// Case study
Park Row
Connectivity underground in the heart of London
It was a simple decision to call in Marston’s Telecoms, the UK’s hospitality technology specialists.
Stuart Singer,
Director of communications, Wonderland
Project overview
Park Row is an astonishing gastronomic experience inspired by Batman’s Gotham City, the first such DC (Detective Comics) extravaganza anywhere in the world. A partnership between Warner Bros. and Wonderland Restaurants, it is home to five restaurant and bar spaces three floors underground in central London.
It draws inspiration from some of Gotham City’s most famous (and infamous) residents and features fine dining, live music, edible helium balloons and the world’s first levitating cocktail!
Packed with Instagrammable moments and welcoming 499 customers at maximum capacity, this premium immersive experience needs outstanding connectivity to deliver the wow factor to delight every guest … and impress the influencers clamouring to upload instant content to social media.
Only tech experts at the top of their game could rise to the challenge. So for Wonderland Restaurants, it was a simple decision to call in Marston’s Telecoms, the UK’s hospitality technology specialists.
The challenge
Stuart Singer, Wonderland Director of Communications, explains.
Park Row is the culmination of five years of work, a unique concept in an incredible space. Our setting is part of the Art Deco Listed former Regent’s Palace Hotel (the biggest in Europe in its day), the centrepiece being the historic ballroom with its pillars, rose-gold metallic inlay ceiling and chandeliers.
Our underground location, coupled with the demands of robust WiFi for nearly 500 people, multiple EPOS and staff walkie talkies, meant we needed an exceptional IT solution. I knew of Marston’s reputation in the hospitality sector and as soon as I called them it was clear they would go above and beyond for us. Their deep knowledge and expertise proved invaluable.
The response
Marston’s Telecoms has provided: a 1GB / 1Gb Ethernet circuit for the best WiFi speeds, stability and reliability, all set up to switch over to another circuit if there is ever a failure; multiple WiFi access points to guarantee coverage; walkie talkies and headsets for staff that work seamlessly across the entire site; a hosted voice phone system; hardware all cabled back to and centralised in a comms cab; installation, testing and commissioning of all equipment; ongoing maintenance and support.
The team stood out in many ways. I really appreciated how they:
- talked everything through in simple terms, explaining how the systems work for those of us who are not tech experts.
- made frequent site visits to understand the grandeur of the venue and the challenges it presented.
- never tried to upsell equipment we didn’t need, instead recommending proven solutions that would give us the best value.
- even took on the role of project managing our other IT providers for streamlined, integrated delivery.
“Marston’s talked everything through in simple terms, explaining how the systems work for those of us who are not tech experts”
The result
Park Row is reaping the benefits of the superb connectivity that the business requires to run without a hitch and that our customers love. The ability for them to share amazing moments on social media is crucial to their enjoyment and to spreading the word about our new concept.
We have diners creating content in situ as they film and instantly upload unbelievable moments such as:
- a dessert with a red rose dipped in liquid nitrogen and crushed on to the plate
- the secret entrance to a Bat Cave hidden behind a bookcase
- floor-to-ceiling pulse lighting (referencing the echoes in a bat cave)
- edible helium balloons
- cocktails poured from a picture frame
- a haze mist door way
- our penguin-on-a-plinth artwork
“Marston’s deep knowledge and expertise proved invaluable.”
…and the world’s first levitating cocktail, created in collaboration with scientists from the University College London. Two TikTok posts alone have together reached
750,000 views!
The verdict
With most of our customers aged 25-44 and heavy social users, we are driving huge numbers of eyes to our concept and we absolutely depend on resilient technology. We now have a very robust solution with WiFi saturated through our whole premises, five-star support and the peace of mind of
disaster recovery should we need it.
Thank you, Marston’s Telecoms, we are really happy with our choice of technology partner.
Stuart Singer,
Wonderland Director of Communications
Project details
- Client: Park Row
- Sector: Restaurant
- Location: London
- Scope: Connectivity
Park Row, London