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It’s no secret that lighting can influence a person’s mood and mindset. Mood lighting itself exists, after all, and is often used to create a relaxing and atmospheric place to be. In this article, we will take a look at hotel style lamps and how to use them to affect the lighting psychology of your property.
Hotel lighting design is an important element of any hospitality property. It only takes a few seconds for your hotel to make an impact on your guests, and it is important that their first impression is a great one.
Hotel lighting and guest emotions go hand in hand with one another. People find themselves in unique states at a hotel that they don’t at other places; that is to say, most people arrive at a hotel feeling tired and weary from travelling. Because of this, your commercial hotel lighting should cater to this experience.
How Does Lighting Affect One’s Mood?
Understanding the relationship between lighting design and guest behaviour is the first step in creating emotional lighting in your hotel. Studies have shown that the colour temperature of a light is able to influence the manner in which the brain processes emotional stimuli.
A lot of this comes down to the invention of artificial lighting. While it is convenient in the way it provides illumination when there is none elsewhere, it has also taken a toll on the human body at the same time. This is owed to the disruption of the circadian rhythm which sunlight, or blue light, more specifically, can significantly impact.
Blue light during the daytime helps to stimulate certain centres in the brain responsible for emotional regulation and memory processing. At night, this changes. Warmer colours positively affect the mood at night. Indirect light such as those from hotel sconces can also play a role.
Cooler lights have the power to make people feel:
- Alert
- Focused
- Awake
- Energetic
- Productive
Warmer lights, on the other hand, inspire feelings of:
- Calm
- Serenity
- Relaxation
- Quiet
When guests arrive at your hotel, lighting and comfort as they relate to one another will be immediately noticed. Make sure it counts.
Warm vs. Cool: Which Lights Belong in Various Hotel Areas?
The emotional impact of lighting can be manipulated by the use of cool or warm light, depending on the type of space you want to light.
- WORKSPACES AND MEETING AREAS – Whether you have a room with an available guest computer or pride yourself on your elegant meeting rooms, proper lighting is important in these spaces. Guests on business trips need to be at their sharpest in these locations.
For this reason, you should consider including cool lighting in your meeting rooms and business centres. This will help guests feel alert and focused for work.
- GYMS – Another area where bright, cool light is preferred is in a hotel gym. Gym-goers don’t want to feel sleepy and relaxed while they work out. They want to feel awake and energized. Cool light in the gym can help accomplish this.
- FRONT DESK AND LOBBY AREA – Besides any hotel exterior lighting you may have, the reception area is one of the first that your guests will encounter when entering your property. Therefore, hotel foyer lighting needs to be taken into account.
Be mindful of guests who are tired from the road while still making it bright enough to see when checking in. Choose warm white lights for this area to accomplish this.
- GUEST ROOMS – The ultimate area of calm and tranquility in a hotel, the guest room is prime real estate for implementing hotel lighting for relaxation. Hotel bedside wall lights, hotel ceiling lamps and even hotel floor lamps come into play in these areas.
Layering the lighting with warm white lights for task, ambient and mood lighting is an important step in creating serene and even romantic lighting in hotels. Conversely, you may choose to include cooler lights for work desk areas in the rooms.
- HOTEL BATHROOM LIGHTING – Part of hotel room lighting includes the bathroom attached to the suite. If you want to make it an intimate spa-like experience, place warm white lights in this area.
- DINING AREAS – Since guests will be using the dining areas most around dawn, the light needs to be gentle and welcoming. Choose warm white lights here, especially ones with modest lumen levels to keep them relaxing.
- HOTEL EXTERIORS – Feelings of safety can also be inspired in guests with hotel light fixtures outdoors. Custom hotel lighting can be implemented here to ensure the façade and entryways are both well lit. You can also incorporate pathway lighting leading along footpaths toward the hotel to give guests confident feelings when approaching the property.
- HOTEL HALLWAY LIGHTING – Using hotel wall lamps and lighted room numbers, you can guide your guests down the corridors to their rooms. Choosing warm light for these areas will ensure they don’t feel assaulted by abrasive, cool lighting in the middle of the night.
Tips for Lighting a Hotel for Emotional Impact
With everything from hotel wall sconces to ceiling lights to hotel bedside lamps at your disposal, you can create an atmosphere that is perfect for your guests. There are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind when planning your hotel lighting.
