Bavaria Motel, Munich, Germany

The Bavaria Motel in the Freiham district of Munich, Germany, stands for stylish comfort at an affordable price – and also for environmental responsibility. This needed to be reflected by the heating and cooling systems in the 2015 new build too. The solution? Surface close TABS (Thermally Active Building System) combined with underfloor heating.

‘Bavarian, modern, good’ – this is the Bavaria Motel’s motto. The motel combines Bavarian hospitality with high-tech furnishings and modern Alpine design. It com-prises 136 rooms, 20 apartments and four conference rooms spread across five floors. Additionally, the Platzhirsch Freiham restaurant is integrated into the hotel. Whether they are travelling as a family or on a business trip, for guests to feel per-fectly comfortable, a good interior climate is key. At the same time, the Bavaria Motel seeks to offer three-star comfort at a two-star price. It therefore needed a cooling and heating system that could deliver a high level of comfort coupled with low operating costs.

Fast reactions to offset peak loads

The solution: The surface close TAB system Contec for radiant cooling combined with underfloor heating and a smart room control system to coordinate energy-efficient operation. To activate the motel’s concrete ceilings, Uponor PEX-a pipes were integrated near to the surface of the pre-cast ceilings. Water then circulates through these pipes as a cooling medium. A key characteristic of the Contec ON TAB system is that it takes effect close to the surface. This allows the system to react quickly to load fluctuations, meaning it can give the fan coil units that are usually used in this setting a run for their money. The operating costs are significantly lower, allowing the hotel to offset the cooling loads that are constantly incurred as well as brief peak loads. In addition, underfloor heating in the bathrooms and in the 20 apartments provides an energy-efficient heat supply and a good level of comfort, in particular in the cooler months of the year.

Comfort for everyone at all times

The hotel’s cooling and heating concept is in keeping with its guiding principle – the hotel should be as snug as possible for the guests. The temperature can therefore be adjusted individually in every room. Both the heating and cooling can be efficiently adapted by the guests to their preferred individual temperature by means of the Uponor Smatrix room temperature control. As both TABS and underfloor heating have been incorporated invisibly, this solution does not detract from the modern, Alpine interior design. What’s more, it is environmentally friendly: all Uponor radiant heating and cooling systems can be perfectly combined with renewable energy sources. Environmental protection is important to the Bavaria Motel – the building is heated with geothermal energy, while the waste heat from the cooling system is used to heat the drinking water. In addition, the hotel offers its guests free-of-charge charging stations for their electric cars and e-bikes.