With 26 cinemas and no fewer than 9 million spectators every year, MK2 defends a unique vision of cinema. In 2021, the group will open its very first cinema-hotel in Paris, the Hôtel Paradiso. To guarantee the fluidity and reliability of this unique experience, MK2 called on Wifirst to design and deploy a high-end unified network capable of supporting intensive guest and business use, while ensuring the security of its networks.
// THE USER EXPERIENCE CHALLENGE
Each of the 34 rooms and 2 suites has been designed as a mini-cinema, equipped with cutting-edge technologies, enabling guests to enjoy high-definition films, streaming platforms and connected audio systems, while also serving the business (POS, VOIP, WiFi staff).
In-room experience at the Hotel Paradiso
Designing a unique immersive experience
For guests, the experience is intuitive and simple. They simply connect to their room's WiFi network by flashing a QR Code. From there, they can access the room's ecosystem: AppleTV, Chromecast (Wifirst solution), video-projector, etc... He can directly resume an episode of his streaming platform on the video projector, or play his playlist on the connected speakers. Wifirst's solution makes the most of the various interconnected services offered by the Paradiso via a tablet with the Bowo application.
View of Chromecast usage statistics in December 2024
In this context, one of the challenges was to provide tailor-made connectivity so that each room had its own VLAN network, whatever the means of access (WiFi or wired) and whatever the devices connected: room-specific devices (permanent) or guest devices (temporary).
// TECHNICAL CHALLENGES
A cutting-edge unified network
The technical solution provided by Wifirst engineering makes it possible to achieve a very high-speed unified network with the implementation of professional WiFi, which reduces the risk of interference and provides a wider wireless spectrum, thus meeting the network's high usage requirements.
Meraki switching infrastructures provide visibility and control over the network, as well as a scalable, robust connection. The installed Ruckus R320 access points ensure uniform, reliable connectivity, while each room has its own VLAN, guaranteeing performance and security.
In terms of security, we had to make sure that our solution allowed rooms to be well isolated from each other to prevent a resident broadcasting content to another room, but also that guests after their stay on site, were no longer able to access the room. This is made possible by RAN, Wifirst's flagship technology.
Illustration of Wifirst's unified network for the Hotel Paradiso
The architecture deployed at the Hotel Paradiso is a perfect illustration of Wifirst's ability to support ambitious, innovative projects. By combining technological expertise with knowledge of the specific needs of the cultural and hotel sectors, Wifirst is helping to reinvent the customer experience. In concrete terms, this translates into a WiFi booking score of 9.4/10.
"We took our promise of a cinema in every room literally, opting for the best technologies available, both for image and sound, and for the network infrastructure. To make this possible, we needed a network system that was extremely reliable and enabled simultaneous film distribution to all hotel rooms in high definition."
Nathanaël Karmitz
Chairman, MK2 Group
