Whether we're visiting a hotel for business or pleasure, the right atmosphere is important for us to feel comfortable and at home from the very first moment on. In order to create the optimal atmosphere to suit every situation, the right lighting plays a crucial role.

 

Intensity, color and location of lighting fixtures are all key components, and each helps to create the appropriate atmosphere and determines how we perceive a given room, space or area.

 

From exterior lighting, we perceive upon arrival at the hotel, through the lobby, reception and public areas to the elevator, stairway and hallways and further on the hotel room, bedroom and bathroom, the right lighting in hotels are massively influencing our perception of any hotel.

 

 

Hotel lighting design

Because lighting is used for much more than just to illuminate, we often use the term lighting design – for example in relation to lighting in hotels, where lighting is a part of both interior design as well as exterior design in the same way as decoration and furnishing.

As such, lighting fixtures can both be used as a design feature themselves as well as they can be used to highlight architectural, decorative and conceptual aspects or features.

But when is lighting design supporting a room, a space or area and when does it steal all the limelight? Sometimes you want one and sometimes you want the other and it can be a delicate balance.

At Louis Poulsen we believe that the shape of light creates space and our products live harmoniously within the space they define - indirect, soft and inviting.

We often find Louis Poulsen’s new and classic light fixtures mingle with well-considered décor and carefully selected pieces of vintage furniture by well-known designers at hotels across the planet, providing consistent design themes throughout hotels, adding to each hotel’s unique atmosphere.

 

Hotel room lighting

While many guests - whether their stay is business or pleasure - primarily use their hotel room for a good night’s sleep, each and everyone is different with varying needs and expectations. As customers we have grown used to personalized experiences, where we are able to control close to anything. The possibility to control lighting to suit one’s individual wants and create the right atmosphere in one’s hotel room is an integral part of a personalized hotel experience.

 

Modern hotel lighting design must also accommodate evolving needs of guests. Take for example laptops, tablets and E-readers – business or pleasure, they follow us everywhere and when designing hotel room lighting, we must cater for that. A good work light, such as a desk lamp or adequate bedside lighting for reading is essential parts of modern hotel room lighting design.

 

Hotel bedroom lighting

Even when it comes to the good night’s sleep, hotel guests will have varying needs and expectations. Some can’t get the room dark enough, while others prefer varying degrees of light turned on during the night. Adequate hotel bedroom lighting accommodates this both with dimming controls and the ability to easily kill of all lights in the room from one switch.

Hotel bathroom lighting

Lighting design in hotel bathrooms must accommodate different requirements than lighting design for the rest of the hotel room. Whether guests are staying for business or pleasure, the bathroom is where guests prepare for their day. In order to do one’s make-up or hair properly, we need plenty of bright, natural-colored light.

 

 

Hotel lobby lighting

We don’t get a second chance to create the perfect first impression – lighting for the hotel lobby and reception is important in order to create the most welcoming atmosphere and support a professional impression when guests meet the first representative for a hotel.

Reception, lobbies, foyers and other areas of transition in hotels are still evolving these years – from operating with separated entities; foyer, reception/check-in, restaurant, bar, lobby etc., those areas are more often remodeled into open spaces, where several different functions happen in one or two large areas.

Professional lighting design can support a flexible interior design - for example by mixing diffused and direct light, where the direct light is used as functional light, which is directed down to a surface and thus used to create zones in the interior.

 

Hotel pendant lighting

It is possible to accommodate the need for flexible interior design in open spaces with pendant lighting by installing light rails. This makes it easy to move the pendants as needed and thus also allows the pendants to hang further down, rather than having to float high up in large spaces, when this design supports the wanted atmosphere.

 

 

Hotel corridor lighting

When it comes to lighting design in hotels, corridors and hallways are in risk of being overlooked. Receiving little to no natural sunlight, it is important to prioritize corridor and hallway lighting design. As such, hotel lighting design in corridor and hallways supports several purposes – one of these is as a guide through transition areas guiding guests to and from their hotel rooms and elevators, stairways and emergency exits. Another purpose is to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere whether guests are arriving or leaving their hotel room. Furthermore, it is important to highlight, that in areas like these, which needs to be operational around the clock, the ability to intelligently control the light is required in order to operate as energy efficient and sustainable as possible.