Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics IBP
Opened door of hotel room with key in the lock
Acoustics in hotels and restaurants
Room acoustic solutions promote a guest’s sense of well-being
Guests usually associate a hotel stay with expectations such as relaxation, well-being, comfort and, sometimes, even luxury. However, acoustics may be the source of certain stress factors. A “quiet room” is therefore high up on a guest’s wish list, whereas a “badly soundproofed room” is high up on the complaints list. The importance of acoustics, however, goes far beyond the hotel room: it also plays an essential role in the entire guest area because guests should feel comfortable and want to come back again as soon as possible.
Good acoustics are more than just peace and quiet. They also affect privacy in the room, confidentiality at the reception, speech intelligibility in the restaurant and conference room and, last but not least, relaxation in the wellness area. If just one of the factors is found to be unsatisfactory, this can create a negative impression for guests. One or two restless nights are remembered for a long time – ensuring good acoustics in all areas of a hotel is thus an investment in the future.
To achieve this, room acoustics are key. While perhaps less important as far as hotel rooms are concerned, it plays a major role when it comes to a guest’s sense of well-being and the amount of time spent in common areas, enabling people to have a pleasant conversation or to relax. Noise from the kitchen is especially perceived as unpleasant and disturbing, not only by guests but also by the staff. Thus, measures to reduce noise in the kitchen area can benefit everyone.
This calls in particular for the development of measures to reduce noise in the field of building and room acoustics. In addition to state-of-the-art laboratory equipment, our experts use modern development methods such as room acoustics simulation to assess the effects of sound absorption and propagation.
The goal of our work is to develop acoustic products, as well as concepts for high-end applications in restaurants and hotels. One thing always has top priority: the satisfaction of our users and customers.