Posted by Suzie Amer under HospitalityResponses (2)

For a while it was all about television. Screens were popping up everywhere—in the elevator, above the gas pump, embedded in the mirror in the hotel bathroom.

But recently, I noticed that, in some hotels at least, TV is giving way to music. Hotels, particularly those commonly referred to as “lifestyle hotels”, are increasingly relying on music to help define their identities. In several hotels I visited recently, the lobbies have morphed into little clubs, with bars front-and-center and DJs spinning dance and lounge music.

Now, this concept isn’t exactly new; W Hotels has certainly been doing it for years. But what I noticed recently is that the music isn’t confined to the lobby anymore....

It’s in the elevators, it’s by the pool, it’s piped out to the beach, it’s even in the hallways. This last bit can be particularly troubling as, in some cases, it’s loud enough to be heard inside the guest rooms (and it encourages people in the hallway to linger and talk more loudly than they otherwise might).

On the one hand, it livens up the atmosphere. After checking in, on my way to my room for the first time, I liked the music and thought it made what can sometimes be a long walk down a dreary hallway feel a lot more fun. But by day three, I just wanted a little peace and quiet.

But it doesn’t look likely. I recently visited two hotels currently still under construction (both of which cater to the meetings market) with lobby bars and DJ booths underway.