Genelec Smart IP elevates the gastronomic experience at Glass Resort Laponia

Ten speakers Genelec 4410 Smart IP enhances the gastronomic destination of this exclusive Lapland hotel, providing high quality and uniform sound in its three zones.

Every year, Thousands of people travel to the most visited region of Finland, Lapland. Your business capital, Rovaniemi, offers the natural beauty of the Arctic, in a snowy environment and with northern lights that attract tourists from all over the world, to which is added the Christmas destination par excellence to get to know the town of Santa Claus.

In the center of it there is a luxury refuge: he Glass Resort , a family boutique hotel that offers its guests a unique environment to fully immerse themselves in the natural landscape of the area.

Although serenity is the focus of the Glass Resort proposal, its owner, Minna Pennanen, understands the importance of high-quality audio to enrich the guest experience, so he did not hesitate to choose the technology of the Finnish manufacturer Genelec to elevate the environment a French restaurant, an exclusive gastronomic destination in the area.

As residents of Rovaniemi, Arctic Connect Oy, specialist in audiovisual solutions and installation, took care of plan and install a new sound system that would solve the restaurant's existing problems. “The owners of Glass Resort knew our work,” explains its executive director., Toni Kurvinen-, covering the entire operational spectrum, from system planning to integration and mixing, so they trusted us”.

Although the restaurant had a sound system, This did not meet the high expectations of the luxury resort. “The audio quality caused a lot of complications for the staff and resulted in a poor dining experience,” adds Kurvinen.. Customers were clear where the sound was coming from, since the speakers were visible, and on one side of the dining room it used to be too high, while the other could barely be heard. Every time the staff needed to adjust the volume, he was forced to leave customers alone in the restaurant, repeatedly returning to the mixing board”.

The new system required a clear audio with uniform coverage throughout the dining room, at the same time it had to be discreet and compact. “We are Dante certified professionals and our sales company, Arcturia Oy, is a partner of Genelec. The restaurant already had this network, so we knew that their Smart IP system was the perfect solution for this project”, asegura Kurvinen.

El restaurante Gallis consists of three zones: the main ground floor, a superior and the breakfast room, who now have ten Genelec speakers 4410 Smart IP installed. The last two have two units each., while the main gastronomic space has six, mounted on inclined walls, all in the standard black color to integrate with the decoration.

Aesthetic design is fundamental to the resort's luxurious feel, harmonizing its elegant architecture with the beauty of the snowy nature outside. The black walls, wood clad, form a cpointed dome, while a large floor-to-ceiling window offers views of the landscape.

This dynamic dome shape creates not only a stunning environment, but also a differential experience. “The six speakers in the main restaurant were mixed with surround sound, creating a distributed soundscape evenly throughout the room ensuring guests can focus on the flavors, the conversations and the atmosphere, instead of in technology”.

The Arctic Connect team has used the system for integration Genelec Smart IP Manager, “which made setup a quick and easy process,” says Kurvinen.. Identifying and naming each speaker was a breeze and allowed us to easily assign zones. The software was extremely helpful in configuring the volume levels for each speaker and the stereo pairs”.

For networking and control, several PoE+ switches, along with a high capacity main unit, all connected to a WiFi router professional quality. The new audio system, divided into three zones, allows staff to adjust volume or silence specific areas instantly, without having to look for a dedicated mixer.

“It is essential that staff remain at the reception and available to customers, so the system must be within reach”. Specifically, staff manage it seamlessly through the same tablet they already use in the restaurant daily, making the transition to the Genelec Smart IP solution simple and intuitive.

“The restaurant's playback system is now integrated through Dante with Genelec configuration, and the infrastructure is already prepared for Bluetooth connectivity when necessary. The compact size of the speakers 4410 makes them perfect for high-end venues like this one and offer a stable 360º audio experience throughout the dome and impeccable coverage adapted to each area”, concluye Kurvinen.