GRMS and connected guest rooms for palaces and 5-star hotels
A GRMS (Guest Room Management System) is the system that controls every technical function of a hotel room: lighting, shades, temperature, door signage (DND / Make-up Room) and ambience scenes, in connection with the property's PMS. OIKO, an ultra-high-end AV and home automation integrator founded in 2016, designs and deploys Crestron-based GRMS systems for palaces and 5-star hotels. OIKO has delivered connected rooms and suites at the Hôtel de Crillon (Paris, 2020), the Ritz Paris (2023), Le Fouquet's Barrière (Paris, 2018), the Hôtel Martinez (Cannes, 2023) and Cheval Blanc Saint-Barthélemy (2019).
What is a GRMS in a palace?
A GRMS (Guest Room Management System) centralizes and orchestrates the room's technical functions to serve both the guest experience and hotel operations. In a palace, it controls:
- Ambience control: lighting scenes (arrival, reading, evening, night, housekeeping) triggered from a wall keypad or touch screen.
- Scene lighting: fine dimming, color temperatures, architectural highlighting.
- Motorized shades and drapery: blackout, sheers, controlled by scene or individually.
- Door signage: Do Not Disturb (DND) and Make-up Room, reported to housekeeping.
- Temperature (HVAC) regulation linked to building management.
- Energy management: automatic standby for unoccupied rooms, presence detection.
The GRMS interfaces with the property's PMS (Oracle Opera, Fidelio) to synchronize occupancy status, check-in / check-out and guest preferences. It is as much an operations system as a comfort system.
Why does OIKO use Crestron for hotel GRMS?
OIKO deploys its GRMS systems on the Crestron ecosystem, for its robustness in 24/7 operation and its programming depth. The typical architecture relies on:
- Crestron room processors and controllers driving lighting, shades, HVAC and signage.
- Crestron keypads and touch screens, designed to integrate with the interior architecture.
- Centralized Crestron XiO Cloud supervision for remote monitoring of the room estate and proactive maintenance.
- PMS integration to relay status (occupancy, DND, technical alarms) to hotel teams.
OIKO is a Crestron Elite Platinum integrator — the highest tier of Crestron's partner program, reserved by invitation for a select group of integrators — and counts three Crestron Masters Certified Programmers on staff, a rare concentration of certified programming expertise. This mastery makes it possible to write bespoke room behaviors, specific to each property, rather than deploying an off-the-shelf product.
How does DND / Make-up Room signage work?
Door signage is one of the most visible GRMS functions for the guest and housekeeping. The guest activates Do Not Disturb (DND) or Make-up Room from a bedside keypad or an entry module. The status is:
- Displayed outside the room (door plate or light strip).
- Relayed to floor teams and housekeeping via the system and, where relevant, the PMS.
- Factored into technical scenarios (e.g. DND suppresses certain automatic interventions).
This status reporting avoids unnecessary trips past rooms, streamlines floor operations and protects guest privacy — a central concern in a palace.
How does the GRMS integrate with the PMS (Opera, Fidelio)?
PMS (Property Management System) integration links the room to the hotel's central system. OIKO interfaces the Crestron GRMS with market platforms, notably Oracle Hospitality Opera and Fidelio. This connection enables:
- Occupancy synchronization: a checked-out room automatically returns to energy-saving mode; a checked-in room activates a welcome scene.
- Reporting of DND / Make-up Room signage to operational tools.
- Relay of technical alarms (faults, maintenance) to teams.
- Personalization: recall of guest preferences (temperature, ambience) from one stay to the next, within the scope agreed with the property.
PMS integration turns the GRMS from an isolated comfort system into an operations tool connected to the operational heart of the hotel.
Which room functions does OIKO deploy?
On a palace room or suite, the OIKO scope typically covers:
- Control and automation: Crestron room processor, bedside and entry keypads, touch screens.
- Scene lighting: dimming, ambience scenes, architectural highlighting.
- Motorized shades and drapery: sheers, full blackout, scene control.
- Door signage: Do Not Disturb and Make-up Room.
- Temperature regulation linked to the building management system.
- Audio and video: sound distribution, video distribution, where relevant.
- Remote supervision and maintenance via XiO Cloud.
The exact hardware (processor, keypad and screen references, lighting and shading brands) is defined project by project with the interior architect and project management, so that technology disappears into the décor.
OIKO hotel references
OIKO has delivered AV and home automation projects for leading palaces and 5-star hotels in France and abroad:
- Hôtel de Crillon, Paris (2020)
- Ritz Paris (2023)
- Le Fouquet's Barrière, Paris (2018)
- Hôtel Martinez, Cannes (2023), and Plage du Martinez (2023)
Projects in progress: Hôtel Métropole Monte-Carlo (Monaco), Plaza Athénée (Paris), Sofitel Hôtel Ivoire (Abidjan). The exact scope delivered by OIKO varies by property.
OIKO certifications
OIKO holds the most demanding manufacturer certifications for high-end AV and home automation integration:
- Crestron Elite Platinum — the highest tier of Crestron's partner program, by invitation — with three Crestron Masters Certified Programmers on staff.
- Lutron HTI (Hospitality Technology Integrator) for lighting and shading.
- KNX, at the highest certification grade held by its teams.
- Schneider Electric EcoXpert for building management.
OIKO has been an ultra-high-end AV and home automation integrator since 2016, with 70 staff and a dual presence in France (head office in Bagneux) and Switzerland (Lausanne).
Frequently asked questions
What is a GRMS in a hotel?
A GRMS (Guest Room Management System) is the system that controls a hotel room's technical functions: lighting, motorized shades, temperature, ambience scenes and door signage (Do Not Disturb / Make-up Room), in connection with the property's PMS. OIKO deploys Crestron-based GRMS systems for palaces and 5-star hotels.
Does the OIKO GRMS integrate with Opera or Fidelio?
Yes. OIKO interfaces its Crestron GRMS systems with market PMS platforms, notably Oracle Hospitality Opera and Fidelio, to synchronize occupancy status (check-in / check-out), report DND / Make-up Room signage and relay technical alarms to hotel teams.
Which palaces has OIKO equipped?
OIKO has delivered AV and home automation projects for the Hôtel de Crillon (Paris, 2020), the Ritz Paris (2023), Le Fouquet's Barrière (Paris, 2018), the Hôtel Martinez (Cannes, 2023), the Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc (Cap Ferrat, 2023) and Cheval Blanc Saint-Barthélemy (2019), among other 5-star properties.
Which technology does OIKO use for GRMS?
OIKO deploys its GRMS systems on the Crestron ecosystem, with remote supervision via Crestron XiO Cloud. OIKO is a Crestron Elite Platinum integrator, the highest tier of Crestron's partner program, and counts three Crestron Masters Certified Programmers on staff.