Key Things to Know
- JAG Hotel in downtown St. John’s, Newfoundland, made premium audio a defining part of its luxury brand.
- Owner John Steele hand-picks the hotel’s playlist each day, treating sound as a core value rather than an afterthought.
- AV distribution and integration specialist SFM led product selection and programming alongside the hotel’s in-house crew.
- The team installed 71 Genelec Smart IP loudspeakers across the Mojo Lounge, office floor and penthouse suite.
- A Power over Ethernet (PoE) solution let the team reach the top three floors from the second-floor AV control room without extra infrastructure.
- The project shows how professional audio can shape a hotel’s identity, not just fill space with background sound.
Why Does Sound Matter So Much at JAG Hotel?
Sound matters at JAG Hotel because owner John Steele built the hotel’s identity around music. While the boutique hotel in downtown St. John’s, Newfoundland, offers the fine dining, elegant interiors and attentive service you’d expect from a luxury property, its defining personality is audio. Steele lets his musical passion shape the atmosphere, and he even hand-picks the playlist each day. That commitment makes audio quality a deeply held value for both staff and guests.
What Challenge Did JAG Hotel Face?
JAG Hotel faced the challenge of delivering studio-quality sound to its top three floors, which sit farthest from the AV control room on the second floor. Last year the hotel unveiled the Mojo Lounge, a lavish eighth-floor cocktail bar, and it needed the same premium audio across the lounge, office floor and penthouse suite. The distance between those zones and the control room made reliable, high-performance coverage a real hurdle.
The system also had to respect the space. “The Mojo Lounge was designed to reflect the hotel’s commitment to luxury,” says Jodi Rhuland, regional sales manager at SFM. “Therefore, any installed loudspeakers could not disrupt the visual identity of the lounge; they had to become part of the environment as a carefully chosen design feature rather than a purely functional necessity.” A tight project deadline added another layer of pressure.
Who Led the Audio Project?
SFM, a Midwich Group company that provides AV distribution and integration services across Canada, led the audio project alongside JAG Hotel’s in-house installation crew. Steele Hotels commissioned SFM to oversee product selection and programming for the new system. SFM’s Professional Services team, headed by Evan Nearing, handled system programming and specified the loudspeakers.
“Music is such an essential part of the JAG Hotel experience, and visitors have come to expect care and quality in the way sound shapes their stay,” Rhuland says.
Why Did the Team Choose Genelec Smart IP Loudspeakers?
The team chose Genelec Smart IP loudspeakers because their PoE design solved the distance problem while delivering the studio-quality performance the hotel demanded. The active PoE approach let SFM build a reliable loudspeaker network on the upper floors without adding unnecessary infrastructure, disruption or visual clutter.
“Genelec is a well-respected brand in both the luxury hospitality sector and the music industry due to its excellent studio-quality performance and clarity,” Rhuland says. “JAG Hotel places music at the forefront of the customer experience and Genelec’s audio philosophy perfectly aligns with the vision of Steele Hotels. On top of this, the active PoE solution of the Smart IP series was exactly the workaround we were looking for to overcome the architectural and logistical challenges.”
How Many Speakers Were Installed and Where?
The hotel’s in-house technical team installed 71 Smart IP loudspeakers across the Mojo Lounge, office floor and penthouse suite. Fifty 4435 in-ceiling models provided discreet, high-quality coverage throughout the new audio zones. In the Mojo Lounge, the team surface-mounted 21 of the larger 4430 loudspeakers, the biggest in the Smart IP range, using accompanying 8000-402 adjustable brackets.
Why Are the Loudspeakers on Display Rather Than Hidden?
The loudspeakers are on display in the Mojo Lounge because SFM wanted them to serve as both a design feature and a mark of quality. Rather than tucking the 4430 models out of sight, the team made them a prominent part of the room.
“It was a conscious decision to ensure the loudspeakers were not hidden away,” Rhuland says. “They are a prominent feature of the lounge and perfectly match the hotel’s aesthetic and values, elevating the space with design as well as purpose.”
Courtesy / Genelec
What Results Has the Installation Delivered?
The installation has earned rave reviews from guests since the Mojo Lounge, penthouse suite and offices opened last year. The system created a genuine listening experience instead of a simple background solution, which resonates with visitors, especially those from the music industry.
“The goal with this project was to create a listening experience, not merely a background audio solution, that would stand out to guests, especially those from the music industry,” Rhuland says. “Thanks to Genelec, this project is a strong example of how premium hospitality can use professional audio, not just for functionality, but for shaping its identity.”
What Does It Mean for the JAG Hotel Brand?
For JAG Hotel, the installation reinforces a brand built on foreground music and intentional atmosphere. The hotel treats sound as a core part of the guest experience, and the new system brings that philosophy to life across its most exclusive spaces.
“We at JAG Hotel don’t believe in background music, it’s something we actively avoid,” says Shawn Basha, property manager at JAG Hotel. “Instead, we believe in the power of foreground music for defining the atmosphere and identity of our hotel. With Genelec, we have been able to create a space that reflects the true JAG Hotel brand: bold, music-led and committed to the experience of our guests.”
What Can Integrators Take From This Project?
Integrators can take away a clear lesson: professional audio can be a design and business asset, not just a technical requirement. This project shows how a PoE-based system can overcome distance and infrastructure limits while preserving a space’s architectural integrity. It also demonstrates how thoughtful product selection, tight collaboration between distributor and in-house crews and a focus on the client’s vision can turn sound into a defining part of a brand.
