Before signing the architect's contract, before filing the planning application, a hotel investor needs a precise answer to a question few contractors ask upfront: how many electrical circuits, outlets, network runs and antenna points does each room actually need? This guide breaks it down room by room — with a real error case, a table by star rating, real costs in dinars, and an estimator you can send directly to WhatsApp.
What happens when nobody asks these questions before construction
A 60-room hotel. The electrician installed 5 circuits per room instead of 7 — nobody had provided a detailed CFO/CFA plan. The kettle and the air conditioning ended up on the same 16A circuit. First summer of operation: breakers tripping at 2pm every day. Full rework of one floor: cables reopened in already-painted walls, partial bathroom tile reinstatement. Cost: approximately 900,000 DZD and 3 weeks of disrupted operations. Cost of a proper pre-study: zero — it's included in any serious contractor's scope.
Circuit by circuit — Standard Twin room
| Circuit | Detail | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Bedroom lighting CFO | Ceiling fixture + 2 bedside sconces + entry light | 1 × 10A circuit — 2-way switch from each bed |
| Bathroom lighting CFO | IP44 ceiling fixture + mirror light | 1 × 10A — separate, wet zone |
| Bedside outlets CFO | 1 double outlet between beds + 1 per window side = 4 outlets min. | 1 × 16A — chargers, reading lamp |
| TV + desk outlet CFO | 1 behind TV + 1 at desk | 1 × 16A |
| Kettle / minibar CFO | 1 dedicated kettle outlet (2,200W) + minibar | 1 × 16A dedicated — high short-burst load |
| Floor lamp CFO | 1 floor or skirting outlet | On outlet circuit or dedicated |
| Air conditioning CFO | Indoor unit + outdoor unit | 1 dedicated 20A or 32A — 4mm² cable |
| Bathroom shaver CFO | 1 isolated shaver socket | Zone 3 — NF C 15-100 |
| WiFi CFA | 1 in-room access point, ceiling or wall | 1 Cat.6A run to tech room |
| TV CFA | 1 coaxial (SMATV) or RJ45 (IPTV) behind TV | 1 coaxial or Cat.6 run |
| IP Phone CFA | 1 RJ45 for room phone | 1 additional Cat.6 run |
| Access control CFA | Badge reader + energy cut-off (card in/out) | 12V cable + RS485 or IP |
Total per Twin room: 7 CFO circuits + 3 Cat.6A runs minimum. The kettle and the air conditioning must be on separate circuits — this is the most common and most expensive mistake to fix after the fact.
By star rating — what actually changes
| Indicator | ⭐⭐ 2-star | ⭐⭐⭐ 3-star | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4–5 star |
|---|---|---|---|
| CFO circuits / room | 5 | 7 | 9+ |
| Outlets / room | 6 | 8 | 12+ |
| USB outlets | None | 2 USB-A | 2 USB-A + 2 USB-C |
| WiFi | Corridor AP | In-room AP | In-room dual-band + controller |
| TV | Satellite | Basic IPTV | IPTV + branded welcome screen |
| Automation | No | Presence shedding | Full scenes (light, AC, blinds) |
| Cat.6A runs / room | 2 | 3 | 4–5 |
Real error costs — in Algerian dinars
Common areas — the 35–50% investors always forget
Rule of thumb: common areas account for 35 to 50% of a hotel's total CFO/CFA cost. An investor who budgets only on the room type is systematically out by a factor of 2.
- Lobby — feature lighting, reception network, CCTV, entry intercom, signage
- Floor corridors — presence-detection lighting (−20% energy), fire detection, corridor camera
- Restaurant and kitchen — dedicated circuits for heavy equipment, extraction, ambient lighting
- Car park — outdoor lighting, perimeter CCTV, intercom
- Technical room — MDB, UPS, core switch, NVR, IPTV server, satellite head-end
Estimator — calculate your hotel
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Common areas (lobby, corridors, restaurant, car park) add 35–50% to these totals. A full pre-study on drawings is required before any binding quote.
3 questions to ask any contractor before signing
✓ These 3 questions eliminate 80% of underqualified contractors
- "Do you hold a Ministry of Interior licence for CCTV installation?" Hotel surveillance is regulated by Decree 09-410. Without a licence, the installation is illegal. If the contractor hesitates, the answer is no.
- "Do you issue a cable certification report, outlet by outlet, for the network cabling?" Uncertified cabling is cabling whose actual performance nobody knows. Without a certification report, you have no guarantee on your network infrastructure's lifespan.
- "Who is responsible if WiFi doesn't cover all rooms 6 months after handover?" On a multi-contractor site, this answer is rarely clear. On a single-integrator project, it always is.
Frequently asked questions
Can WiFi be included in the electrical lot?
No. WiFi is a distinct CFA lot with its own Cat.6A cabling, active equipment (switch, controller, access points) and design constraints. Merging it with electrical work produces undersized installations and blurred accountability.
Is a generator mandatory for a hotel in Algeria?
Yes, without exception. Sonelgaz outages are a design assumption, not an optional risk to cover. Generator size is calculated on actual peak load — not a per-room estimate.
Is room automation profitable for an Algerian hotel?
Yes from 30 rooms. Automatic cutoff when rooms are empty reduces energy consumption by 20–35%, recovering the investment in 2–4 years depending on occupancy rate.
Planning a hotel project?
Tell us your project — room count, star rating, timeline. We'll come back with a technical approach and first estimate.
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