Perhaps the most obvious is going to be the guest experience. Since the main goal of hotel lighting is to improve upon their time at the hotel, you’ll need to prioritise lighting that can accomplish this. Hotel wall lights are one of the most versatile ways to do this, as they can be used in absolutely any area of the hotel.
Some locations in the hotel will benefit from adaptable and dynamic lighting, such as any restaurants or bars you may have. Having brighter light during the day and romantic, low lighting at night can improve the guest experience no matter when they come in.
As stated, colour temperature plays the largest role in the lighting psychology of a hotel. Be sure that you are including the right temperatures in the right locations, such as warm lights for hotel room lighting and cooler lights for work and wellness spaces.
Brightness levels come into play alongside the colour temperatures. Different locations inside of a hotel will require different levels of light from hotel lamps. For example, a hotel reading light should be dimmer and easier on the eyes, while business and meeting areas should be bright and highly visible.
Providing ample task lighting will also contribute to the guest’s comfort and enjoyment of the space. Task lighting, such as lights around mirrors or vanities, in closets, over desks or by the bed will make the space feel more convenient and accessible for your guests. Hotel bedside lights are a must-have when installing task lighting, for example.
What Else Affects The Guest Experience?
Besides lighting, there are other ways you can positively impact your guests on a positive emotional level during their stay:
- CHOOSE COMFORTING COLOURS – When painting the walls or choosing furniture, be sure to use colours that match your hotel’s personality while creating a soothing feel. For many people, all-white rooms feel too clinical and bright to exist in. Choosing colours such as dark blue, purple, warm beige and other such hues can warm up any guest room.
- COMFORTABLE FURNISHINGS – Be sure your guests have a nice place to relax in or out of bed by choosing quality furniture. Dining chairs, lobby chairs, desk chairs and beds should all be purchased with guest comfort in mind.
- FLOORING – Convey a certain attitude and atmosphere in your hotel with flooring that fits. An opulent property can inspire a feeling of elegance with white pearly floors, while smaller, cosier inns may benefit from dark wood or carpeting.
- ART – Hang art around the hotel to inspire a comforting and homey feeling. Choose art that conveys specific emotions to help influence those of their viewers.
Hotel Lighting Ideas
Create a relaxing hotel suite with the use of the Elegante Round Recessed LED Bedside Reading Light. This bedside light is discreet with its recessed design that sits flush with the wall when not in use. It turns on just by pressing the light head to tilt it outwards, and you turn it off by tilting it back into the faceplate. The light generates 206 lumens of 3000k warm white light, perfect for reading. It is available in black, white or silver to suit your hotel’s aesthetic and measures 110 millimeters in diameter.
Help your guests easily find their rooms with the 4 Watt Illuminated LED Hotel Room Numbers. These modern room number signs feature laser cut numbers in the centre through which 400 lumens of 3200k warm white light shines. You can also order cool white light variations if you prefer. This surface mounted light is fashioned out of durable aluminium with an opal acrylic shade on the end. The light reflects back onto the wall behind it due to the shade. It measures a total diameter of 162 millimeters.
Add elegant bedside lighting with the LWA322 3 Watt Recessed LED Reading Wall Light. This wall light features a recessed backplate with a movable light head. Pop the head out to turn on the light, and push it back in to switch it off. The lamp generates 120 lumens of 3000k warm white light to help guests relax in bed. It comes in your choice of black, brushed copper or polished chrome depending on the style of your hotel. Overall, the light measures 180 millimeters long by 105 millimeters wide.
Light up your reception and front desk area beautifully with the LDC727 20 Watt 2000 Lumen Recessed Anti Glare LED Downlight. This recessed bar light is perfect for the front desk due to its anti-glare design. Ten 2-watt LED bulbs are situated inside the fixture, so they won’t cause glare when guests look up at it. The light generates an ultra-bright 2000 lumens of 3000k warm light, ideal for long reception desks. It measures 285 millimeters in total length.
Accentuate the hotel entrance with this chic LWA398 20 Watt Black Outdoor LED Wall Wash Downlight. This wall light attaches to the wall’s surface and generates 1600 lumens of 3000k warm white light. It shines a 38-degree beam angle down onto the wall below it, washing it with illumination. You can also mount it in such a way that it functions as an uplight instead. This durable aluminium fixture is rated IP65 to ensure it is waterproof and measures 170 millimeters in height.
