The Marriott Portsmouth was equipped with a Bose loudspeaker system divided into two zones and controlled by the bar manager. Fit-out was undertaken by Bose Pro Partner, Marquee Installations
“Naturally, the recent economic fluctuations have affected some of this sector’s projects, but that’s not to say that it has been ‘flat’,” says Virgil Lund, Peavey Commercial Audio Division UK sales development representative. “All through the recession, we have been in talks with installers and integrators regarding hotel and leisure projects, and many of these are planned to take place this year and next, or have already been completed.”
COVERING ALL BASES Clive Kinton from UK loudspeaker manufacturer Ohm is among those to confirm that audio now tends to be near the top of the priority list for new hotel projects. Suppliers, he says, are asked to provide “piped music in the lobbies and background in the bars, while function suites are being fitted with PA systems to accommodate DJs, bands and conferencing”. For hotel facilities that may be hosting a major conference one day and a name band or wedding reception with live performance the next, versatility is pivotal. Sue Harrison, business development manager at Bose Professional Systems, pinpoints an “increased recognition of the importance of quality sound in public areas as hotels recognise the need to expand their reach to attract conferences
3.8%
and other high-profile events. Having a highly flexible multipurpose sound system with DSP, built-in reliability and ease of use is a massive selling point for hotels that are looking to increase revenue streams outside of room occupancy.” Increasingly, suggests Lund, the call is for “evermore intelligent audio solutions. The venue managers need an audio system to have the flexibility to adapt to any given event enabling tight integration with other parts of the hotel’s AV system, but with intuitive user interfaces that any member of staff can operate.” So what kind of systems are
being requested? Well, for performance areas in the larger hotels, digital mixing technology and sophisticated point source and line array specifications are increasingly ubiquitous. “Those hotel clients who understand the costs of high-quality systems and are willing to include this in their budgets will want the best possible systems. I have seen full line arrays in hotel basement nightclubs and these are of stadium size,” says Kinton.
Increase in number of
nights spent in hotels, 2011
Performance issues must necessarily be balanced with other considerations in public areas of a hotel. Kinton highlights “a more pragmatic approach to sound as the operators want to network the system, control and play music from a PC and, most importantly, comply with safety and voice evacuation conditions. Sound quality may not be their first concern in these areas, but if they can achieve that as well as providing the system requirements so much the better.” Despite the contrasting
requirements of different hotel spaces, there is a general feeling that the sector’s propensity for networked solutions is now on a par with that in many other high-end markets. “Networked audio is becoming almost standard in large hotel chains, although smaller hotels still rely on standalone systems,” says Harrison, adding that Bose’s ControlSpace DSP and new PowerMatch amplifier can be integrated into a network. CGA Integration is a leading UK-based integrator specialising