Whether it’s a hotel or a restaurant, the goal of a hospitality business is to make clients comfortable that they’ll feel like they’ve never left home. Aside from the welcoming gesture of employees, rich furniture pieces, and sumptuous food menus, there’s another factor that largely impacts customer experience in a subtle manner: lighting.

Hospitality lighting design is about making the most out of light fixtures as they’re not there for decorative purposes only. They have specific functions and effects that can affect the mood and perception of customers regarding the establishment.

Customer preferences in hotels and restaurants change and you have to keep yourself updated if you want to stay relevant. Here are the hospitality lighting trends that businesses in the industry have been adopting.

1) Adapting to the millennial trend

Millennials are tech-savvy customers looking for personalized interactions. They’re more daring to try new experiences and share them with their peers.

The social media culture has changed the way businesses design their establishments. If the millennial customer loves what they see, they’ll take a photo of it and share it on their social media accounts. That’s instant advertising without spending a penny on marketing.

And there’s no better way to amplify the visual presentation of a commodity – regardless if it’s food, space, or an item on sale – than by giving it proper lighting.

Hospitality lighting design focuses on creating a polished atmosphere that enables customers to take picture-perfect photos of the food or the location. Even the simplest presentation of food or space will look extravagant under the right lighting.

2) Old-fashioned lighting

Dimmable lights, smart bulbs, LED strips, and other modern inventions in hospitality lighting trends can’t seem to slow down the demand for old-fashioned lamps.

The world has been steering clear from the use of traditional incandescent lighting in preference for more energy-efficient LED bulbs. Some countries in the EU have even banned the use of incandescent bulbs to save energy.

But incandescent lights aren’t totally decommissioned yet. You can still buy them online, in hardware stores, and in lamp galleries. Many of them feature retro-modern designs with squirrel cage, zigzag, and firework filaments. You can often find these old-fashioned bulbs hanging on bars, hotels, cafes, and restaurants as decorative components to match the establishment’s overall theme.

Thanks to technological developments, you can have the best of both worlds. There are greener alternatives like LED filament lamps that combine the vintage appeal of incandescent bulbs and the efficiency of LED lights. Major brands sell them, so they’re quite easy to find.

Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) also believe they’ve developed a way to make incandescent bulbs 40% more energy-efficient. If mass-produced, the world may see a rebirth of incandescent lights that are more effective than the current LED lights and filament lamps available today.

3) Integrated lighting design

Lighting isn’t a separate component of the building architecture. It’s an essential element in creating the right atmosphere that adheres to your branding.

The relaxing and comfortable feeling comes not from the pieces of furniture themselves but from the effect proper lighting gives. Lighting is the medium that lets you see and enjoy the beauty of the building architecture and everything inside and outside of it

The needs of the guest are the topmost priority, but you also have to consider practicality and functionality. These factors can be hard to juggle, especially if you have little idea about popular design trends.

Plans for the hospitality lighting design should be integrated at the early stage of construction. Lighting design experts like Baseline Lighting Design Studio can work with architects to incorporate aesthetics, functionality, and efficiency in the hospitality lighting design.

4) Use of wood and metal elements

In a world where information is easy to come by, it’s not uncommon to get distracted often. Hotels are toning this down by using minimalist lighting styles that focus on functionality.

Lights and lamps made of wood and metal have been one of the hospitality lighting trends these recent years. The simplicity and cleanliness expressed by their minimalistic designs are translated into elegance and sophistication. They also make spaces look bigger and clutter-free.

If you want to try putting rustic lighting elements in your hotel or restaurant, make sure you don’t overdo it. Install them sparingly and combine them with modern elements to create a juxtaposition that will catch attention.

Wooden components mix well with ambient lighting to create a warm and homey atmosphere. Restaurants have been using this combination since time immemorial and it will never get out of fashion. It will continue to be one of the top hospitality lighting trends in the years to come.

5) Hotels as meeting venue

Technology and mobility have made it possible to conduct business meetings almost anywhere the internet can reach. Hotels are grabbing this opportunity by providing spaces designed for conducting corporate meetings. They’ve become destinations for resting and working, away from the usual home and office settings.

Hospitality lighting trends now include building business function rooms customers can use for quick calls or conferences. Aside from providing stable Wi-Fi connection and generous electrical outlets, hotels are also ensuring there’s ample lighting for videoconferencing activities.

6) Personalized lighting using mobile phones

There’s an increasing adoption in the use of mobile locks in the hotel setting. It has allowed customers to directly go to their hotel room, skipping the need to check-in at the front desk. Hilton, Marriott, and several luxury and major hotel chains have begun shifting to digital keys, and smaller hotel units are following suit.

But the convenience of room access isn’t the only thing mobile phones have brought to the table. They’re now also being utilized to provide a personalized experience to customers by automatically adjusting the lights and the temperature of the room based on their previous preferences.

Smart lights that can communicate with mobile devices are becoming a common part of room installations. This hospitality lighting trend will extend to include more smart devices and hotel services that can be accessed with just a few taps on mobile phones.

By incorporating advancements in technology and hospitality lighting design, you can create a personalized customer experience that will make each visit unforgettable.

7) Greener solutions

Customers now place importance on the sustainability of the hotels or restaurants they do business with. They’re willing to pay more for establishments that promote environment-friendly practices.

LED lights are made of non-toxic materials and are more energy-efficient compared to old incandescent lighting. Knowing that your space uses LED lights will bring peace of mind to customers since they’ll feel they’re positively contributing to saving the environment.

Natural light is also an element that’s often incorporated in establishments. This saves a lot on energy costs and reinforces the sustainable operation of hotels and restaurants.

The use of energy-efficient fixtures is not only part of the hospitality lighting trend. It’s also about complying with government regulations that entail businesses to meet green energy requirements.

8) Use of sensor-equipped lighting systems

Part of making your establishment smarter is by installing lighting sensors for detecting daylight and customer presence. These tools can help you save on energy costs since they can automatically adjust their brightness relative to the intensity of natural light coming into the room. They can also turn the lights on or off if they detect customers in the vicinity.

These sensors are often wireless, making it easy to integrate into existing hospitality lighting design systems.

There are also centralized systems that allow you to control the connected lighting facility of the whole establishment. Some lighting fixture manufacturers have mobile apps that allow you to remotely monitor and control the lighting system of main function areas.

Failure to keep up with ever-changing customer preferences can be costly to the business. Hiring a lighting design expert like Baseline Lighting Design Studio will ensure you’re up-to-date with the latest hospitality lighting trends.

Get a free quote now by visiting our website to upgrade your lighting system with the latest trends today.