Plantation solar street light illuminating a landscaped outdoor entrance near a lake, designed for hotels, resorts, and multifamily properties.

Grand Entrances: Plantation Solar Street Lights for Hotels & Multifamily

A Welcome That Reflects Both Home and Brand

First impressions don’t start at the front desk, they begin at the entrance. For hotels and multifamily communities, the driveway, approach roads, and parking lots set the tone for the entire guest experience. Unfortunately, many properties still struggle with dim roads, uneven illumination in parking aisles, and outdated fixtures that no longer match the brand image. Running new power lines is disruptive and expensive, and when storms cut electricity, those entry points go dark at the exact moment lighting matters most.

One Florida mixed-use property, combining a boutique hotel with multifamily residences, decided to address these issues head-on. Their vision was clear: create a safer, brighter, and more welcoming arrival experience without trenching through landscaped areas, rewiring electrical circuits, or adding to monthly power bills.

Their answer came in the form of Plantation Solar Post-Top Lights, a fully integrated, decorative post-top solar solution that combines panel, battery, optics, and LED into a single cohesive fixture.

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Key Benefits at a Glance

  • All-in-one elegance: Plantation post-tops mount directly on existing poles,  no trenching or heavy infrastructure work required.

  • Reliable every night: Automatic dusk-to-dawn operation with built-in multi-night autonomy to handle cloudy weather.

  • Safe arrivals and lots: Post-tops at porte-cochères paired with Pollux or Athens models for aisles and parking lot solar lights.

  • Brand-right ambiance: Warm CCT near entrances for comfort, neutral CCT in traffic areas for clear visibility.

  • Utility cost savings: Zero monthly power draw, minimal upkeep, and a payback period measured in just a few years.

 

Project Background & Goals

The property’s entry road wound through landscaped gardens, leading guests to a roundabout and porte-cochère. Existing HID fixtures produced uneven lighting and mismatched colors. Parking aisles had dark gaps, and several crosswalks were underlit, concerns that led to safety complaints from residents.

Management outlined four priorities:

  1. Safety - even, comfortable lighting across roads, crosswalks, and the porte-cochère.

  2. Aesthetic fit - fixtures that felt upscale and architectural, not just utilitarian.

  3. No trenching - avoid disrupting driveways, root zones, or planted medians.

  4. Resilience - dependable illumination even when storms knocked out the grid.

 

The Challenge

  • Wiring barriers: Trenching across active driveways and landscaped beds risked damaging roots, blocking access, and requiring costly permits.

  • Rising utilities: Old HID lamps wasted energy and required constant re-lamping.

  • Mismatch with brand: Generic “parking lot” heads clashed with the boutique character of the property.

  • Outage vulnerability: Grid-tied circuits had already failed during past storms.

 

The Solar Lighting Plan

Primary Arrival & Roundabout

  • Plantation decorative post-top solar lights on 10–12 ft poles, spaced 20–25 ft apart.

  • Warm white (3000–3500K) to highlight architecture and landscaping.

  • Type V distribution optics for wide, even coverage around the roundabout.

Parking Aisles & Crosswalks

  • Pollux All-in-One models for aisles with adaptive dimming (70% baseline, 100% on vehicle approach).

  • Athens fixtures at crosswalks to enhance vertical illuminance and pedestrian visibility.

Boulevard-Style Connectors

  • Vertical SOLPOLE lights for a modern, slim profile along longer corridors.

Signage & Wayfinding

  • Solar Sign Lights for the entry monument (dusk-to-dawn flood kit).

  • Capella Flood & Wall Packs for directional signage.

Pedestrian Paths & Courtyards

 

Implementation Timeline

Phase 1 - Entrance & Porte-Cochère

  • Audited existing poles and retrofitted with Plantation units.

  • Programmed dusk-to-dawn operation with adaptive profiles for guest arrival peaks.

Phase 2 - Parking Aisles & Crosswalks

  • Installed Pollux and Athens fixtures, carefully aligned to minimize glare.

  • Slightly cooler CCT at crosswalks to improve driver recognition.

Phase 3 - Courtyards, Signage & Finishing Touches

  • Installed solar floods on monument signs at glare-free angles.

  • Added bollards along pedestrian cut-throughs for comfort and safety.

  • Trained staff on routine checks, panel cleaning, and annual battery review.

 

Results & Impact

  • Safety & Comfort: Even illumination eliminates dark gaps. Crosswalks became clearly visible, improving both guest and resident confidence.

  • Utility Cost Savings: Removing grid-tied lights cut operational expenses nearly to zero, saving about $22,000 annually in power and maintenance.

  • Brand Upgrade: Decorative post-tops elevated the property’s curb appeal, creating a boutique look without harsh glare or hot spots.

  • Storm Resilience: During a recent outage, entrances, walkways, and parking areas remained fully lit.

  • Fast Deployment: Installation required no trenching, no lane closures, and no costly landscape restoration.

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Property Feedback

“Guests now comment on the arrival experience in their reviews. The light feels soft at the porte-cochère, but the lot is clearly visible from the road.” - Hotel GM

“We reused our poles and never had to close the driveway. No trenches, no patching, and no replanting.” - Facilities Director

“Security stopped getting calls about dark crosswalks within weeks.” - Resident Services Lead

Design Takeaways

  • Pole height & spacing: 10–12 ft poles with Plantation heads at 20–25 ft spacing create comfortable envelopes at entries.

  • Layered approach: Decorative post-tops for guest zones, adaptive street lights for vehicular areas.

  • Crossing safety: Cooler CCT at crosswalks improves pedestrian visibility for drivers.

  • Glare control: Optics and shields prevent spill light into guestrooms or balconies.

  • Maintenance: Quarterly lens cleaning and annual battery checks keep output consistent.

Explore Beyond Solar Families

 

Read Related Blogs

  • Case Study: Resort Nights, Effortless Glow - Solar Landscape Lighting in Tampa

  • Blog: Designing Safe & Stylish Outdoor Spaces with Solar Bollard Lights

  • Blog: Off-Grid Lighting for Remote Sites: Solar Solutions for Construction & Industry

 

FAQs

  1. What is a Plantation Solar Post-Top Light?
    A decorative all in one solar fixture that integrates the panel, battery, optics, and LED into a single unit. It installs like a traditional post-top without wiring or trenching.

  2. Can they be used on existing poles?
    Often, yes. A quick audit checks pole condition and adapter compatibility. Reusing poles reduces costs and avoids permitting delays.

  3. How do they compare to wired lights?
    Modern optics deliver comparable brightness for entrances, walks, and drop-offs. For larger areas, pair them with Pollux or Athens.

  4. What spacing works best?
    Typical starting points are 10–12 ft pole heights with 20–25 ft spacing, then adjusted on-site.

  5. How do they perform in storms or cloudy weather?
    With multi-night autonomy and dusk-to-dawn profiles, fixtures stay reliable through poor conditions.

  6. Can warm and cool lighting be mixed?
    Yes, warm CCT at arrivals enhances hospitality, while neutral or cool CCT in parking aids driver visibility.

  7. Are they low-glare and Dark-Sky friendly?
    Yes. Optics limit uplight and spill, and shields are available for sensitive areas.

  8. How durable are they in coastal or humid environments?
    Fixtures use corrosion-resistant finishes and tamper-resistant hardware built for coastal conditions.

  9. How does cost compare with trenching?
     Avoiding trenching often saves tens of thousands upfront. Combined with utility cost savings, payback averages around three years.

  10. Can they integrate with signage lighting?
    Absolutely. Plantation post-tops at porte-cochères can be paired with Solar Sign Lights and Capella floods for one cohesive system.

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