With its real estate acquisitions, renovations, parking solutions, and energy investments, the Royal project stands as one of KPO Group’s largest undertakings which, upon completion, will offer 655 beds across 260 rooms. ABB has provided the intelligent backbone of the transformation, delivering an advanced building automation and energy management system that continues to shape the hotel’s operations today.
Preserving the Past, Preparing the Future
Originally opened in 1972, the hotel has long been a central landmark in Vaasa’s cityscape, known for its 1970s-era architecture. Its designation as a heritage-protected building meant that any renovation had to respect and preserve key architectural features.
The goal of the renovation was clear from the outset: combine the charm of a historic building with the demands of a modern, sustainable, and smart hospitality experience. For hotel management, this meant more than updating rooms – requiring a complete overhaul of the hotel’s technical systems, aligning them with Vaasa’s drive toward energy innovation.
Our ambition was to respect the historical soul of the building while completely modernizing the guest experience,” says Max Hellqvist, General Manager of the Original Sokos Hotel Royal (Vaasa). “From the beginning, we knew technology and sustainability had to be at the heart of this renovation.”
Phase one, completed in 2023, modernized the 11-storey tower, including 139 rooms, restaurants, conference rooms, the reception, spa areas, and underground parking. Phase two, which will be finalized by Spring 2026 when the Royal will reopen, brings intelligent automation to the seven-storey annex across the street, adding another 121 rooms and further guest facilities.
Technology that thinks ahead
ABB was involved early in the planning process, ensuring its solutions were embedded into the hotel’s design and technical strategy. The ABB i-bus® KNX system was chosen as the core automation platform, controlling lighting, climate, occupancy detection, and system integration across both buildings.
The renovation included:
- ABB i-bus® KNX system for cooling, heating and lighting (Dali)
- KNX integration with audio-visual systems and Opera Fidelio to synchronize room automation with booking and check-in systems, designed to enhance efficiency of hotel operations
- Virtual hotel card switches and presence detectors that eliminate energy waste by activating systems only when rooms are occupied
- Näpsä switchboards and custom IMPRESSIVO® black matte fittings to combine functional control with elegant aesthetics
- ABB Welcome IP door entry systems with 10” Smart Touch panels for intuitive and secure access
- In the second phase, the addition of RoomTouch® 4” smart panels now give guests effortless control over lighting, temperature, and room settings
Hotels are dynamic environments, and we designed our technology to be just as adaptive,” said Lucy Han, Business Line Leader, Building Automation at ABB. “We didn’t just provide devices, we created an ecosystem that thinks for itself and adapts to guest needs in real time, providing a truly personalized experience.”
Smart Hospitality in Action
Today, guests at Royal in Vaasa enjoy a stay that is both luxurious and intuitive. Rooms know when they are booked and begin preparing automatically – adjusting temperature, refreshing the air, and even displaying personalized welcome messages upon arrival. Lighting responds to presence, not just switches, and all settings can be easily managed via stylish in-room touch panels. Throughout the hotel, energy is used only when needed. Conference rooms, restaurants, and wellness areas adjust their systems dynamically based on real-time use. The hotel runs primarily on renewable energy: geothermal heat sourced from 18 wells beneath the property supplies most of the heating, while solar panels on the façade generate a portion of the hotel’s electricity.
Our guests may not see the technology, but they feel the results,” Hellqvist noted. “Comfort is seamless. The environment is quiet, consistent, and perfectly adjusted. It allows our team to focus on service, while the building takes care of the rest.”
Redefining Efficiency and Elegance
With ABB’s smart automation in place, the hotel operates at a level of energy efficiency that sets a new standard in Nordic hospitality. The system not only helps reduce carbon emissions and operational costs – it enables the hotel to function proactively and intelligently, adjusting to usage patterns and delivering data-driven insights.
Tommi Kiiskilä, energy expert at KPO Real Estate Ltd, which owns the property, explained:
Our vision was to create a near energy self-sufficient hotel. ABB’s automation made that possible. We’re now seeing a building that responds to energy in real time, maximizing every kilowatt and enhancing the guest experience at the same time.”
A Blueprint for Smart Renovation
As the renovation concludes, the Royal in Vaasa stands as a powerful example of how a historic building can become a smart building without losing its soul. Thanks to ABB’s technology and collaboration, the hotel operates more sustainably and provides a richer, more modern experience for every guest.
At ABB, we believe buildings should think, respond, and in so doing so, enhance the lives of those that live, work and play in them,” said Han. “Royal Vaasa proves that with the right technology and vision, even the oldest buildings can lead the way toward a smarter future.”
