Flanked by the South Downs on one side and the coast at Goring-by-Sea on the other, the Highdown Hotel occupies a beautiful spot in West Sussex. Since its 2018 acquisition by hospitality company Brunning and Price, the property has undergone significant renovation to meet the new owners’ vision of providing the best in modern hotel technology and convenience, while still preserving the building’s history.
Throughout the renovation process, Highdown Hotel General Manager Tom Foster worked alongside colleagues at Brunning and Price and specialist design teams to find the perfect finishes and solutions. With 13 bedrooms, a secure and stylish door entrance system was high on the hotel’s design priority list and Tom and his colleagues carried out extensive research into the available options before making a final decision.
Tom comments: “We were particularly looking for subtle solutions, with minimal design, that would work well with our chosen doors. It was also important that they were secure and easy to use – for staff and guests alike.”
The design committee eventually opted for Dialock DT710 door terminal sets, designed and supplied by Häfele. An advanced locking and identification system, Dialock uses electronic keys, terminals and programming units to allow authorised access.
All of the Highdown’s guestroom doors, as well as the building’s main entrance, have now been fitted with Dialock. The main entrance door is controlled by the Dialock WT210 wall reader, a mains operated wall terminal for offline operation. The Dialock Hotel software management tool provides overall control of the entire set up.
Tom continues: “One of the first things that attracted us to the Dialock system was its clean, minimalist aesthetic. We have slim silver door handles with a small disc below showing the Wi-Fi symbol. To gain access, guests simply hold their key cards up to the disc.
“The keycards are slimline but very robust, and we liked the fact that they don’t have magnetic strips because this means that they can’t get wiped or corrupted. We’ve experienced that issue before, particularly when keycards come into contact with mobile phones, and it can be extremely disruptive.”
After installing Dialock, the Häfele team spent two days training staff at the Highdown on how to use the system – including how to change and set up new keycards. Selected members of staff were also shown how to set cards to authorise access for certain individuals at specific times. For example, it’s now possible for the hotel to issue housekeeping staff with cards which give them access to rooms between the hours of 9am and 3pm.
“The Hafele team were very helpful,” Tom concludes. “They were always available to answer any questions and provided expert advice throughout every stage of the process.
“The Dialock system is delivering precisely what we want in terms of look, feel and easy functionality. Our ultimate aim at Highdown is guest convenience and satisfaction, and Dialock has been instrumental in helping us to achieve this.”
