Portugal - Billed as a ‘destination hotel’, Immerso, Ericeira’s first five-star hotel, is a relaxed retreat away from the world’s hubbub but close to the Portuguese capital of Lisbon. Since premium audio forms a crucial part of the overall visitor experience, the Immerso team turned to Genelec’s 4000 Series installation loudspeakers.
Guests at Immerso can indulge in a range of wellness activities including sunrise and sunset yoga and pilates sessions on the beautiful wooden deck overlooking the valley.
For the audio system, the hotel owners contacted local Genelec distributor, Garrett Audiovisuais, on the recommendation of well-known music producer and composer Elvis Veiguinha, who was responsible for developing the hotel’s sound identity. “Elvis has known us for more than 30 years,” explains Garrett’s Raul Fernandes. “He introduced us to the management team, and after our detailed discussions, we were contracted to develop the audio project for the entire hotel complex. Given the premium nature of the project, we chose a Genelec 4000 Series loudspeaker solution.”
The brief was simple – to achieve superior, studio quality sound that would be comfortable to listen to at any volume with no change in performance. According to Garrett, Genelec offered the best solution. “We opted for the sleek yet powerful 4020 models throughout the chicest areas of the hotel – that is to say, the restaurant, the bar and the lounge area,” notes Fernandes. Eight 4020s serve the restaurant and bar, while a further four loudspeakers are installed in the comfortable lounge area.
“We added an in-wall 5041 subwoofer in the restaurant to reinforce the low end, as well as a pair of the ultra-compact and discreet 4010s in the spa/wellness zone,” he adds. Systems from other brands serve in the outdoor and more casual areas of the hotel.
“Genelec offers so many advantages for this type of application,” continues Fernandes. “As active loudspeakers, we don’t have to worry about finding space or managing cabling for external amplifier racks – which makes installation much quicker, easier and neater. The elegant aesthetic of Genelec installation loudspeakers makes them easy to integrate into premium environments.
For control, source selection and the management of other parameters, Garrett opted for a solution from CUE Systems which offers intuitive fingertip control via a touch panel, as well as a mobile app. A three-zone media player from Audac acts as the sound source.
“We’re delighted with what we achieved at Immerso, and so is the client,” reflects Fernandes. “It’s a truly beautiful space characterised by simplicity and elegance – it’s an organic concept designed to be in communion with nature. These are all values that Genelec espouses, so even philosophically, Genelec was an excellent fit. At a practical level, Genelec delivers everything we need – beautiful aesthetics, excellent sound, long-term reliability and ease of installation.”
