Hotel GrandBach Tokyo Ginza

Operating with the concept of ‘providing healing and inspiration through food and music’, in November 2021 Japan’s Hotel GrandBach chain took its passion for music and cuisine to a new level by opening a new location in Ginza, Tokyo. This joined its existing hotels in the Japanese cities of Atami, Kyoto, and Sendai.

For its audio system, the hotel chose Yamaha VXC Series ceiling speakers, VXL1B-8 line array speakers and VXS10ST subwoofers, amongst other Yamaha audio equipment.

To explore the aims of this setup, we spoke with Mr. Toshihiro Sato, the General Manager and Executive Chef of Hotel GrandBach Tokyo Ginza, as well as Mr. Takeshi Suzuki from Green Hospitality Management Co., Ltd. (his affiliation at the time of the interview), who managed the installation and tuning of the sound system.

Mr. Sato: “Hotel GrandBach is a brand developed by Green Hospitality Management Co., Ltd., a company which has provided operational support for numerous hotels and resort facilities. The name GrandBach embodies our commitment to offering experiences with a deep resonance, much like the beautiful harmony, serenity, sophistication and elegance found in Bach’s music. It also reflects our desire to create a hotel filled with heartfelt hospitality. Just as Bach held a deep reverence for both music and family, we strive to bring joy to each and every guest.

“We have continuously increased our pursuit of "healing and inspiration through food and music," which includes offering live performances for our guests to enjoy.

Mr. Sato: “Establishing this concept has enhanced our dedication to sound and music even further. Nearly all the background music played throughout the hotel consists of works by Bach. The atmosphere changes, depending on the time of day and season, with carefully-selected pieces providing guests with a serene environment.

“The Yamaha sound system installed on the first and second floors, along with the Yamaha soundbars in all guest rooms, were essential to achieving this experience. Additionally, the self-playing Yamaha piano in the second-floor front lobby is not just programmed to play automatically. It can also synchronize with video footage of performances and even allow guests to enjoy live piano performances broadcast direct to the soundbars in their rooms. Through these innovations, we aim to provide an entirely new way to experience ‘sound’.

Mr. Sato: “Our restaurant, Wald Haus (or The Forest House) offers Wellness Cuisine, which is designed to be both delicious and nutritionally balanced to provide a comforting and revitalizing dining experience. We want our guests to fully enjoy its unique menu, while being able to engage in conversations with one another and our hotel staff. To enhance this experience, the background music in the restaurant must be pleasing to the ear. Yamaha speakers have met this requirement perfectly.

Mr. Suzuki: “The system is very user-friendly. The amplifier is housed in the lower section of the wrapping counter, where the cashier is also located, but daily operations can be easily managed using the external control panel on the wall.”

Mr. Sato: “The speaker installation plan was nearly finalized during the early stages of the interior design process, so 240designstudio, the company responsible for the interior and logo design, carefully incorporated the shape and characteristics of the speakers into the overall design. This allowed us to install them seamlessly into the ceiling and walls, making them almost invisible. “The sound quality of Yamaha speakers exceeded our expectations. The immersive experience of being enveloped in music that seems to come from nowhere is truly exceptional.”

Mr. Suzuki: “The VXL1B-8 is extremely slim and compact, yet it delivers ample volume and excellent sound quality, making it a perfect fit for the spacious second floor area. Additionally, using the subwoofer alongside it has enhanced the depth of the sound, making Bach’s background music even more pleasant and immersive.

“Meanwhile, the second-floor Wald Tür (Forest Door) boardroom features an open kitchen, allowing it to serve not only as a traditional conference room but also as a dining space where guests can watch the chef put the finishing touches to dishes. It can also be used for food-related seminars and standing receptions for up to 30 guests. Installing the line array speakers, which provide clear and well-projected sound, was definitely the right choice.

“Furthermore, we have installed three wall-mounted control panels, ensuring that when the room is divided into two separate spaces, each area can independently adjust volume levels and other audio settings for added convenience.”

Mr. Suzuki: “At first glance the system may seem complex but, thanks to the presets programmed in the MTX3 matrix processor, daily adjustments can be easily handled using the DCP1V4S-US wall-mounted control panel.

“When simultaneous control of both audio and visual equipment is needed for specific situations, we use AMX’s touch panel interface. It's great that even staff members without any technical expertise can operate the system smoothly after just a brief training session.”

Mr. Sato: “Even before the hotel opened, we had begun an initiative where promising young artists perform on this piano in this space. Their keystrokes and pedal movements are recorded as performance data, while their performances are also filmed. So far we have archived performances from over 10 artists, totalling more than 30 pieces. By synchronizing the playback of this recorded data with the video, it creates a unique experience where it feels as if the person in the video is actually playing the piano in real-time.

“We also plan to hold regular salon concerts with this piano, offering guests an intimate experience with the artists. Live footage of these salon concerts will be available for guests to enjoy in their rooms, accompanied by the high-quality sound of the soundbar.

“With the hotel's unique Wellness Cuisine complementing the experience, I am sure that many guests with refined tastes in both music and food will want to return time and again.”