hotel elevators are essential in fostering the best guest experience.
Additionally, the irreplaceable spot of these systems makes it crucial for the developers to pick the right option.
When you think about installing an elevator in your hotel, many questions will arise. And to make this easy, here we have answers to some of the most typical queries:
If we refer to the International Building Code directives, a hotel building with four or more floors must have a minimum of 1 elevator. Besides all the codes provided, hotels must have a basic policy or standard guidelines.
A hotel with 75 to 80 rooms or a low-rise setup should have at least one elevator. These establishments should also have a service elevator if rooms are around 100.
If the room count ranges from 100 to 150, it is recommended that you have at least two passenger elevators. For hotels with over 200 rooms, a 3-elevator setup is required.
A conventional elevator cab follows all industries’ standard 6′-8″ x 5′-5″ size. However, there can be changes to these based on the requirements and needs of the franchise.
Some buildings may even require having a stretcher elevator for emergencies.
Generally, the standard hotel elevators have a weight capacity of 3,000 to 4,000 lbs. Many leading hotel chains also follow minimum capacity requisites; it is included in their brand guidelines.
From the rooms to elevators, the minimum distance on foot should not be over 150ft. Popular hotels reduce this distance for quick navigation to make it easier for the guests.
Having at least one service elevator is essential for hotel buildings with multiple floors. Owners can use the guest elevator for smaller facilities to substitute for their service elevator.
However, in such cases, the elevator must have two doors facing the front and back. Also, you must ensure that the door opens right to the backhouse in these.
You can provide the housekeeping staff with a hotel key card to enter these areas, preventing guests from entering the room. Lastly, such setups also require a wider elevator shaft.
Hotels or commercial buildings with four or more floors need a Stretch Elevator. These special elevators must be designed to easily fit an Ambulance Stretcher of size 24″ x 84″ horizontally.
They should also have a 3,500-lb capacity with an off-centered door.
The speed requirements for passenger elevators differ based on the number of floors and the type of setup.
However, in most three or 5-floor Hotels, the average speed of the elevator is set to 100 to 200 ft. per minute.
Similar to other requisites, high-end hotels also follow minimum speed requirements.
Hotel elevators typically require backup power, mainly if it is located in an area that faces frequent power cuts. Furthermore, it is also an essential protective element in case of emergencies.
You can choose one of the below-mentioned two options:
(1) Inform the trapped personnel and wait for rescue.
When a hotel elevator trapping accident occurs, the hotel operator or rescue personnel will contact the trapped personnel via telephone or shout in the elevator. Be sure to keep calm and wait for the rescuers to help.
Trapped persons cannot extend any part of their body out of the car. If the car door is half-open and closed, rescuers should try to close the car door completely.
(2) Determine the car’s position accurately and prepare for rescue. Determine the car’s status according to the floor indicator PC display or open the hall door and rescue the passengers.
(1) Rescue steps when the hotel elevator car stops at a position close to the elevator entrance
Turn off the power switch of the machine room, use the unique outer door lock key to open the exterior door, and slowly open the car door with the workforce on top of the car to assist the passengers in leaving the car and closing the hall door again.
(2) Rescue steps when the hotel elevator car is far from the elevator entrance
(3) Enter the machine room, turn off the power switch of the malfunctioning elevator, notify the people in the car not to approach the car door, and take care to avoid being bumped or injured by the goods.
(4) Inform relevant personnel before the operation, and operate the elevator emergency plan to rescue trapped people only after receiving a response.
Four people must operate the machine room, at least two people cranking, one person releasing the brake, and one supervising and paying attention to the leveling marks.
(5) The hotel elevator car moves to the leveling floor, and the brake is reliably restored to the braking state.
(6) Confirm that the brake is correct and release the handwheel of the car.
Ensuring the precise functioning of the hotel elevators is essential for any hotel to keep the guests happy. It also helps the guests and staff move around quickly within the premises.
Therefore, if you wish to avoid facing a system breakdown, then follow these tips:
Keeping an eye on the frequency of the hotel elevator’s overall functioning can help determine the root cause of the problem. Maintaining this record will ensure the maintenance team can quickly understand the issue and deliver optimal solutions.
These records will provide you with any recurring patterns in the problem occurrence. It can also render abnormal running, noises, or problems during peak hours.
This is one of the best ways to ensure your hotel elevator systems’ long life and befitting functioning. Ensure the team does not miss out on any point or problem while inspecting the setup.
Moreover, watch every minor change closely to ensure no long-term problems.
Don’t wait until the last moment; always provide instant replacements for faulty parts or equipment in the hotel elevator.
