Certainly, given the number of factors
outside of a hotel’s control, designing
a guest room that rivals a home
bedroom is a challenging proposition.
However, there are a number of
details – many fairly cost-effective –
that could go a long way to ensuring
guests have a restful, comfortable
night’s sleep when they are away from
home. Here are a few ideas:
THE BED
The bed remains the heart of the
guestroom and a key investment
toward achieving your guest sleep
experience goals. Hospitality sleep
solutions are different by design
because they have to be. They
have to stand up to years of guest
use – and abuse. At Serta Simmons
Bedding, our sleep technologies are
designed to be commercial-grade,
so they provide reliable performance
and durability. They also include
exceptional warranties and are backed
by responsive customer service to
minimize business disruptions.
Bedding technology continues to
evolve. The latest innovation in
mattress technology is all about
temperature management design
– from the inside out. For example,
our Beautyrest® Hospitality lineup
features exclusive DualCool™ fiber
technology, providing the first
layer of temperature control with
antimicrobial silver, to absorb and wick
away moisture. Below that, AirCool®
foams allow for the circulation of
air, keeping heat from accumulating
in the mattress. Coupled with the
support and motion control delivered
by our exclusive Beautyrest®
Pocketed Coil®, all of this technology
keeps the bed cooler, ensures lasting
performance and allows guests to
sleep cooler and more comfortably.
ROOM LIGHTING
The effects of too much screen time
on sleep are well documented. And
while that’s not something a hotel
can hope to impact, they can look at
38 ILHA
creating smart room solutions that
improve the guest experience. For
example, sensor-based technology
can be used to immediately dim lights
when a guest uses their keycard to
access their room, establishing a
calming, tranquil environment. The
same system can also light a guest’s
way in the dark to the bathroom and
simulate sunrise in the morning to
allow him or her to awaken refreshed
and ready to take on the day.
Why is lighting important? As it
pertains to sleep, our body’s physical,
mental and behavioral changes are
regulated by our Circadian rhythm.
The daily changing of light (day to
night) heavily influences circadian
rhythms and smart lighting can play
a huge role in helping a person fall
asleep, regulate sleep/mood and even
wake up.
NOISE REDUCTION
While not all sources of noise are
within a hotel’s control, many are.
Leaky faucets, buzzing light fixtures,
and loud HVAC equipment should be
addressed immediately before guests
have the opportunity to complain.
Your housekeeping staff is often your
first line of defense here. Adding
potential sources of noise to the
room checklist allows maintenance
to resolve any identified issues
immediately.
Housekeeping won’t vacuum
carpets during these established
timeframes and bellman will carry
bags by hand
• Install soundproof windows
• Install soundproofing technology
to soundproof walls, floors, and
ceilings in high-traffic public
areas like restaurants, bars, and
ballrooms
• Install carpet over wood or tiled
floors and use sound-absorbing
panels in public areas
• Sound masking systems can be
installed in guest rooms, creating
pleasurable white noise
• Install thicker doors with a door
sweep at the bottom to seal out
hallway noise
Building a quieter hotel – or making
soundproofing enhancements to an
existing one – does require additional
investment. But losing guests because
they had a horrible night sleep could
prove costly in the long run.
CONNECTED SLEEP
• Eliminate connecting doors
between adjoining guest rooms Connected sleep and all its potential
benefits is certainly on the horizon
and squarely in our sights as an
industry leading sleep solutions
company. Given the amount of time
a person spends asleep – a third of
your life! – imagine what a connected
bed could do and learn about you?
One that adapts to you, your sleep
environment – whether at home or
in a hotel of your choice – and works
in harmony with other connected
devices to deliver the best sleep and
recovery possible. A connected sleep
system could track not only how you
sleep, but also your heart rate and
potentially other biomarkers, all while
remaining hidden (no device to wear).
• Create quiet zones during specific
hours to accommodate different
classes of guests – families
with small children, daytime
sleepers like airplane crews, etc. The sensor technology exists now for
hotels to create a truly personalized,
innovative guest sleep experience.
Are you ready to take yours to the
next level?
The best time to address sound-
proofing, of course, is when a
property is being built or remodeled.
Short of that, there are a number
of ways to mask or muffle noise.
Here’s a quick overview of what hotel
properties have done to keep the
noise level down in and around guest
rooms and increase guest satisfaction.