The lobby is as important to the hotel as a healthy heart is for the human body. It keeps the hotel going. Choosing the right music for hotel lobby is crucial because it is the first place guests step into expecting a sense of luxury or a feeling of calm after their journey. And wherever they go within or outside the hotel – to the breakfast buffet, the hotel spa or step outside to explore the city – they will always have to pass through the hotel lobby. 

Hotels spend months designing the perfect mix of welcoming yet soothing aesthetics for every property. But it’s not only the design that makes a hotel special. You also need to consider the ambiance, mood lighting, and most importantly, the music. Finding the right music for different parts of the hotel – from the spa to the lobby – is crucial. All of these come together to convey the comforting yet deluxe atmosphere every hotel wishes to achieve. If you want to read about music for hotels, you can find a detailed overview here.

First things first, where is everyone going?

Travel habits have made a 360-degree turn. The biggest part of traveling nowadays is booking a place that is cozy without compromising on luxury. A part of it is probably because travelers have become increasingly comfortable with spending more time indoors. Traveling has become as much of an escape from obligations as it is about exploration. It comes as no surprise that people are also willing to spoil themselves a little to make the best of that experience.

Now, many properties offer such a combination, but what really sets them apart is how they design their customer experience. The music for hotel lobby is a sure-shot way of pleasantly surprising the patrons right from their arrival.

Branding customer experience with music for hotel lobby

With a great customer experience comes great responsibility. And running hotels is a business of experience. Finding the right music for a luxurious and premium experience can be difficult. It, after all, is one of the first points of contact with their patrons. For an establishment, it is important to hit the right spot when it comes to enticing the senses. Almost 35% of consumers tend to spend more time in spaces where they connect with the music. 81% of people in commercial spaces find that their mood is lifted when they like the music. It also helps them relate to the brand more.

Understanding your guests’ demographic

One thing to ask yourself is: what does your typical guest look like? Is your hotel a hub for families and larger groups, a romantic sanctuary for couples, or a sleek “workation” spot for entrepreneurs and businesspersons? Or maybe, all of the above?

Answering these questions will be helpful in picking out specific genres of music that cater to specific client demographics. While you can use peppy instrumentals for younger groups, ambient music is the way to go for a more professional clientele. 

Curating playlists that fit the mood of your target group is important to creating a wholesome experience for them. For instance, if your hotel leans more towards attracting young professionals, you might want to complement their stay with music that is energetic yet sophisticated. 

Understanding your guest’s behavior & preferences

Picking the perfect music for hotel lobby can be even more difficult if your hotel attracts different types of travelers. There are so many factors to consider. While some might want to have an energy-driven start to the day, others might want to sleep in for longer. 

When do guests generally check in and check out? For instance, the level of volume must not be too loud during peak check-in hours. Do guests typically gather in the lobby around breakfast or lunch times? In the evening, some guests would prefer room service while others would be ready for a night out at the club. The overall atmosphere would be different between weekdays and weekends.

A smart way to shuffle playlists for the lobby is to categorize the day into different time groups – busiest versus slowest hours. Therefore, you should pay attention to the tempo, melody, and vibrancy of the music you choose to suit the general preferences of your guests.

Thinking about these criteria will help you choose music for hotel lobby that complements the vibe throughout the day. It will help your customers remember your hotel as much more than a temporary place they stopped at. To make this easier, Soundsuit can efficiently change moods and genres of music according to the times of the day and traffic. All you need is to tell the application your preferences.

The atmosphere should reflect the brand personality and appear as a sanctuary for the patrons who are looking for comfort more than anything else. To find the style that fits best, let’s explore types of vacation accommodations – from affordable luxury to five-star arrangements that hold customer experience sacrosanct.

Genre hunt for the music in hotel lobby

The first thing guests expect to find after their journey is respite and rest.  Hotels should offer this feeling of calm right from the get-go. Without losing the consumer to the sounds, the music can create a healthy mix of gentle vibes and refreshing tones in the atmosphere. 

For five-star hotels & resorts

The obvious suspects of holiday activity, the lobbies of resorts and five-star hotels place high importance on comfortable yet inviting decadence. The luxurious vibe should reflect in the music for hotel lobby with a hint of regional flavor as well as a refined sound of some classical base. 

For global luxury hotel chains 

These hotel chains are popular around the world because of their top-tier service and hospitality. They provide comfort and luxury. Beyond just having a high quality of basic services, they attract many loyal customers because of their special amenities like relaxation spas and swimming pools. Obviously, the music has to reflect that, too. One cannot go wrong with old-school classical jazz to detect simplicity yet sophistication.

For luxury inns & private villas

A place that offers a story to go with the stay deserves similar treatment for the music in its lobby. It should reflect the personal connection visitors are bound to feel with the architecture and mirror their curiosity about their surroundings with some jazzy tunes flowing.

For boutique hotels

An eclectic place for eclectic people looking for a place to belong and connect, the lobby should appear to be the center that attracts people who can converse with fellow travelers. The music for hotel lobby should facilitate the same and assist in building a  friendly vibe with some relaxing indie pop.

For bed and breakfasts 

For those looking for a home away from home, bed & breakfast arrangements are a great place to let the soul rest. This may make soul music the perfect companion for the patrons and the music for hotel lobby. It fits as the perfect blend of intrigue, mystery, and familiarity that B&Bs allow their visitors.

For châteaux & heritage hotels

While these places hold a lot of history they are also presenting themselves as survivors of the past and champions of the coming tomorrow. Where the atmosphere is carefully curated, the music for hotel lobby must also present itself as worthy of being a part of the aura. 

For concept hotels 

While we may think of luxury to be entirely grounded in reality, it could be quite an ethereal experience, especially with hotels upping their game by creating unique concepts that are an adventure in themselves. The music for hotel lobby should carry the spirit of adventure and otherworldliness with it and nothing says that better than synth-pop.

Translating that for you

The music for hotel lobby can help you set yourself apart not only through your core aesthetic and goals. It can also by amping up the relationship with clientele. Music adds meaning to the human experience. It has the power to lend itself to the background and yet stand out.

A vacation is an anticipation of sensory indulgence. Therefore, music for hotel lobby fits in perfectly in the puzzle to offer the best possible version of it to their guests. For every luxury humans can extract from existence, hotels have the innate responsibility of fulfilling them. Music for hotel lobby is the first place of action in the long list of customer experience designs. This is where the customer becomes a patron by finding that you care about their priorities and understand their needs.

What Soundsuit does for you

Soundsuit is hyper-aware of that and curates music for you that fits the bill. Our application, when told what you are looking for, creates unique playlists that suit your space. Soundsuit learns more as it is used more and personalizes the music to your brand personality. However, Soundsuit’s expertise isn’t limited to that. If you wish to expand the musical soiree of your hotel to different spaces, Soundsuit is still at your service.