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Design Considerations in Hotel Lighting

Many elements contribute to the success of a hotel, and hotel lighting is one that can make a huge impact in how customers perceive a hotel. Attractive fixtures enhance a room’s appearance, and bright lighting can project a cheery ambience, while dim lighting can lend a mysterious air to the establishment. At the same time, lighting must meet the needs of the hotel guests.

Whether the hotel guest is in town for business or leisure, the room should contain a variety of lights for different tasks, moods and times of day. There should be overhead lights as well as bedside and desk lamps. Bathroom lights should be bright enough to allow guests to easily perform the tasks required in getting ready for the day. A floor lamp near an easy chair provides good light for reading.

Dimmer switches help satisfy guests with different brightness needs. One room may house a businesswoman who requires ample lighting as she works late into the night on a big presentation scheduled for the next day, while the room adjacent holds a vacationing couple who desire dim, romantic lighting. Dimmer switches allow the guests to adjust the brightness to their liking.

The fixture style helps establish the ambience of the hotel, both in public areas and guest rooms. The style of the fixture should fit well within the overall decorating style of the room and coordinate with other design elements. Take shape and material into account when selecting fixtures for a particular room. For example, a modern, geometric, stainless steel fixture will look out of place in a room decorated with a traditional brick fireplace and claw foot arm chairs.