Noise
When I stay in a city hotel, the most important things for me are a comfortable bed, a good working shower, sockets next to the nightstand and fast working internet. I can live with everything else, when this is fulfilled. Except noise; this can ruin everything. The best bed does not help if your sleep is disturbed by noise.
There are many potential sources of noise. Inside the room they are minibar and air condition. Outside sources are slamming doors, noises from corridors, TV and other noises from neighboring rooms, bed heads banging against the walls, elevators, flushing noises from water, sewer pipes, showers and bath tubs. And of course the noise from outside the hotel, if the windows do not provide required noise reduction levels. I think this covers most of the sources.
What can we do about it? Slamming doors for example are a maintenance issue. The door closers can be adjusted to avoid the slamming. If your engineer tells you this is not possible, it might be the result of lack of maintenance over a long period of time.
An energy saving minibar emits less noise and if properly installed in the millwork there should no noise problem anymore. Many of the other sources are the result of poor workmanship or non-complying construction of drywalls, pipe insulation, etc. Some of these defects occur in a phase of construction or renovation when quality control may not be in place as intensely as in the finishing phase.
Proper insulation of pipe work and the proper closing of openings is a must and if not done properly can be a source of disturbance by noise. And it could be a fire and life safety issue! The installation of drywalls can be tricky in renovation projects when walls are removed and new ones are constructed. The connection to existing structures providing required noise reduction is not always easy.
If you have doubts about sound insulation you can easily test with a smart phone app. This is not accurate and of course it is not a certified procedure, but it gives you a quick indication if there is a problem or not. In my opinion, it is the most important thing to address the noise problems during design, specification, construction and operation of a hotel.
The best designs and investments are wasted if the guests do not experience an undisturbed stay.
Herbert Mascha MRICS Partner - MRP Hotels Herbert Mascha is an experienced civil engineer, working on international projects as a project manager and consultant. |
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