Malmö’s The Mill hotel has recently reopened after a complete renovation. Part of the successful Nordic Choice chain, The Mill boasts 244 rooms, ten conference rooms of varying sizes and a highly specified gym. All of the conference rooms and the gym are now equipped with Genelec sound systems with Crestron control.

Nordic Choice turned to leading Swedish integrator Informationsteknik to design, supply and install the A/V systems throughout the hotel. With offices in Stockholm and Malmö, Informationsteknik is one of Sweden’s leading suppliers of customised solutions of audio, lighting, and video technology for meeting and conference spaces.

Named after the various spices that are sold at the famous Möllevångstorget market nearby, hotel conference rooms each benefit from its own colour scheme – in accordance of the spice after which it is named. Cocoa, saffron and cinnamon are just some of the names that have inspired the décor. Among the requirements specified in the brief was the need to match the technology with the décor.

‘When we were asked to find a comprehensive solution of very high quality, it emerged relatively early on that a decisive factor would be how the technology could be colour-matched to match the interior,’ notes Gustav Rue from Informationsteknik’s installation sales department explains. ‘Genelec proved to be the perfect solution, both in terms of quality and aesthetics.

‘We selected a variety of models from the 4000 Series of installation speakers depending on the size of the room,’ he continues. ‘As far as quality is concerned, their clarity and vocal intelligibility is second to none. They are also incredibly reliable, which is important for a busy hotel conference environment. However, what really made the difference for this project was the fact that we could custom paint the speakers in absolutely any shade to precisely match the colour palette of each space. As you move from room to room, the feeling is completely seamless.’

‘We deliberately chose to invest a little extra in technology in our meeting rooms as we wanted the best possible experience for our guests,’ says hotel manager, Burim Sumiq. ‘We’re right in the centre of Malmö and only 30 minutes from Copenhagen so we’re ideally placed as a business hub.

‘We wanted to focus on sound and speaker experience, but with a special proviso: our conference rooms are really something quite special, each with a unique and carefully designed colour scheme, so it seemed important to us to find a company that could deliver a solution that could match the interior without compromising on sound quality. Our local integration partner, Informationsteknik, recommended Genelec, which I already knew to be a brand that stood for quality and fantastic sound.

‘However, once the speakers were installed and we heard them for the first time, I was literally blown away. The sound was quite simply amazing. Best of all, it didn’t need to be excessively loud, the clarity and intelligibility at low volumes are superb, and that is really important for our guests – they don’t need to hike up the volume in order to have a great sound experience.’

Rue is delighted to have a happy client: ‘It’s always satisfying when the customer is happy, and in this instance it’s not just about the technology, which is of top quality, it’s about the whole aesthetic experience, and Genelec really came through for us at every level. They are a great partner to work with – always helpful and engaged in our customer’s project, and of course, they make great-sounding loudspeakers.’

More: www.genelec.com