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Hotels have a unique problem – high-density rooms, occupied by transient tenants who enter and exit 24 hours a day and whose levels of courtesy regarding noise (TV, conversation, door slamming and suitcase-dropping) leave much to be desired. Further, hotel guests are demanding, and management response to noise complaints often requires room changes, rebates and other costly measures.
The situation is especially felt in business hotels which have struggled since 9/11 to recover market share and improve occupancy rates. Business hotels compete on quiet – some even offer a “sleep concierge” and money-back guarantee that sleep will not be disturbed due to noise. Noise issues and complaints especially plague the many business hotels that are located directly next to highways, major roadways, airports and train tracks.
Achieving high STC ratings for walls and ceilings has traditionally been too costly and risky – until now. Quiet Solution offers the hospitality industry construction professionals a complete line of high-performance products to soundproof walls and ceilings. The installation can be easily done either at time of new construction or as a rehab project.
Hotels occasionally specify resilient channels, hats and clips to try to achieve STC 45. A word of caution: these techniques are famous for failing. Acoustical engineers estimate failure rates of 50% during installation, and a financially dangerous 90% within three years due to tenant “improvements”. A simple installation of a mirror, shelf or headboard can destroy a resilient channel installation (see White Paper). The revenue loss and poor reputation makes hotel rooms harder to rent and decreases the resale (exit) value of the property.
The most effective way to mitigate hotel noise is to (i) identify and measure the noise source, both internal and external; (ii) set a dB goal for the desired level of quiet, and translate that goal into the appropriate Sound Transmission Class using the formula “dB in noisy area minus dB desired in quiet area = required STC”; (iii) select and specify the appropriate Quiet Solution Soundproofing materials for your project.
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