AV excellence isn’t just about a quality installation. Clifford Victoria explains how a truly distinctive London hotel harnesses AV to break new ground.
When it comes to a successful AV system in hotel environments, the installation is half the battle. To deliver exciting experiences with unique USPs, hotels require an imaginative and audacious AV team to deliver world class experiences.
For Clifford Victoria, audio visual & production manager at The Londoner and his team of AV experts, this is exactly what sets them apart in one of the most unique hotels in the world.
Originally covered in an exclusive Inavate case study [See Inavate September 2021], The Londoner is described as the world’s first ‘super boutique’ hotel, located at the beating heart of London’s prestigious Leicester Square in the west end of London.
This luxurious five-star resort boasts 16 storeys filled to the brim with comprehensive audio and video systems, with six levels extending 30 metres beneath the surface of London’s most recognisable landmarks.
Its scale is astounding with 350 bedrooms and suites, six restaurant and bars, three beautiful guest-only spaces at The Residence, an urban wellness retreat, two screening rooms, as well as the ‘crown jewel’ of the venue: a 1,000-capacity ballroom with dazzling lighting and projection technologies for a plethora of events. The Londoner brought on Arup in a consultancy capacity and integrator Visual Systems to install an AV system that compliments the hotel’s sprawling art collection and lavish interiors.
Fast forward to 2025, and The Londoner stands proud as a standout London landmark for hospitality and events, with its AV systems offering a new level of value and experience that set this hotel apart from its competition.
This system is in the hands of Clifford Victoria, where he leads an experienced AV and production team in both the day-to-day running of the hotel’s systems and its prestigious events.
Victoria explains: “I have a background in audio-visual event production and audio engineering. My journey began in the Middle East, in Kuwait, where I worked primarily with luxury hotels, serving high end clients. I later launched my own business in India, focusing on audio technology, and conceptualising events for clients. Working now in the UK, I have the privilege to be working with a brilliant technical director, Kathryn Soave, who introduce me to the world of technology. I initially managed other hotel properties within the group before moving to The Londoner, which, with its cutting-edge technology, is the perfect place for me to apply my expertise.”
The Londoner is home to a diverse range of technologies designed to accommodate its equally eclectic client base. From a seamless audio experience throughout the hotel’s lobby, bars, liminal spaces and restaurants, to a cutting-edge ballroom that hosts high-profile events for internationally recognised brands and clients, the hotel offers innovative experiences.
These range from immersive light shows and car launches to avant-garde concepts, such as kinetic balls moving around the ceiling to transform the look and feel of the ballroom. The hotel’s AV team rises to the challenge of meeting the needs of not only the traditional hotel experience, but also the demands of corporate clients in meeting rooms and event specialists, ensuring the same level of quality and ease of use that The Londoner’s customers have come to expect.
Victoria continues: “This is one of the few pillarless venues where everything is set up and ready for you as soon as you arrive. In other venues, you have to bring in all the cables, mixers, speakers, and lights, which can be costly and time-consuming. But at The Londoner, everything is integrated. The technology is all set up, and within half an hour, you’re good to go. This space essentially functions as a studio – just connect the mixers, and you’re live. All the audio runs on Dante and is network-based.
“Additionally, the space is broadcast-ready, with the ability to connect directly from an OB van parked in the loading bay to the ballroom. The connections include single/multi-core fibre, SMPTE, SDI, Ethernet, and XLR. Clients appreciate that they can focus on what matters to them, rather than spending half the day setting up. The goal is for clients to get in, get to work, and get out.
“We offer a flexible and scalable system, with dedicated support to tailored packages for each client. Everything is fully centralised from our control hub, ensuring seamless management. The Londoner accommodates a wide range of events, from live and virtual to hybrid experiences, as well as immersive 360-degree video projections – all within a single space. That’s the unique advantage of our venue. While it requires extensive planning and careful coordination, we have a large, supportive team to ensure everything runs smoothly. We work closely with our clients, brainstorming and refining ideas, and it all ultimately comes down to meticulous planning.”
A combination of high-tech AV combines with a thorough, introspective planning process to ensure that the AV systems and the AV team are ready for any challenge or difficulty that may arise, identifying any potential risk or vulnerability for each event, and using the highly flexible and redundant hotel AV system to accommodate for any eventuality.
Victoria explains: “With technology, things can sometimes go wrong, and we always plan for that. Our systems are so reliable that we have built-in failsafes. For example, if something stops working on our SDI system, we can seamlessly switch to HDMI without anyone in the room noticing. From audio and video to lighting, every aspect has a failsafe in place. If an issue arises, we quickly switch to the backup system, whether it's internal or external. When working with external suppliers, the AV support remains consistently high, always meeting our exacting standards. We also partner with our in-house preferred supplier, All Safe and Sound, to ensure the highest quality tech and production. This collaboration helps us stay ahead of the curve and solidifies our position as a one-stop shop for all things AV.
“Our infrastructure is exceptional, not just from an AV perspective. You can go six floors underground and still have access to 5G or 4G networks. Everything, from Internet to phone lines, operates seamlessly. We also have a large, dedicated team working behind the scenes day and night to ensure constant support, even though it’s not something clients always see.”
Despite playing a central role in the delivery of The Londoner’s impressive array of technology, Victoria is adamant that it is teamwork that makes the dream work: “I wouldn’t be where I am without my team. We take great pride in being a small but highly effective group, working alongside a larger, like-minded team that supports each other no matter what. The seamless audiovisual experience we provide to our guests is where we truly excel. Our core team is simply outstanding.
“We don’t stand still here. If you look at The Ballroom from when the hotel opened to where it is now, externally it may look the same, but the way we handle lighting and sound has evolved significantly. We’ve made numerous updates to make the experience even more seamless. When there are no events, we're constantly experimenting— trying out new technologies and innovating. We’re also keeping an eye on future possibilities, like integrating AI and immersive technologies into our systems as a unique addition. Time doesn’t wait for anyone, so we have to keep moving forward. We love testing new concepts, taking risks, and that mindset is paying off.