Seven hotel lighting mistakes, and how to avoid them
Lighting is one of the cheapest parts of a hotel to get right at design stage, and one of the most expensive to fix after opening. These are the mistakes we see most often on hospitality projects.
1. Designing for the render, not the room
Renders show an idealised glow. Real rooms have dark wardrobes, patterned fabrics and guests who read in bed. Check the design with photometric calculations and, where the budget allows, a mock-up room, before ordering in volume.
2. One light level for every time of day
A guest arriving at noon, going to bed at midnight and waking at 3 a.m. needs different light. Plan layers (ambient, task, accent), dimming and a few simple scenes, including a low night path to the bathroom.
3. Inconsistent colour
Mixing 2700 K and 3000 K sources, or sources with different colour rendering, is noticeable in a corridor or a lobby. Specify colour temperature and rendering explicitly, ask for tight colour tolerances, and keep the same family of sources across adjacent spaces.
4. Glare where guests look up
Lying on a bed, sitting in a lounge chair or standing at a bathroom mirror, guests see fittings that designers rarely look at. Shield sources, check sightlines, and keep bright sources out of the direct field of view.
5. Controls decided last
Dimming and control protocols affect which drivers and fittings you can use. Late decisions lead to flicker, noisy dimming and fittings that do not work with the chosen system. Decide the control strategy together with the fixtures, and ask suppliers for confirmed compatibility.
6. Forgetting maintenance
Who changes a fitting 5 m above a lobby floor, and with what? Consider access, replacement parts, product availability over time and warranty terms. A beautiful fitting that is discontinued after two years becomes a problem when a few units fail.
7. Value engineering in the wrong place
Late substitutions with “equivalent” products are common. Define what equivalent means in the specification: photometric performance, colour, finish, dimming compatibility and certifications. Otherwise the character of the space changes with the substitution.
A note on independence
We represent Vibia in Central and South-Eastern Europe, so we know their products well. The points above apply regardless of brand.
How we can help
Alongside representation, we occasionally support hotel and hospitality projects with lighting consultancy, from concept to fixture selection and coordination with the design team.