5th Annual Pro AV Spotlight Awards Best Hospitality/Restaurant/Casino AV Installation: The Marlin Hotel, Miami
Jul 16, 2012 3:23 PM
Award Winners
Best Education AV Installation
Best Healthcare AV Installation
Best Entertainment/Arts AV Installation
Best Corporate AV Installation
Best Government AV Installation
Prestige Audio Visual International, Miami Beach, Fla.
A new owner wanted to complement The Marlin’s rich history with 21st century renovations that deliver guests a truly personalized luxury smart home experience. Upon arrival, guests receive an iPad to use during their stay. With the iPad, they can control all the lighting, audio/video, heating/air conditioning, and open and close the drapes in their room. Guests can also tap into the hotel surveillance cameras. All video can be displayed in their room on a 60in. flatscreen HDTV, and audio streams in through 5.1 surround sound speakers in the bedroom and bathroom.
As guests control these various systems on their iPad, they can see the image of their hotel room, which changes to reflect what the room looks like (i.e. when the lights are turned up in the room, the lights in the room on the picture get brighter). It’s a lot of convenience and customization for a less than $100,000 install.
This control is via Savant’s Apple-based automation system and iPad control interface. There is a distinct sense of personalization to each suite as guests can use a Savant Media Dock to access audio and/or video content from their own iPhone or iPod—some of the same comforts they would enjoy at home. Once an Apple iOS device is docked, the Savant System will quickly recognize the connection.
Intuitively, the room’s iPad will display the new media source and enable guests to search and play their personal media content (videos and music) stored on their cradled iPod or iPhone.
Since The Marlin is an Art Deco building, wiring was more difficult than with a typical job. One of the more demanding tasks, labeling, required diligence with every wire and close collaboration between Prestige, the wiring company, ADE Corp., and Savant to create explanatory documentation of the wiring for each room.
During the restoration, the dry wall was taken down so that iPod docks could be installed next to the bed. This allows guests to dock their iPad or iPod system and gives them the ability to turn off all systems in the room with the push of a button. The system is installed in each of the 16 guest rooms in the hotel. In addition, there is also a unit in the hotel bar. The Marlin’s Bar staff can easily create the desired ambiance for hotel guests by playing centralized music streams from multiple formats and sources to set the mood and enhance the bar’s surroundings.
Key hardware included 12 LG 60in. TVs (one per room), two 47in. TVs (for the two smaller rooms in the hotel), and two more 60in. TVs in the game room; Tannoy speakers are installed throughout. The Savant system consists of 14 Savant RSC-0007 ROSIE system controllers (one per room); four Mac computers for the Savant system; two more Mac minis—one runs the iTunes for the building and another runs the LED lighting system. Lutron Homeworks System, 14 in-wall iPod docks from Savant, Pioneer receivers in every room, and two Savant RSC-0025 system controllers complete the system. The Savant Tru Control software was customized to the Marlin colors and theme, which guests interface with on their iPads.
