Audio and video for NYC hotel lobbies.
The lobby sets the tone the moment a guest walks in. We design and install AV that runs reliably all day in a busy space: digital signage, background music, wayfinding screens and bar and lounge systems, coordinated with hotel management and scheduled around your guests.
Each zone has its own amplifier channel and volume, and the playlist and level for each daypart are set on a schedule. Staff can still adjust a zone from its wall panel.
Every part of the lobby, each on its own terms.
From the front entrance to the bar, each zone is designed for its job and managed on its own.
Digital signage
Lobby screens for promotions, events and brand messages, on commercial displays rated for long daily hours. Staff update promotions, event schedules and welcome messages from any computer or tablet, with no IT visit.
Background music
Lobby, lounge and bar each get their own zone and volume. Soft music in the lobby and more energy at the bar, both from one interface, playing from a commercial music service licensed for public play or your existing licensed source.
Wayfinding screens
Screens by the elevators and entrances with floor maps, event schedules, restaurant hours and amenities, so guests find their way without stopping at the desk. They run on the same software as the lobby signage: change an event once and every screen follows.
Bar and lounge AV
Screens for sports and entertainment, and ceiling speakers placed so the music adds energy without drowning out conversation. The bar is its own audio zone, so guests at the bar and guests at the desk each get the right level.
Front desk and concierge screens
Staff-facing screens at check-in show operational information; guest-facing screens in the queue play local recommendations, amenities and promotions, so waiting time is useful time.
Coordinated with hotel operations
Work is planned around check-in, checkout and occupancy. Drilling and noisy rough-in happen in low-occupancy windows; finish work and testing can happen in normal hours. Cable runs inside walls and ceilings, never as surface conduit over tile or marble.
One ballroom, two rooms or one.
When the operable wall moves, the sound system has to follow. A sensor on the wall track tells the control system, and audio, displays, microphones and wall panels split or combine with it.
Wall closed, two events. Each salon has its own source, its own speakers and its own microphone, and each wall panel controls only its own side. Neither event hears the other through the sound system.
Wall open, one event. The panels stack in the pocket, the sensor reports it, and the system joins the rooms: one source on both displays, all twelve speakers at one volume, either panel in control.
Wall closed, one audience too big for one salon. The presenter in A is relayed into B: B's display shows A's source and B's speakers carry mic A. Mic B is off so there is no loop between the rooms.
Commercial-grade equipment, built to run every day.
A hotel lobby never closes. The equipment has to be rated for that, and consumer gear is not.
Commercial displays
Long daily hoursCommercial displays are rated for long daily hours, many for 24/7 use, and come with commercial warranties. A consumer TV is not meant for all-day signage. Commercial panels are also brighter for sunny lobbies and can be managed remotely.
Distributed audio
70 V · zonedMulti-zone amplifiers with a level for each area, usually on 70 V lines with a transformer tap on each speaker. Speakers are placed from the ceiling height, room size and finishes, not just spaced on a grid, so there is no hot spot under a speaker and no dead spot between them.
Digital signage players
Remote managedCommercial media players with remote management, mounted behind the display. Staff change content from any computer or tablet through web-based software, with no on-site IT visit.
Cabling behind every screen
In-wall ratedEach display gets its HDMI and Cat6 in in-wall rated cable inside the wall or ceiling, and a recessed outlet behind the screen for power, coordinated with the electrician. No extension cords, no power strips and no cable hanging down the wall.
AV rack in back of house
Equipment roomAmplifiers, media players and distribution equipment live in a ventilated AV rack in the back-of-house equipment room, serviceable without entering the lobby. Adding a zone or replacing a component later does not mean rewiring the system.
Zone control
One interfaceLobby, bar, lounge and check-in each run their own content and level at the same time. Control from a wall panel in each area or from one interface in the back office: set the levels once and adjust them through the day.
From site survey to staff handoff.
Four steps from the first walkthrough to a working lobby system and a trained staff.
Site survey
We walk the lobby with the GM or facilities manager and map display locations, speaker zones, cable routes and the equipment room. Ceiling type, wall materials and pathways are checked before anything is specified or ordered.
Design and approval
Equipment list, placement drawings, cable routing plan and the content management approach, for your review. We go over peak occupancy, check-in and checkout windows and blackout dates before work begins. Nothing is ordered until you approve the plan.
Installation
All cable runs concealed in walls and ceilings, displays mounted and connected, and the audio installed and tuned. Rough-in is scheduled in low-occupancy windows, and finish work and commissioning at times that keep guest impact low.
Staff training and handoff
Staff are trained on the content software, zone volumes and basic troubleshooting. We leave written documentation on site with the system layout, the zone map and step-by-step instructions, so the next manager does not start from scratch.
Hotel lobby AV, answered.
Can installation be done without disrupting hotel guests?
Yes. Drilling, wall cuts and rough-in cabling are scheduled in low-occupancy windows agreed with hotel management. Finish work, such as mounting displays, connecting equipment and tuning audio, can happen in normal hours with little guest impact. Check-in peaks, checkout times and high-occupancy periods are part of the plan from the start.
Who manages the digital signage content after installation?
Hotel staff, through web-based content software that needs no IT skills. They update promotions, event listings and welcome messages from any computer or tablet. We set up and test the software before handoff, train your staff on it and leave written documentation on site for new staff. If your IT team wants to take over content management, the system supports that too.
What type of displays do you recommend for a hotel lobby?
Commercial displays, not consumer TVs. A lobby display runs most of the day, every day. Commercial displays are rated for long daily hours, many for 24/7 use, are brighter for lobbies with a lot of daylight, carry commercial warranties and can be managed remotely. A consumer TV is not meant for all-day signage. We pick the size and model for each spot on the site survey.
Can you integrate with our existing hotel management system?
It depends on the system. Some signage platforms connect to property management system (PMS) software to show event schedules from the booking system and keep wayfinding screens current. We check compatibility between your PMS and the signage platform during design. If a native integration exists, we configure it; if not, a web-based data feed or a connection built with your IT team is often possible. We tell you plainly what works with your setup before anything goes into the design.
How do you handle audio licensing for background music?
We install the hardware; the music license is the hotel's responsibility. As general information, not legal advice: personal streaming accounts such as Spotify or Apple Music are licensed for personal use, not for public play in a business. We can connect the system to a commercial music service licensed for public performance, such as Mood Media, Rockbot or Soundtrack Your Brand, or to the licensed source you already have. We go over the options during design so you can plan for the license.
Audio and video for every kind of business.
Ready to upgrade your lobby AV?
We design a system that fits your space and your brand, from signage to distributed audio, installed around your guests and documented for your staff.