IN LAIN Hotel Cadonau
“Today we’re right where we want to be.”
Dario Cadonau, proprietor of the IN LAIN Hotel Cadonau
The story in brief
Natural, freshly prepared cuisine paired with an ambition to offer guests an unforgettable experience – this is Dario and Tamara Cadonau’s recipe for success at the IN LAIN Hotel Cadonau in the village of Brail, Switzerland. And Swisscom’s integrated IT and TV solution works behind the scenes to ensure service of the highest calibre.
Dario Cadonau discovered his passion for fine dining when he was still an apprentice. This passion gave rise to culinary artistry that did not go unnoticed. Cadonau went on to work with several top chefs – among them Philippe Rochat, Daniel Bumann and Harald Wohlfahrt.
From filleting knife to sledgehammer and back again
At the age of 26, Dario Cadonau’s dream was to run his own hotel restaurant – and rebuild the 450-year-old family-owned farmhouse in the village of Brail, Switzerland. But all of the banks he approached considered the project too risky. "So I hung up my cook’s apron and became a construction worker for the next three years," he recounts. Together with his brother, father and his team of workers, he transformed the Engadine-style building into the homely and stylish IN LAIN that is now home to three restaurants: La Stüvetta, Käserei and VIVANDA (17 Gault&Millau points and one Guide Michelin star). A good year after opening, at the beginning of 2012, he then went on to open the farmhouse's elegant annex with its cosy Swiss pine suites.
Putting an end to unpredictable IT costs
"Today we’re right where we want to be," says Dario Cadonau. "We want to offer the absolute finest in quality." To maintain this high standard, however, this called for an innovative mindset: "For example, we methodically document our guests’ preferences in the CRM system." Roughly two years ago, Cadonau took on the project of upgrading the hotel’s IT and TV services. Why? "Up until then, we had four different partners for IT and TV. A muddle of interfaces often generated friction and costs that were not always easy to justify. Swisscom offered us an appealing integrated solution that included fibre internet, hardware, telephony, cloud, security, maintenance and support."
“As our partner, Swisscom ensures we are always technologically up to speed.”
Dario Cadonau, proprietor of the IN LAIN Hotel Cadonau
Relief on the technical front
The new solution has brought a host of benefits, says Cadonau: "Now we have just a single partner and pay a fixed, budgeable monthly fee for everything. The WLAN is finally fast enough, and we use our info channel on the in-suite TVs to provide guests with a variety of information, including our dining options. The cloud provides a solid foundation for the various software specific to our industry. We can work anywhere from any device, which makes life easier for us. When it comes to security, we have strict internal guidelines – and trust Swisscom’s expertise for guidance. Now we have a modern solution that properly meets our needs. As our partner, Swisscom ensures we are always technologically up to speed."
