From large resorts to cozy boutique hotels, success in the hospitality industry depends on creating a strong brand and offering an experience that keeps guests coming back. A thoughtful, innovative lighting design is a crucial piece of bringing a hotel’s architecture and personality to life. In this month’s blog, we look at 6 reasons why hotels place a particular importance on lighting design.
To create a mood
From the moment guests arrive, a hotel aims to immerse them in a particular experience. A property may want to exude elegance and sophistication, generate a funky rock ‘n roll vibe, or foster a cozy, welcoming feel. A hotel’s brand needs to be clear from the moment guests approach the entrance and enter the lobby. Effective illumination might not be the first design element we think of when we think of establishing a brand, but without a good lighting scheme, the architecture and décor will not stand out.
A bright, airy lobby full of natural light can create a sense of excitement, particularly for a vacation destination. Bright colors create a youthful, energetic vibe, while cooler sophisticated lighting can establish a sense of professionalism and efficiency for business travelers. Directional lighting can highlight artwork or notable architectural features of the lobby. Lighting can also help communicate if the lobby and communal areas are designed to be social gathering spaces or if the hotel’s brand is more quiet and reserved.
Larger hotels that include event spaces also need effective lighting to distinguish between the different uses of those spaces. The same ballroom may be used for a wedding reception, a large meeting, or a trade show. In each case, the atmosphere created needs to impart a very different vibe and ensure the space is meeting the attendees’ needs.
To guide guests through the hotel smoothly
On a more functional level, lighting is key when it comes to facilitating movement through a hotel. Above, we mentioned directional lighting drawing the eye to aesthetic features, and the same principle is important when it comes to making the check-in desk, elevators, or other important areas visible to new arrivals.
Visitors often arrive at a hotel feeling tired or jet-lagged from the journey to this particular destination. Groggy guests first and foremost need to be able to check in and get to their rooms quickly, and particularly when it comes to a hotel with a large lobby, poor lighting can create the image of poor planning and even worse, poor customer service. Lighting in public areas such as lobbies, hallways, recreational facilities, or dining areas should help guests find their bearings and easily recognize where they can find the services they need or simply rest and enjoy the space.
To make rooms ergonomic and keep guests coming back
So far, we have looked at lighting in the more public spaces of a hotel, but what about guest rooms themselves? Just like the bed, bath, and other amenities, lighting is critical in making a room feel comfortable. First and foremost, lighting controls need to be easy to find and operate. Whether it be figuring out the room shortly after arrival or waking up in the middle of the night feeling disoriented because the room is unfamiliar, guests need to be able to turn the lights on without too much hassle.
While light switches might not be the first thing you consciously remember about a hotel, bad control design is a common guest complaint. Effectively designed controls can go a long way towards making a good impression. Many hotels are even embracing technology and incorporating connectivity that allows guests to control the room’s lighting with their smartphone, reducing the time a guest might spend trying to figure out where a light switch is. These touches help create a modern, cutting-edge feel.
Hotels also want lighting that does not take up space, to help rooms feel bigger and less cluttered. Hotel furniture trends tend to favor smaller surfaces than in decades past. As a result wall fixtures tend to take precedence, rather than large lamps, in order to free up space on smaller nightstands. Thoughtful lighting can also become a hook that makes a room stand out and keep a guest coming back. For example, smart bedside lighting that allows one guest to read at night without disturbing anyone else sleeping in the room can be one of those features that a guest really appreciates. Unobtrusive night lights can also benefit guests and help bolster the hotel’s desired aesthetic.
To shape how guests perceive the space:
We have looked at how lighting can impact guests’ perception of a hotel’s aesthetic, but lighting also plays an important role in how we perceive the actual layout and size of a space. An abundance of light can help a room feel larger than it is, keeping a relatively compact space from feeling cramped. Harnessing or approximating natural light can help make a room feel more spacious.
Well-designed hallway lighting can also make a corridor feel taller to create a sense of elegance, or simply feel shorter, so that a weary guest does not notice a long walk from the elevator to their room. Indirect lighting can trick our perception to see ceilings as taller, and strategic patches of light can impact how we perceive distance.
To keep energy consumption down:
Energy efficiency is an important goal for most hotels, for several reasons. Cost savings is an obvious benefit, but reducing energy consumption can also be a helpful marketing tool. Guests are increasingly concerned with the environmental impact of their travels, and any steps a hotel can take to show they are working to minimize energy consumption can be a true selling point, even a reason guests intentionally seek out when making their hotel choices.
By incorporating smart controls and automated lighting systems, hotels can make sure that spaces are well lit when needed, for the comfort and safety of their guests, but that energy is not wasted when no one is using a space. Hotel staff is usually too busy to monitor lighting throughout the property and monitor which lights need to be switched off, so sensors and automation can save a great deal. Relying on a thoughtful lighting scheme that harvests daylight effectively and avoids over-illumination also helps keep a hotel looking its best while keeping expenditures down.
To create a better work environment for employees
We have focused our energy on the guest experience, but guests are not the only people spending their time in a hotel. Lighting also needs to take hotel staff and their needs into consideration.
Task lighting needs to be effective to boost productivity and help avoid errors. Desks or kiosks that handle payments should be well-lit to maintain an atmosphere of transparency and security. Lighting options that help housekeeping staff give a room or other space a good final review to catch any straggler dust bunnies or streaks helps with quality control. Making sure the space avoids over-illumination is also critical to employee performance, a topic we have explored in an earlier blog.
When lighting design works, it is easy to maintain, it eliminates hazards, it saves money, and when all this is done right, the lighting itself is not what stands out. By prioritizing effective lighting design, a hotel can truly realize its vision. The right lighting benefits everyone: creating happier guests, more productive staff, an enhanced overall atmosphere, and a healthier bottom line.