The Doyle Collection

Background

The Doyle Collection

Family-owned group of luxury hotels spread across Dublin, London, Bristol, and Washington D.C. Known for their impeccable service and striking interiors, each property embraces unique architectural features—some are historic Edwardian buildings where modern renovations are strictly regulated.

Celtic

Dublin-based systems integrator, specializes in bringing “smart building” capabilities to these kinds of challenging environments. Led by Rodney Moore (Operations Director) and Conall Fagan (Senior Engineer), Celtic needed a robust, unified networking solution that could invisibly blend into The Doyle Collection’s high-end aesthetic, handle massive device loads, and support future IoT expansions.

Business Objectives

1. Historic Architecture

• Many Doyle Collection properties occupy listed or heritage buildings, making new cable runs nearly impossible without significant disruption or damage to protected structures.
• High-end decor and original plasterwork limit where access points can be placed.

2. High-Capacity Environments

• Large meeting spaces, restaurants, and lobbies attract hundreds of daily visitors for business or dining.
• The Marylebone in central London alone sees up to 1,800 new devices connecting per day.

3. Aesthetic Demands

• The hotels insist on a discreet, near-invisible networking footprint that doesn’t undermine meticulously designed interiors.

4. Future-Proofing

• The Doyle Collection wanted a reliable solution with an 8–10 year lifecycle, allowing expansions for new IoT and in-room services.

Why UniFi?

1. Single-Pane-of-Glass Management

• UniFi Network’s controller interface dramatically simplifies configuration, monitoring, and updates across multiple sites.
• For a project spanning 8 hotels and potentially hundreds of devices, central oversight was essential.

2. Cost-Effectiveness

• With properties in different countries and architectural styles, running new cables or replacing entire infrastructures would have been extraordinarily expensive.
• UniFi’s in-wall access points and compact Flex switches eliminated many new cable runs, saving hundreds of thousands of euros—sometimes on a single floor.

3. Field-Tested Reliability

• Celtic valued UniFi’s iterative, “in-the-field” testing approach.
• They also cited direct support access and rapid firmware updates as key. “If something crops up, we’re on the phone, and they fix it fast,” says Rodney.

4. Product Breadth & Flexibility

• The Doyle Collection is gradually adding cameras, digital signage, and other IoT devices. With UniFi, these expansions fit under the same software umbrella.

The Solution

Smart, Discreet AP Placement

• UniFi In-Wall APs: Each room gets an in-wall unit behind the TV or near a hidden spot. Beyond providing strong Wi-Fi coverage, these devices act as small managed switches with four Ethernet ports.
• UniFi Flex Switches: In areas where new cabling was impossible, Celtic could drop a single cable into a discreet location, then attach a Flex switch to power additional access points or cameras.

Multi-Site Visibility & Control

Centralized Controller: The entire estate—across Dublin, London, Bristol, and Washington D.C.—is managed from a single UniFi console. Engineers receive real-time alerts about device status.

Reduced Support Burden: “I used to be 50% on support and 50% on design. Now I get a small ping on my phone if something goes offline, and I can see exactly why. It’s let me focus on actual architecture work.” — Conall Fagan

Minimal Disruption, Maximum Aesthetics: Using existing data points or older cable runs wherever possible, Celtic avoided large-scale refurbishment or lost guest revenue from room closures.

No More APs Stuck to Ornate Ceilings: Smaller, in-wall units blend seamlessly with five-star decor.

Results & Impact

1. Enormous Cabling Cost Avoidance In one London hotel alone, skipping complex new cable routes saved over €100,000 for just 20 lines. Scaling that across multiple floors and eight hotels pushes savings into the millions.

2. Consistent, High-Performance Coverage The Marylebone handles up to 1,800 new client devices daily without a hitch. Meeting rooms host bandwidth-intensive video conferences around the clock.
Guest satisfaction remains high, with Wi-Fi “just working,” even in large event spaces or thick-walled historic rooms.

3. Stronger Engineer Efficiency Celtic’s team can manage each hotel’s network from a single dashboard, drastically reducing on-site visits and manual configuration.
Faster troubleshooting: “If a guest unplugged an AP in a room, we know instantly.”

4. Future-Proof Platform The Doyle Collection now has a unified foundation to support IP phones, digital signage, security cameras (UniFi Protect), and more advanced IoT deployments.

Looking Ahead

With the initial rollout a success, The Doyle Collection plans to explore deeper UniFi features—like zone-based firewalls and advanced SD-WAN—in their larger or newly renovated properties. Celtic continues to recommend UniFi across their portfolio, from boutique shops to major hotel chains, citing the same blend of scalability, cost-effectiveness, and robust support.

Conlusion

By leveraging UniFi’s full-stack approach—Access Points, Switches, and Controllers—Celtic delivered an elegant networking solution that’s invisible to guests yet powerful enough to handle massive device loads. The Doyle Collection now has a modern, future-proof infrastructure befitting its five-star reputation.