By Raadesh R Shetty
THE IMPORTANCE of light is accentuated when you imagine a space without one. When it comes to lighting in hospitality, it is all the more important. No one wants to walk into a poorly lit hotel. When you enter a hotel lobby undoubtedly the first thing you notice is that it is brightly lit even in the day. Undoubtedly, the place would lose most of its charm if the lights were switched off. Clearly, lighting plays an important part in not just being a practical necessity but also to create a unique ambience.
Lighting in a hospitality space is complicated by the fact that different kinds of lights are needed in different areas. Hotel entrances today have adopted an LED walkway lighting system. Common areas like the entrance lobby, lift lobby and living rooms should be lit to provide a feeling of warmth. Today sensors are also installed in the lobby area leading to the rooms that automatically switch on when they detect motion. For ceiling chandeliers in guest rooms, hanging light, mirror optic light, compact fluorescent light (CFL), T5 slim tube light create the right impact. On the wall, picture lights can be used to highlight frames or artifacts. LED lights and slim tube lights in niches and alcoves provide a diffused look.
Lighting in a hotel should also ensure that the guest feels at home. Hence, it is imperative for lighting to be intelligent and to create a relaxing environment. Lighting control systems can alter intensities, lamp combinations and colours instantly. With miniature and highly-efficient LED light sources, one can create the right ambience in both white and coloured light.
Public spaces like conference and meeting rooms need different lighting too’ white light for discussion and dim light for presentations. Task lighting with the white or warm white gradients of light output, mostly using the ceiling mounted fixtures such that minimum shadows can be created. Care needs to be taken that the entire room is illuminated, including the walls and ceiling. In outdoors and swimming pool areas, white light works best whereas in the spa and wellness areas, yellow light brightens up the space for different activities.
Bar lighting is mostly soft mood lighting to ensure that guests intending to relax are not bothered by the intensity of light, whether it is created by a crystal chandelier or tables, floor or wall lighting.
As far as outdoor lighting for the facade of the building is concerned it is important that the lighting design needs to be adjusted to ensure the various styles of architecture are highlighted and prominent.
Lighting is accountable for a significant percentage of energy consumption in hotels. As a result, the new trend is focused on taking responsible environmental decisions and working towards a LEED certification for the property. Most properties are making energy-saving changes and replacing LED lights with CFL lamps. Products in the lighting space are being launched with green features due to increasing customer preference. Sensor lighting in lounges and passages that turn on lights to the required level only if they sense a person’s presence, are a green option. Likewise in utility/washroom areas PIR sensor based relays save energy when the area is unoccupied. Automated control technologies combined with LED-based solid-state lighting (SSL) and efficient fluorescent lamps are the new trends and products that can reduce electricity usage by as much as 60 per cent, whereas lighting accounts for 20 per cent of total electricity usage in commercial buildings. LEDs are digital, highly versatile and provide many new avenues and options in terms of creativity and design across applications. Unlike traditional light sources, LEDs provide the option of intrinsic coloured lighting and directional lighting. According to a report by NPD DisplaySearch, the demand for LED lighting is expected to double from 16 million units in 2012 to 33 million in 2013 and is expected to triple by 2016.
The next big trend is to keep things simple, elegant and clean. There has been a shift from more elaborate to more seemingly sophisticated designs that combine lighting and art. Avoid connecting multiple lights to a single switch, as it could lead to over lighting a room, as well as wasting light.
Wireless lighting controls is a tool that integrates lighting controls for daylight harvesting in tandem with occupancy sensors. Lighting control systems that can instantly alter intensities, lamp combinations and colours are in. In fact you can change the mood of a general purpose room from ’party’ to ’conference’ at the flick of a switch. A multifunctional control unit which operates lights, blinds and the AC, allowing guests to individually adjust the lighting and therefore the entire room effect helps. Wireless sensors make it simple to install these technologies without the time and costs associated with running wires behind walls and ceilings, and it makes it simple to reconfigure spaces in the future.
It's time hotels see light in a 'different light'!
Raadesh R Shetty is Founder and Owner of The Purple Turtles Lighting Ideas Pvt Ltd.
