Maldron Hotel, Shoreditch

The Property

Located in Shoreditch, East London, the 4-star Maldron Hotel provides high-quality accommodation in one of London’s coolest neighbourhoods.

A short stroll from Shoreditch High Street and Spitalfields Market, the 10-floor property offers 157 amenity-rich rooms, catering to both leisure and business travellers.

The Project

Alphatrack Systems (ASL) was appointed to supply, second fix, and commission a BS 5839-1 Category L1 fire detection and alarm (FD&A) system throughout the hotel. This level of coverage ensures automatic detection in all areas, including roof voids and plant spaces, offering maximum protection and early warning in the event of fire.

The Challenge

Delivering the system across a large, multi-floor property in a fast-paced construction environment required meticulous coordination to maintain safety, system integrity, and regulatory compliance. A key constraint was the need to work around sectional handovers while sharing space with other trades, all racing to complete their own high-spec installations. This introduced significant logistical complexity and required close collaboration to avoid clashes and keep the programme on track.

The design also had to account for the typical conditions of a hotel environment, with false alarms—often triggered by steam, aerosols, or dust—causing unnecessary evacuations and disrupting the guest experience. This impacts the hotel from both a commercial and operational perspective, impacting revenue potential and undermining confidence in the system's reliability. ASL's challenge was to mitigate this as far as practical while remaining fully compliant.

The Delivery

ASL supplied and installed a Siemens Cerberus PRO system, comprising over 280 optical smoke detectors, 160+ sounders, 87 I/O modules, and five standalone aspirating smoke detection units.

The tailored Siemens Cerberus PRO fire detection and alarm system integrates ASA (Advanced Signal Analysis) detector technology; these intelligent detectors apply advanced algorithms to accurately differentiate between real smoke and false alarm sources such as steam, aerosols, and insects, significantly reducing the likelihood of nuisance alarms.

Aspirating smoke detection systems were installed in the lift shafts. This approach offers several advantages:

- Enhanced system resilience to dust and adverse conditions typical in operational lift shafts
- Compliance with CDM regulations by allowing maintenance and testing from outside the shaft
- Improved system longevity through accessible pipework cleaning and filter replacements

Key System Components

- Fire Detection & Alarm System:
Siemens Cerberus PRO control equipment, optical smoke, heat, and ASA dual multi-sensor detectors for accurate early warning and mitigated risk of nuisance alarms.

- Aspirating Detection:
FDA221 aspirating panels with accessories and communication interfaces, preconfigured for high-sensitivity environments.

- Audio/Visual Alarm Devices:
Sounder/beacon combinations, LED indicators, manual call points (standard and weatherproof), and IP-rated enclosures.

- Interface & Programming:
Cause & Effect testing included integration with third-party fire alarm interfaces, in line with the hotel's C&E matrix.

The Conclusion

ASL’s deployment of Siemens Cerberus PRO at the Maldron Hotel demonstrates a meticulous, regulation- and application-led approach to life safety system delivery in a high-occupancy hospitality environment.

The implementation of Siemens ASA technology within a comprehensive L1 detection strategy ensures the Maldron Hotel benefits from a robust, reliable, and low-maintenance fire detection and alarm system.

The use of aspirating technology within lift shafts enhances safety and serviceability, aligning with best practice and regulatory compliance.