Whether the call button or cab light, make sure you substitute them with a new one. And get professional assistance in case of significant faults.
Remember that the hotel elevators’ interior mechanics are highly susceptible to corrosion when they come into contact with harsh products.
This means that using robust industrial cleaning agents can damage the machinery.
It can cause a major malfunction in the system. Thus, it is advised to use mild alternatives rather than heavy-duty cleaners.
Also, you can only employ those products when the manufacturer or professional cleaner recommends them.
If your hotel has a service elevator carrying heavy items and products, ensure the staff follows the provided weight guidelines.
Overloading the car can inflict damage on the mechanical parts of the elevator.
It is also hazardous for the elevator’s occupants when it’s moving. So try and have a quarter of the provided total capacity of the car.
Furthermore, maintaining the right weight in the cab also ensures the system operates smoothly without bumps.
Also, here is a video about how to maintain the elevator step by step for your reference:
Keeping the growing awareness in mind, from the post-COVID-19 phase, Hotels should look for measures to ensure the health & safety of the guests while using the elevators.
Being a frequently used hotel spot makes elevators a medium for spreading germs.
Therefore, hotels can appoint a staff responsible for operating the car from the inside to avoid this. You can also limit the number of people using one elevator.
Lastly, you may place sanitizers near the call buttons to encourage the guests to maintain the best hygiene practices. A few other protective measures include:
Like Hotels, the elevators for commercial spaces are made from stainless steel. It is a remarkably lasting material and does not require much maintenance.
But, this does not mean that one can cut costs and efforts for cleaning.
You should have skilled and trained staff that performs complete sanitization and cleaning of the hotel elevators. This will help you maintain a hygienic environment and safeguard the system’s life.
As it is an area that receives the highest footfall, performing routine clean-up can help prevent the spread of harmful microbes.
Additionally, to provide you with a better ‘in-detail glance over the maintenance process, here we have a few expert tips for you to follow:
Tracks are the tiny spaces between the floor landing and elevator doors. Sill is the metal strip on the landing and elevator doors.
These areas also contain dust, dirt, debris, and other small particle deposits. A powerful vacuum cleaner is the most straightforward and cost-effective way of cleaning these.
For commercial elevators, a qualified technician is appointed to perform pit cleaning. Dust, dirt, or other particles may slip through the door gap and accumulate in the Pit below the elevator car.
While this might not sound like a significant issue, this deposit can build up and affect the system’s functioning over time. Periodic cleaning of the Pit also helps ensure there are no pest infestations.
As stated above, most hotel elevators are made from stainless steel. You can use specialized stainless steel cleaners to remove stains, marks, and spots from the walls and doors.
The inside walls should be cleaned with non-corrosive cleaners.
If you have carpeted the floor in the elevator, the best cleaning approach is to start by brushing and then vacuuming. While for steel or tiled floors, you can use recommended polish.
Use an Anti-bacterial cleaning product with a microfiber cloth to remove all stains or germs from the buttons. Avoid using a spray cleaner, as the tiny droplets can seep into the gaps and damage the mechanics.
1. Open the control box and press the designated button to stop the hotel elevator at the designated floor for operation. It should be noted that only one hotel elevator can be blocked at a time, and one should be reserved for guests.
2. Place the “cleaning working” sign before the hotel elevator door.
3. Clean the glass mirror surface with glass cleaner. Glass mirrors and stainless steel doors must be bright, clean, stain-free, and fingerprint-free.
4. Clean the elevator stainless steel doors with stainless steel cleaner.
5. Use furniture cleaning wax to clean the ceiling and wooden decorations.
6. Use a vacuum cleaner to suck the dust from the corners of the elevator and the elevator door rails.
7. Wipe the dust off the floor and door rails with a damp cloth.
8. After waiting for the ground to dry, install the foot protection board for waxing and polishing. The polished brightness should be high, and the floor marble should be evenly sprayed and polished.
9. After the work is completed, remove the protection board, restore the elevator control button to the original position, close the elevator control box, and resume the regular operation of the elevator.
10. If the hotel elevator has carpets, replace the carpets every morning and increase the number of replacements if necessary.
11. The hotel should patrol the elevator’s sanitary condition, clean locally during the day, keep the ground clean, and clean the elevator doors, stainless steel in the cabin, mirrors, and other decorations in cycles.
Carry out a comprehensive cleaning and maintenance of the elevator at night.
The sudden outburst of the global COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the possibility of similar occurrences in the future.
Furthermore, it has also generated awareness among industries and consumers about following the best hygiene practices.