THE IMPORTANCE of light is accentuated when you imagine a space without one. When it comes to lighting in hospitality, it is all the more important. No one wants to walk into a poorly lit hotel. When you enter a hotel lobby undoubtedly the first thing you notice is that it is brightly lit even in the day. Undoubtedly, the place would lose most of its charm if the lights were switched off. Clearly, lighting plays an important part in not just being a practical necessity but also to create a unique ambience.
Lighting in a hospitality space is complicated by the fact that different kinds of lights are needed in different areas. Hotel entrances today have adopted an LED walkway lighting system. Common areas like the entrance lobby, lift lobby and living rooms should be lit to provide a feeling of warmth. Today sensors are also installed in the lobby area leading to the rooms that automatically switch on when they detect motion. For ceiling chandeliers in guest rooms, hanging light, mirror optic light, compact fluorescent light (CFL), T5 slim tube light create the right impact. On the wall, picture lights can be used to highlight frames or artifacts. LED lights and slim tube lights in niches and alcoves provide a diffused look.
Lighting in a hotel should also ensure that the guest feels at home. Hence, it is imperative for lighting to be intelligent and to create a relaxing environment. Lighting control systems can alter intensities, lamp combinations and colours instantly. With miniature and highly-efficient LED light sources, one can create the right ambience in both white and coloured light.
Public spaces like conference and meeting rooms need different lighting too’ white light for discussion and dim light for presentations. Task lighting with the white or warm white gradients of light output, mostly using the ceiling mounted fixtures such that minimum shadows can be created. Care needs to be taken that the entire room is illuminated, including the walls and ceiling. In outdoors and swimming pool areas, white light works best whereas in the spa and wellness areas, yellow light brightens up the space for different activities.
Bar lighting is mostly soft mood lighting to ensure that guests intending to relax are not bothered by the intensity of light, whether it is created by a crystal chandelier or tables, floor or wall lighting.
As far as outdoor lighting for the facade of the building is concerned it is important that the lighting design needs to be adjusted to ensure the various styles of architecture are highlighted and prominent.
Lighting is accountable for a significant percentage of energy consumption in hotels. As a result, the new trend is focused on taking responsible environmental decisions and working towards a LEED certification for the property. Most properties are making energy-saving changes and replacing LED lights with CFL lamps. Products in the lighting space are being launched with green features due to increasing customer preference. Sensor lighting in lounges and passages that turn on lights to the required level only if they sense a person’s presence, are a green option. Likewise in utility/washroom areas PIR sensor based relays save energy when the area is unoccupied. Automated control technologies combined with LED-based solid-state lighting (SSL) and efficient fluorescent lamps are the new trends and products that can reduce electricity usage by as much as 60 per cent, whereas lighting accounts for 20 per cent of total electricity usage in commercial buildings. LEDs are digital, highly versatile and provide many new avenues and options in terms of creativity and design across applications. Unlike traditional light sources, LEDs provide the option of intrinsic coloured lighting and directional lighting. According to a report by NPD DisplaySearch, the demand for LED lighting is expected to double from 16 million units in 2012 to 33 million in 2013 and is expected to triple by 2016.
The next big trend is to keep things simple, elegant and clean. There has been a shift from more elaborate to more seemingly sophisticated designs that combine lighting and art. Avoid connecting multiple lights to a single switch, as it could lead to over lighting a room, as well as wasting light.
Wireless lighting controls is a tool that integrates lighting controls for daylight harvesting in tandem with occupancy sensors. Lighting control systems that can instantly alter intensities, lamp combinations and colours are in. In fact you can change the mood of a general purpose room from ’party’ to ’conference’ at the flick of a switch. A multifunctional control unit which operates lights, blinds and the AC, allowing guests to individually adjust the lighting and therefore the entire room effect helps. Wireless sensors make it simple to install these technologies without the time and costs associated with running wires behind walls and ceilings, and it makes it simple to reconfigure spaces in the future.
It's time hotels see light in a 'different light'!
Raadesh R Shetty is Founder and Owner of The Purple Turtles Lighting Ideas Pvt Ltd.
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