The vision of founder Ariel Schiff, the AMANO Group is so much more than just a collection of hotels, bars and restaurants. Described by the innovative hotelier as ‘lively places that wow’, all AMANO Group properties and corresponding outlets are places to see and be seen, where no compromise is made in the creation of leisure spaces that truly stir the senses and where, last but not least, sound design is the basis to transport interior design, bar and culinary concepts. Indeed this recognition that sound plays a key role in curating a memorable customer experience in a hospitality setting is evidenced by the fact that the AMANO Group has its own Sound Designer on staff, ensuring that every AMANO property has the same, high-quality sonic-signature at the heart of its customer offering.
When the group first approached experienced German AV Technology specialists Raum+Schall to design and install a sound system in the soon to open restaurant of the prestigious Hotel AMANO East Side in Berlin, CTO Markus Lienhart knew that he wanted to use the NEXO ID Series. “When I first saw and heard the NEXO ID24 I thought wow – this is installation loudspeakers V2.0. In terms of design, performance and the versatility of its HF directivity, it gives us the tools we need to realise a whole new level of performance in a high-end hospitality setting”.
A shoot-out with other systems was arranged at the nearby Hotel AMANO Grand Central, with the group’s owner and key management present. “As soon as we fired up the ID Series system, I got goose bumps” continues Markus. And it seems that everyone else in the room felt the same, as requests quickly followed to install NEXO systems in three other AMANO Group properties in the city.
“We started at the Hotel AMANO East Side, using 8 ID24s with a pair of IDS110 subs in both the restaurant and rooftop bar, with power and processing from NEXO DTD/DTDAMPs” reports Markus. “The systems sounded fantastic throughout, with no dead edges. Critically, the systems are able to accommodate the changes in use that have become an essential part of modern hospitality, particularly in a city like Berlin. Restaurants and bars can morph into club settings when the DJ arrives, with customers expecting the same high quality sound that they would experience in Berlin’s larger nightclubs, albeit in a small setting”.
With this requirement for versatility at the heart of the system design, all sources are available in all rooms via a series of Dante matrixes. Raum+Schall has established three levels of operational access for users; Level 1 being straightforward volume up/down, Level 2 allowing the addition of new sources such as a DJ mixer or microphone and Level 3 allowing full access to the system. The installer provides training and ongoing technical support, with remote access to all systems.
Subsequent installations at the AMANO Group’s Berlin properties include 5 X ID24 and 1 X IDS110 sub in the JOSEPH Restaurant at the Hotel AMO with 6 X ID14 and 1 X IDS110 in the restaurant garden, 4 X ID24 each in the restaurant and bar at the Hotel ROMY, and installations of ID14s with IDS108 subs in the conference rooms at the Hotel AMANO East Side. Showcasing the cuisine of Israel and Tel Aviv in particular, the Restaurant MANI is the location for Germany’s first installation of NEXO ePS speakers.
“NEXO really understands installed sound and gives us the products and support we need to meet the expectations of our most demanding clients” concludes Markus Lienhart. We view these projects as a partnership between the client, the installer and the manufacturer, with everyone focussed on delivering the highest possible levels of performance with the lowest visual impact in what are often very prestigious and beautiful spaces. In this respect, NEXO truly delivers”.
For further information on AMANO Group Hotels, visit: amanogroup.de
For further information on NEXO ID series, visit: nexo-sa.com
For further information on Raum+Schall, visit: raumplusschall.de
Photography: Jens Bösenberg
