How to reduce noise in hotel rooms
One of the most common complaints in the hotels and hospitality sector in general is noise.
Noise in hotel rooms comes from different sources including guests staying in neighbouring rooms or making too much noise during their stay (including night time when the normal level of sound is lower).
There are also external noises like people entering and leaving through revolving doors, noise by traffic, air conditioning systems or other appliances which can be heard from neighbouring rooms. In fact, according to a study from the National Sleep Foundation , nearly 9 out of 10 people have reported being woken by noise when staying in a hotel or motel.
It’s important for hotels to take measures against noise in hotel rooms because it can impact negatively on guests’ sleeping and their satisfaction with the hotel stay -and can even lead to them leaving earlier than planned.
Online reviews have a devastating impact impact
In the United States there is reputable data from Statista that confirms that 65% of complaints was due to noise from other guests.
However in the United Kingdom, there isn’t any validated study, but if we’re to understand the importance of reviews based on experience, there was one study commissioned by the European Union on the effect of online reviews on the hotel industry.
Today, it is estimated that around 82% of consumers read reviews before making a purchase (ECC-Net 2013). According to an industry survey, over 90% of travellers globally referred to online sources when planning and researching their last trip and over half are likely to have used it to arrange their holidays.
How to reduce noise in hotel rooms?
It’s fair to say that in any connected building, such as a hotel, apartment or semi-detached house, it is virtually impossible to stop the transmission of sound from one space to another. But there are proven ways to significantly reduce sound transmission.
The ideal scenario is to understand the neighbourhood and the types of customer the hotel is likely to accommodate. This is not as difficult as sounds as people generally stay near to place they’re visiting.
If this hotel that caters for contractors at a near by industrial plant, you can assume that the outside noise may be influenced by near by industry and agriculture. You will also have an idea on the type of clientele the hotel attracts.
Similarly, if your hotel or project is in a busy city tourist destination; what district is it? Is there a pub and club culture nearby?
1. Insulating Walls and Ceilings
Acoustic systems that are tried and sound-tested to give architects a solution for every type of construction, which is particularly useful for hotel refurbishment projects.
Hush has designed the HD1045 MF Acoustic Multi-Panel System and HD1044 Acoustic Basement System both allow a separating floor/ceiling to be upgraded acoustically from the ceiling side only.
As a result, the floor above does not need to be disturbed. Conversely, where the ceiling needs to remain intact, the HD1030 Hush System LP allows sound reduction measures to be added to the separating floor from the floor side only.
2. Insulating Hotel Walls
Where separating walls are concerned, Hush Acoustics offers a variety of systems to treat timber and metal stud walls along with different masonry constructions.
A slim Soundproof wall lining system – HD1041 – is also available which reduces sound transmission with only minimal loss of room space, making it perfect for smaller hotel rooms.
3. Acoustic Panels and absorption materials
Hotels usually have communal spaces, such as reception areas, bars and restaurants and these can made up of mostly hard surfaces. This is when noise reverberation occurs, when sound waves reflect off hard surfaces back into the room.
The result is higher levels of background ‘ambient’ noise which gradually increases to uncomfortable levels as a room becomes busier.
The solution is to add softer materials, such as fabric sofas, curtains and carpets, which will absorb sound waves rather than reflect them, but these furnishings can often be at odds with aesthetic goals as well as adding expense and maintenance requirements.
This is another area where Hush Acoustics can help. Our range of acoustic panels or sound absorber panels, which can be mounted on walls and ceilings, is specifically designed to reduce the extent of hard surfaces in rooms.
Products such as Hush-Absorber 50 can be specified in a wide range of colours to suit the application, and a ceiling hanging solution is also available – Hush Baffles.
4. Acoustic Doors and Windows
Where external noise is the problem, a better glazing specification or secondary glazing in conjunction with wall treatments can make a big difference. But often noise issues stem from within the building and it is here where Hush Acoustics’ fully tested acoustic systems can be deployed to tackle the issues. Solid-core exterior or interior doors block noise more effectively because of their density.
Get the right advice from an acoustics insulation specialist
If you are a hotel operator, or an architect seeking to improve the acoustic environment within a hospitality setting, Hush Acoustics will help you develop a specification that delivers the perfect internal environment.
As a UK manufacturer of acoustically insulting products and systems for buildings of all kinds for over 30 years, we have a wealth of technical know-how and resources to guide you to the right solution.
