Table of Contents
Hotel lighting is a critical aspect to consider when you are designing the overall property. From setting a mood to communicating a brand to ensuring guest comfort, we offer some tips below on how to get hotel lighting right.
The Importance of Good Hotel Lighting
Both hotel interior lighting and hotel exterior lighting play a large role in the overall atmosphere of your property. It can affect everything from guest perception of the property to their comfort and willingness to return. With quality interior lighting design in your hotel, you can create a better, more memorable experience for your guests as a whole.
Besides the aesthetic value, hotel lighting can also make the hotel look and feel safer. A well-lit exterior on a hotel not only deters intruders but may make guests feel more comfortable approaching the building at night. Guests value a sense of safety when looking for somewhere to sleep at night, and your hotel can provide it by implementing a few illumination techniques.
Dos and Don’ts of Hotel Lighting
To get your hotel lighting right, there are a few things you should keep in mind. From lighting fixture selection to lighting layout, check out a few tips below.
DO: Understand the Hotel’s BrandÂ
A hotel’s brand identity is largely responsible for making impressions in the minds of guests. People seek out different things in hotels depending on their taste; some like upscale, ultra-modern properties, while others may prefer the warmth and cosiness of a rustic inn.
Knowing the personality of your brand can help you portray a strong brand image. With hospitality lighting, you can convey your brand’s identity and make it stand out from the competition. Figure out the aesthetic design, vision and target marker of the hotel to start getting a clearer idea.
You should also figure out what key attributes you want to draw attention to with your brand’s identity. You can use colour to influence the perception of that brand alongside the lights as well as the materials used. For example, a rustic, cosy style inn may prioritize softer, warmer lighting and traditional materials. Luxury hotels will usually require fixtures that are sleek and sophisticated.
Take some time to research the style and theme of the hotel that you want to drive home. Then, everything from hotel bedroom lighting to lobby lighting can be designed with that aesthetic in mind. Take into account the light fixtures, light temperature, brightness and similar factors when choosing lights to fit your brand’s identity.
DO: Make sure you consider the comfort of guestsÂ
Above all else, you need to ensure your guests are comfortable on your property. They will be looking for somewhere inviting and safe from the start, and your light choices can influence that.
Begin meeting those needs with hotel entrance lighting that leads into a reception area with beautiful lobby lights to immediately set the scene. Once guests are inside and settled, their lighting needs become a little more specific.
Hotel bathroom lighting and bedroom lighting are among two of the most important things to consider. Give guests ample lighting in both areas as well as the ability for them to use them how they prefer. Put lights on separate controls and add dimmer switches so that your guests can customize the space to be exactly what they like. Achieving lighting ambience with dimmer switches also helps in setting a mood.
Lighting and relaxation go hand in hand so keep that in mind when designing communal spaces and hotl rooms alike. Providing task lighting in workspaces, accent lighting in relaxation areas and ample ambient lighting everywhere else will provide a balanced look that is easy on the eyes.
Similarly, you can design your lights around circadian rhythms. Promote a more energetic feeling during the day with brighter, cooler lights and a relaxing atmosphere at night with softer, warmer lighting. In the same vein, avoid having ultra-bright lights outside of the hotel rooms so you aren’t disrupting their sleep.
DO: Make the most of the natural light availableÂ
Natural light goes a long way as a part of your lighting design aesthetics. By maximizing the amount of natural light on the property, you can make it feel more open and spacious. This is particularly important in modern hotels. Generally speaking, you can also make smaller hotels feel larger by installing more windows and skylights in the entry and lobby areas.
Natural light is also more comfortable than artificial light for many people. When you flood a space with natural light, you are likely to make a better impression on your guests during the day. If you have minimal access to natural light, there are ways to make the most of it. For example, you can optimize what you do have with reflective surfaces and metallic finishes that will help bounce the illumination around.
DO: Layer lighting in all areas of the hotel
Layered lighting is a key part of lighting design in any building, especially in hotels. Layered lighting refers to having multiple layers of light known as ambient, task and accent lighting.
Ambient light refers to the overall illumination in a space. Whether it’s the lobby or the hotel bedroom, having quality ceiling lights will provide the main illumination layer. Pendant lights, chandeliers and recessed lights are all excellent choices for such cases.
Task lighting is a style of light meant to make it easier to see during certain activities. You’ll see this often in business suites, conference rooms and desks in a suite in the form of table lamps. Hotel restaurant lighting also prioritizes task lighting with pendant lights hanging close to a table’s surface.
Accent lighting is what is responsible for the decorative illumination in the space. This light is designed to accentuate architectural elements, artwork and any other visual points you want to accentuate. Accent lighting is also commonly used as mood lighting and is particularly beneficial to communicating a brand’s identity.
DO: Use smart controls for the lighting schemeÂ
Smart controls are convenient, both for you and for your guests. By setting your hotel garden lighting on timers, for example, you can have confidence there will always be a light shining in the dark without your interference.
From a guest’s standpoint, smart controls give a greater sense of comfort and will let them relax in the perfect amount of light for them at any given time. They can control lights using smart panels or their voices, letting them customize the finer details of the light just how they like them.
Smart-controlled lights are beneficial for hotel owners. Not only are they hands-off, but they also make for eco-friendly hotel lighting. With greater energy efficiency, you will require less electricity to run the lights in the hotel. This will translate to smaller energy bills, which is important in a hotel where lights are on in some way or another 24 hours a day.
