Luxury hospitality group Château Monfort selects March Networks video surveillance system

One of Italy’s grandest hotels has upgraded to a state-of-the-art March Networks video surveillance system. Château Monfort, a five-star hotel located in the centre of Milan, is part of Italy’s luxury Planetaria Hotels chain. Planetaria Group operates four and five-star hotels in some of the country’s most popular destinations.

Video surveillance for events

Improving the performance and efficiency of video surveillance at Château Monfort was the primary reason the Planetaria Group turned to March Networks.

“Our video surveillance solution had to provide maximum safety for our guests, and deter any illegal activity,” said Hotel Manager Stefano Risolé. “We were particularly concerned about security for some of the large events we host, where visitor numbers increase and the risk of theft is much higher.

“The reception desk is always open and our staff are always present and available, but we wanted the added assurance of a real-time monitoring and security system,” noted Risolé.

24/7 monitoring of premises

Château Monfort wanted to upgrade its older video surveillance system with a solution that enabled comprehensive monitoring of its premises 24/7. It was also important to have access to technical support in order to promptly resolve any performance issues. The Planetaria Group knew it could count on March Networks, having already deployed the company’s video technology at the Hotel Pulitzer, its five-star property in Rome.

A world leader in the business-to-business (B2B) security sector, with many years of experience in banking, retail and hospitality, March Networks was able to demonstrate how its intelligent video solution could meet the hotel’s strategic challenges.

After evaluating various options, Château Monfort selected the March Networks Command Enterprise video management solution with server-based recording.

“It is essential for a prestigious hotel like ours to have the highest-quality video security system that is proven to be both reliable and easy to use,” said Risolé. “Our choice was influenced by the need to protect the hotel’s reputation. We needed a system that would be fool-proof. Human error can lead to mistakes, and we want to guard against this at all costs.”

System scalability

The March Networks system allows Château Monfort to investigate reported incidents of missing or damaged property while making sure that privacy is always respected. Authorised staff have access to live and recorded video as required, and can monitor the hotel remotely from any networked location. Equally important, the system is scalable, ensuring that Château Monfort will be able to take advantage of technology advances in the future.

“March Networks has expertise in the design and supply of products and solutions to meet the most demanding security requirements,” said Paolo Romanò, March Networks Regional Sales Manager for Southern Europe. “Our focus on innovation and the development of cutting-edge products supported by great service has proven to be a winning formula and has been fundamental to our growth and customer satisfaction.”

Video surveillance solution features

Installed by March Networks certified partner Hitech Madness in July 2015, Château Monfort’s video surveillance solution includes 40 March Networks IP cameras, with models such as the MegaPX WDR MiniDome Z, and three Edge 4e Encoders to digitise video captured from existing analogue cameras. It also includes a Dell server pre-configured with Command Recording Server software and internal RAID5 storage to ensure redundant data protection, even in the event of hard disk failure.

The solution is set to automatically overwrite recorded video after two days to comply with Italian privacy legislation.

Security staff and the hotel’s director can access live and recorded video captured by surveillance cameras installed on every floor of the hotel via March Networks Command client software.

Château Monfort uses the Command client to display the various interface screens for configuration and video review. The software is very intuitive, with menus organised in a logical way to help less technical users configure the system in a few steps. User privileges and more complex camera and alarm configurations are also easy to set up using rules and conditions.

System users are able to quickly search for recorded video by scanning thumbnail images and export video evidence together with explanatory notes for follow-up by law enforcement.

Constant monitoring for crime prevention

“Château Monfort has used March Networks products from the beginning, following specifications drawn up by the main contractor,” said Gioele Colombi of Hitech Madness. “I have been very satisfied with the quality of the solutions and the excellent price performance ratio.”

“Three years after the hotel opening, and with various upgrades since, the technical support provided by March Networks remains flawless. Technical and marketing support are always available and very professional. In the security sector, issues can occur, but with the approach taken by March Networks, resolutions are easy to find.”

Hotel manager Stefano Risolé said the video evidence captured by the system has proven extremely useful on more than one occasion.

“Using our March Networks video, we were recently able to identify the cause of damage to a valuable, ornamental statue located in one of our public areas. More than that, the police have used the recorded video to investigate a theft that occurred in front of the hotel entrance.”

Thanks to March Networks and Hitech Madness, Hotel Château Monfort is able to rely on a stable, scalable and high-quality video solution that provides comprehensive surveillance throughout the property. The image quality and ability to access the system remotely allow staff to constantly monitor the premises and guard against critical situations.