Opened in 2016, the Sheraton Grand Istanbul Ataşehir is a 27-floor luxury hotel with 165 rooms. It has a total meeting area of 2900 sqm. EEC installed the fire detection, card access and CCTV systems of the hotel, which operates within the Marriott chain.
I am a mechanical engineer and I am responsible for the mechanical part of our hotel's fire and security systems. We had previously cooperated with EEC at the Kavacık Trade Center. Based on the reference received from there, we started cooperating with EEC at the Sheraton without any hesitation. We managed the processes together during the commissioning. We personally witnessed that EEC has vast knowledge and smoothly passed the tests of the fire consultant. The system of EEC was the most hassle-free system commissioned by us.
There is an advantage of knowing the systems: As I observed how they were installed, I could also observe their continuity. I was here during the commissioning phase, and I am also here during the operation of the system. This is a positive situation for us from both perspectives.
The most useful property of the products and services of EEC is that all our requests are fulfilled. When I need something, I do not have to seek alternatives. I find an answer for all questions in my mind. There were even times when we could procure the upgrades of the products at the same price of these products. There is nothing that will raise a question mark regarding the products or make you think about their quality.
The availability of EEC at any time is the best part of the service that we receive. EEC is the only company that sends us responses by phone or online within the same day or even within the same hour. Sometimes, in very urgent situations, the technical service arrives at the facility even after working hours with their self-devotion.
The only disadvantage of our fire detection system is that some of our guests mistake the detectors for cameras. Apart from this, the perception level of the system is high and fulfills our own expectations and the standards required by Marriott. The speed of the system meets the desired action time. Marriott is also conducting controls. They do tests with smoke sprays to check whether the addressing has been done accurately. So far we have passed all tests without any problems.
The fire detection stocks of EEC are robust. We did not have any issues regarding the supply of materials. As the devices did not break down, we did not replace them. Even if they break down, it is very easy to install them thanks to the automatic searching feature.
One of the useful properties of our CCTV system is the capability to view and access the retrospective images. It has an easy-to-understand menu. There have been several updates via remote access. We had no problems with CCTV, which would have given me a headache if we had. The most comfortable part for me is CCTV.
We do not have any problem in our card access system from your side. We need to change the battery. Its most important benefit is that even the security personnel can issue cards. It has one handicap though, which is we have to scan the card through the doors one by one to cancel some master cards. Card access is one of our most hassle-free systems. I have not even requested service so far.
As our building has a common use area with Varyap, we use the card access system in the intersecting areas. The biggest advantage for us is the ability to close the areas that we desire, and to control the doors and monitor the entrances and exits. We can view the personnel passing through the doors as well as the doors and time of passing through such doors. Our co-workers watch on the CCTV screens, and it is possible to view who has entered through which doors, and direct intervention can be made as well.
For example, let me explain a problem that we had in technical areas. One of our employees entered the technical room and shut off a valve. Then the system broke down. We identified who entered the room and when thanks to the access control system. This is the property that I like the most within the system.
We recommend the products and services of EEC, and we are always in touch with them for our new projects. EEC is the company that we trust the most. I would give 10 out of 10 for the quality of their products and 9.5 for the price-quality performance.
The project team of EEC operates at such a high level that they prepare and create the system as soon as we explain our needs to them. As I use the products, I learn about their new properties and I feel as if they have more features that we do not know.
Our expectation as a hotel is safety and peace of mind for our guests. We have had all types of incidents here: death, injury and theft. We fulfill all these requirements with EEC, there is no dark zone for us.
I can confidently say that I am very satisfied with the communication and approach of the sales staff, and I find them as close to me as an older brother. They definitely help us with our requests. They even follow our requests and remind us: "You have asked for something like this, do you still have the same problem?". They approach us with a solution-oriented approach and clarify the points that we do not think of and cannot predict. They guide us on the right path.
Regarding technical services, we have such an advantage. If the person coming to our company for service has conveyed his knowledge and awareness to my staff to a certain extent and can guide our security staff and ensure that the problem is solved by phone, this means success.
We know about deaths caused by smoke detectors that were installed in buildings around us, without the cancellation of the residual current device and without ensuring that they are addressed. This is the reason why the fire detection system is the most important point for us. The first step we took during the mobilization phase was to create a fire alarm system. You know that you can prevent all problems, but you can avoid a fire only if you can receive prior notifications. When there is a flood, you will find a solution, but it is very difficult to respond to fire after it is too late. Correct identification and correct timing will lead you to the solution. Therefore, fire is the biggest and the most important danger for hotels and high-rise buildings. As fire is both a material and a life-threatening risk, it is not something that can be ignored. Therefore we signed a maintenance contract.
Let me add a footnote here: If I did not like and trust EEC, I would not take the time to meet you while I am very busy. It has taken only 3 seconds for me to get approval from the management to do this interview. My manager immediately said: "If it is about EEC, you can go now." said.