DO: Enhance architectural features in the hotelÂ
One of the biggest advantages of LED fixtures is the versatility that they provide. LED bulbs come in a variety of colour temperatures and brightnesses that you can use to your advantage, especially where accent lighting is concerned. Accenting architectural elements with light is the perfect way to communicate your brand’s personality while showing off its most attractive features all at once.
With quality accent lighting, you can draw attention to the visually interesting areas of the hotel. Key features such as arches, columns, tall ceilings and decorative mouldings can all be accentuated with architectural lighting. Facade and landscape lighting on the hotel’s exterior can make the property stand out from the road while entryway lighting can lead guests into the property itself.
There are many tools you can use for the job from wall grazer lights that show off the texture of a wall to spotlights that direct a sharp beam of light to a certain area. All you have to do is position the light in such a way that it draws attention to the detail at hand.
With the various positioning options, you can play with light and shadow to create a more dynamic and dramatic appearance. Using shadowing effects can emphasize certain areas to draw the eye. Shadows can also bring depth and dimension to a drab-looking area of the hotel.
DON’T: Ignore lighting energy efficiency
The future of hotel lighting resides with LED bulbs. LED lights have many benefits over traditional sources of illumination such as halogen or incandescent bulbs. One of them is the energy efficiency they offer.
LED lights use 80 percent less energy than halogen bulbs, turning energy directly into light instead of first turning it into heat. Because of the lessened use of electricity, you can expect your power bill to decrease as well.
In places like hotels where things such as hotel foyer lighting and hallway lighting are always on, electricity bills can mount up quickly. By using LED bulbs from the start, you can cut down on those expenses and put them towards other parts of the hotel.
Energy efficiency is also good to have if you want to show guests you are a green company. Less energy consumption means fewer resources used, which makes it gentler on the environment.
DON’T: Ignore regular maintenanceÂ
Cleaning hotel lighting is an important task to undertake if you want to get the most out of the light fixtures for years to come. It’s a good idea to do the rounds on all of the lights with regularity. To maintain your lights, be sure to:
- PERFORM THOROUGH INSPECTIONS. Check hotel reception lighting, bedroom lighting, lighting in public spaces and outdoor lighting alike.
- CLEAN THEM OFF. Dust or wipe away dirt and debris to prevent it from blocking the light source. Be sure to clean fixture housings, bulbs and lenses.
- SEEK OUT SIGNS OF WEAR AND TEAR. Look for deterioration, wear and other damage like flickering lights, discoloured housing or cracked lenses. Address them straight away.
- LOOK FOR LOOSE CONNECTIONS. Ensure the wires and other electrical components are secure to prevent dimming, flickering or other operational issues.
- MAKE REPLACEMENTS. If you notice any faulty components, replace them to ensure maximum performance.
- MAINTAIN CODE COMPLIANCE. Lighting safety regulations and other electrical codes need to be adhered to. It’s a good idea to have a qualified electrician come in and check that everything meets the legal standards once a year or so.
DON’T: Overcomplicate the lighting designÂ
Lighting position guidelines tend to be very specific, which can cause you to overthink everything about the placement of the fixtures to their brightness. When it comes to lighting, it’s best to just keep it simple when possible and not overdo it.
Too much light can be uncomfortable for your guests and it can make it difficult for them to navigate to the different spaces in the hotel. Instead, use strategically placed lighting to guide them around the space while providing adequate illumination.
Overcomplicating things can also happen when you add too many unconventional lighting setups or sophisticated controls. You don’t want guests feeling frustrated just trying to turn lights on and off.
For you and your staff, it could also be a headache trying to understand, operate and maintain complicated lighting. By keeping the lighting and its operation simple, you will make it easier for everyone on the property to use and maintain the fixtures.
Hotel Lighting IdeasÂ
Make your guest rooms feel comfortable and convenient with the Elegante Round Recessed LED Bedside Reading Light. This reading light has a simple, minimalistic design available in either black, white or silver to suit the decor of your hotel rooms. It shines 206 lumens of 3000k warm white light. It also has a head that tilts in and out and turns the light on and off when doing so. Overall, this aluminium fixture measures 110 millimeters in diameter.
The LWA322 3 Watt Recessed LED Reading Wall Light is a modern bedside reading light for any hotel suite. It generates 120 lumens of 3000k warm white light that shines from the tilting head. The 30 degree beam angle it shines at is perfect for reading in bed. Simply tilt it in and out of the backplate to turn it on and off. This light is fashioned out of high quality material finished in black, polished chrome or ore-brushed copper. It measures 180 millimeters by 105 millimeters in size.
Give your hotel a modern update with the LWA438 12 Watt LED Interior Wall Uplighter Fitting. It shines 1000 lumens of 3000k warm white light up onto the wall, making it great for hotel corridor lighting. This stylish fitting features a minimalistic sheet base fashioned out of high quality aluminium finished in either black or white. It measures 230 millimeters by 130 millimeters in size.
Perfect for architectural lighting, the 24 Watt 1000mm Long IP65 Linear LED Wall Washer is an easy way to spread illumination over a large area of space. This fixture features bulbs arranged in a line that combine to generate 2800 lumens of light. It comes in your choice of 3000k warm white, 6000k cool light, blue, green or red light. Its durable aluminium body and IP65 rating make it safe for use outdoors in all weather conditions. Overall, it measures 1000 millimeters by 40 millimeters.
