Located on the old hunting grounds of the Dukes of Brabant, The Duke golf club is among the Netherlands' finest – and the only course in the Benelux region to have its restaurant included in the famous Gault & Millau fine dining guide.
The original building includes the Clubhouse and the restaurant as well as meeting rooms. In September 2017 the club opened the Duke Exclusive Suites, a set of 20 luxurious suites offering an unparalleled experience for members and their guests. Housed in a new building, the suites seamlessly blend the old with the new, exuding elegance and romance, while incorporating cutting-edge technology to ensure the highest level of comfort.
The new building, which also incorporates a large space that can be used as a ballroom or a convention centre equipped with its own kitchen, has been designed with a classic, country house feel with butler service throughout. Suites range in size from 62m2 to 82m2 , all with unobstructed views of the course. Both buildings are connected by an underground pathway.
The challenge
To make sure guests are comfortable at all times, the management team at The Duke wanted control of the lighting in the new suites to be as easy and intuitive as possible, while at the same time being technologically advanced, reflecting the venue's uncompromising quality standards.
Designer Famke van Eerd-Hinrichs said that, first and foremost, she wanted guests to feel at home. "My goal was to achieve a warm, cosy, 'homefeeling' ambiance, as well as a connection between classical and modern influences," said Famke.
The challenge was to find a solution that seamlessly integrated with the traditional aesthetics of the room design while ensuring superior ergonomics and a high-tech feel.
The solution
The Duke chose to use Lutron’s myRoom plus solution, which is specifically designed for hotel rooms. myRoom plus is able to control lights, blinds and temperature, and can be integrated with other hotel management systems. Each suite at The Duke is equipped with Lutron’s Palladiom ergonomic wallmounted keypads, thermostats, and matching accessories* in a luxurious and homogeneous black polymer finish.
Lighting scenes can be manually selected using the keypads and can also be activated automatically when guests enter a room. There’s even a special setting for the very first time new guests enter their rooms – the Grand Welcome scene introduces guests to the full comfort and ambiance of the room with a carefully chosen lights and blinds. And when the room is vacant, the lights turn off and the temperature is set to an energy-saving mode.
Advised by their IT consultants, the client acknowledged Lutron was the most futureproof solution, with integration based on software rather than hardware.
Lutron solutions were also used to control lighting in all the public spaces of the new building including the ballroom and convention centre as well as in the kitchen facilities.
The result
Marcel Arts, General Manager of The Duke, is delighted with the results. "Lutron's system is very complete and straightforward, enabling a great guest experience," he said. "Our guests appreciate the possibility to select lighting scenes, and they like the look and touch of the keypads and thermostats. Some are even curious to know about the solution."
As a result of the success of the new accommodation, The Duke hopes to expand the venue in the future with additional, even more luxurious suites.