Einstein St. Gallen, Switzerland

Since being built in 1830, Hotel Einstein St. Gallen has remained closely woven with the town’s traditional textile industry. First used as a finishing shop (textile refining), later as an embroidery factory, the building was finally converted into a hotel in 1983. The 4-star superior hotel meanwhile not only features 113 elegant rooms, suites and apartments, but also an expansive fitness and spa area and several culinary highlights, such as the “Einstein Gourmet” restaurant which has 2 Michelin stars, or the internationally inspired “Einstein Bar.”

As the leading conference venue in eastern Switzerland, the award-winning “Einstein Congress” features 14 conference rooms equipped with state-of-the-art technology as well as a large ballroom for events with up to 330 people. The 4-star hotel’s location is also convincing: only a short walk away, St. Gallen’s old town and the abbey – a UNESCO world heritage site – include impressive historical monuments such as the cathedral and the Abbey Library.

The Einstein St. Gallen is a good example of how historic architecture and modern interiors are not mutually exclusive. This is proven by the high-quality technical facilities in all areas of the hotel, from which guests benefit in every respect. When it came to replacing the aging locking system, the hotel therefore wanted a solution that matched the interior design and at the same time was technologically modern. “It was very important to the customer to continue using the existing historic door handles – on the one hand to retain the previous design line, and on the other hand to act in a sustainable and resource-saving way,” Tobias Bräuer, Key Account Manager West at MESSERSCHMITT Systems, recalls the sustainable requirement of the modernization.

With custom manufacturing “made in Germany,” the solutions from MESSERSCHMITT Systems succeeded in convincing the customer, enabling installation and assembly following a joint conception phase from October to December 2022. A total of around 200 access points, including 113 rooms, suites and apartments, are to be equipped with the new access control systems.

All rooms in the Einstein St. Gallen combine elegant highlights such as high-quality real wood parquet floors, solid wood doors and marble with modern technology – from LED televisions to WiFi. Similarly, the door opening experience was to pick up on the historical ambience without sacrificing comfort. For this purpose, MESSERSCHMITT Systems worked with the hotel to develop its own design line of “Magic Eye” door hardware, which is visually coordinated with the customer’s own lever handles and real wood doors. “In an effort to achieve a high degree of flexibility and variety, the fittings come in two versions: one with a polished brass finish and one with a chrome finish. The solution is rounded off with customized cover panels,” explains Tobias Bräuer.

Apart from aesthetics, function also plays a key role. That is why all access points feature the latest RFID technology and Bluetooth connectivity, enabling convenient door opening via keycard or even by smartphone. “Thanks to the high degree of customization that only MESSERSCHMITT Systems was able to offer us for the modernization process, we were able to continue using our existing door handles in the spirit of tradition and sustainability,” Michael Vogt, General Manager Einstein St. Gallen, expresses his satisfaction. Further convenience awaits guests in the elevator, where an invisibly integrated transponder card reader transports them directly to the correct floor depending on the respective card authorizations. To achieve a sustainable overall system, the innovative RFID keycards of the “O-Key” series are used, which are made of FSC®-certified wood from the ginkgo tree and are thus biodegradable.

The “Einstein Congress,” which was built in 2009 and welcomes visitors from all over the world into its inspiring atmosphere, also attaches importance to conserving resources. The energy release circuit integrated into the access and room management system provides user-dependent room control. For intuitive operation, MESSERSCHMITT glass panels with touch function are installed, seamlessly blending into the venue flooded with light.