The importance of music in the hotel servicescape
Being a professional pianist married to a husband who is an hotelier, I’ve had the opportunity to visit and stay in many star class hotels including branded chain hotels in almost every part of Sri Lanka. Very often, I’ve wondered as to who in the hotel decides on the selection of piped music that is played in the lobby and public areas? Because, I found that most hotels don’t seem to have got it right. Don’t get me wrong, whilst I agree that deciding what soundtracks to play on different days and times, comes with many challenges, such as, understanding what kind of hotel it is, its objectives and its target audience...leaving it to the manager or a front desk employee to decide or allow the preferences of one person simply doesn’t work.
Designing a playlist is both art and science. Reputed hotels usually have different musical lists for each moment of the day. During my younger days I used to play the piano at some of Colombo’s premier hotel lobbies. At one iconic heritage hotel, I played during breakfast and lunch; softer tunes in the morning; more cheerful ones for lunch and something more relaxed during dinner-times.
A tuneful melody kindles one’s love for music. It is also an engaging and powerful tool that creates thoughts, emotions and behaviours of the hotel guests, enhancing their experience, whilst uplifting your brand and hotel identity in a competitive and crowded field.
The main area in a hotel, where music has this affect is the reception, the restaurant and the bar. There are other spaces such as the spa, pool and gym as well. Because they are thematic areas, the music played must be of a specific rhythm, speed and style. Then again, the hotel lobby has one vibe, the restaurant another, the bar its own, and the pool yet another, and the music has to be tailored to each. Remember that the vibe in the lobby (including other public spaces), can also vary – when busy and when not busy!
Studies carried out reveal that the speed of music has the power to influence the desired effects on customers within a particular space and time. In other words, our heart “adapts” to follow the speed of the music. Depending on the zone of the hotel and the objective one wishes to achieve in each zone, one must consider raising or lowering the BPMs (Bits per Minute) – of the musical tracks. People tend to move parts of their body to the sound of music. Fast music excites and accelerates the heart rate, whilst the opposite happens when slow and relaxed music rhythms are played.
The hotel lobby is one of the most challenging places for hotels. This area will be the one that will cause the first impressions in your clients including those who come, perhaps tired, maybe even irritable after a long flight, or all fired-up to enjoy every minute of their visit. Ideally, the playlist for the lobby should range from soothing classical to light / contemporary jazz to popular all-time favourites. A setting where there is an energetic atmosphere and where guests can stay longer to enjoy themselves (e.g. Bar Cocktail lounge, ‘Happy Hour’) can have lively music, even provided by a live band performing in the evenings.
In a restaurant serving Chinese food, listenable oriental music could be dished out to harmonise with the décor of the venue and the aroma and taste of the food – thus elevating the overall dining experience. In the gym, the music may have to be fast and furious to increase the heart rate of the keep fit tribe, whilst on the other hand chill out music at the spa will lower the heart rate.
I’m dismayed when chill out music is played continuously; It’ not that I am biased against this type of music, but I wonder where has the good music of other genres gone? When one is forced to listen to it for an endless period, it begins to sound like ‘hold music’ (music that is played repetitively over the phone), I switch off. Thankfully, I can fall back on my mobile and ear phones to listen to music that puts me ‘in the mood’.
A hotel that has a library of music, with a playlist of classical, perennial standards, contemporary jazz and pop, to bossa novas and chill out selections - however modest it may be, is better positioned to maximise on its sensorial marketing efforts.
Lastly, do not forget to update your playlists regularly and add a fresh and motivating touch to your hotel’s music.
Mehroon Wahab is Director Sales/Admin for Hospitality Sri Lanka. The writer, a former Media representative for ‘Spa Asia’ in Sri Lanka and the Maldives and is a professional jazz Pianist and composer. Her originals can be viewed online on YouTube and on Spotify. She is an avid birder and wild life photographer apart from teaching English online as a second language.
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