Lighting in hotels requires flexibility to suit the needs and tastes of many different guests. With the ‘Ambient’ lighting range from Häfele India, one can set or change the mood of the same room in many different ways. Also, these days almost every hotel takes a keen interest in planning their lighting, in order to reduce their carbon footprint as well as substantially reducing their electricity bills. Lighting contributes more or less 30% of the hotel’s overall electricity consumption.
Along with the space, furniture, colours and textures, lighting plays a pivotal role in a hotel lobby. Whether a hotel has a grand lobby or a minimalist and intimate one, it is the lighting that can make all the difference. Dramatic lighting in a hotel lobby can help to accentuate the furnishings and artworks. One can add skylights, over-sized floor lamps, floor-to-ceiling windows and chandeliers.
Sasikumar Chackolli, Chief Engineer, Sheraton Bangalore, says, “During the day people are attracted to the interior design of a hotel, furnishings, shapes and colours. But at night, the hotel has a second dimension. The guest needs to stay in a safe, comfortable and protected atmosphere, but even relaxing, clean and efficient. It’s clear that only artificial lighting can satisfy this mix of needs.”
“Lighting can be altered to create various moods by using less light during the daytime and allowing natural light to come in as much as possible. During the day, we use only alternate lights for the corridors and stairways, which not only saves energy, but also gives an understated ambience,” states Pradipta Biswas, General Manager, The Orchid, Mumbai.
Nikhil Bhatnagar, Chief Engineer, InterContinental Marine Drive informs, “One should think about the psychological impact of artificial light on people, as compared to natural light. Our hotel uses a combination of lights as per the end use. Maximum areas are illuminated with warm lights, basically with halogen bulbs with various wattages and angles. Flood lights are used in case the area covered is wide and also at heights. Spotlights are for focusing decorative fixtures, restaurant tables and building exteriors are lit up with filament halogen bulbs. Inside the rooms, a combination of halogen bulb, halogen IRC, CFL and LED are used.”
Kiran Ganti, lighting designer for Hyatt Regency Pune, feels, “Lighting is a medium that shapes any given space. It reveals the forms of architecture and makes one aware of the space around, besides taking care of the visual tasks that need to be performed. Hospitality sector has always understood the importance of lighting. The implementation of good lighting not only adds to the visual value of the inside of the building, but also helps attract attention and maximise visibility of its façade, making the property stand out against a dark skyline.”
She further adds, “Each space in a hotel calls for its own feel and design. A lobby can be made inviting by accenting the art at the back of the registration counter if any. A glow along the base of the registration counter can make the furniture look light and floating. Restaurants require the lighting to be soft and flattering. Introducing candles or accenting white table cloth tops with spot accents enhance the ambience due to sparkle from the silverware. Using accessories such as warm tone diachronic colour filters, add to the soft flattering feel of the space. Bar lighting needs to be more sensitive. Glare free spot lights over the bar counter, supplemented LED Illuminated planes along the back can make the bar look very dynamic.”
Grand Hyatt Mumbai has relied on international team of designers and consultants for its lighting requirements. “The complex has been conceived by the international architecture firm, Lohan Associates, Chicago. The lighting is by Integrated Lighting Design, Marina Del Ray, California. All lighting in the hotel has been recommended and setup by the team of designers keeping in mind the overall basic interior design concept of each area, coverage area, light colours and intensity required,” informs Mahesh Gadgil, Director of Engineering.
Hotels are unanimously of the opinion that lighting can create different moods for different occasions. Explains Gadgil, “Yes, lighting can be altered to create various moods and occasions. In banquets, each event has different light requirements depending on the type of setup. One can create the right mood with just general dim lights or enhance a setup with power cans, gobo lights, city lights and martin lights. It is a good idea to let guests control lighting in their rooms in order to have the desired luminosity as per their mood or requirement.”
Fifty Five East, at Grand Hyatt Mumbai has been created by the internationally acclaimed designer, Super Potato, Tokyo. It is an architectural delight, with muted hues of furniture playing off the pastiche of vibrant saree motifs and laser-cut wood. The lighting design draws inspiration from the natural phenomena of sunlight passing through leaves and branches in a forest. The result is a textured look with uneven shadows reflected on tables, the floor and in other areas of the restaurant.
Vikrant Pathare, Category Manager, Lighting, Hafele India Pvt Ltd, agrees. “By installing the right light, in-terms of light sources like CFL, LED and RGB at the right place, it certainly can. Whether it’s a guest room or living room, lights change the whole ambience of the environment and Häfele’s ambient lighting range is an expert at that.”
“For high-end hospitality applications, light levels and lighting system efficiency are not the primary considerations in selecting lighting sources and fixtures. Image, luxury, service, mood and visual interest are key marketing ingredients. Since the hotel operates 24 hours a day, maintenance must be performed at night at high cost. For this reason, reduced re-lamping frequency is of high value to the hotel to reduce labour costs. In the case of the Sheraton Bangalore at Brigade Gateway, the LED and fluorescent lamp solutions have received high aesthetic praise and acceptability,” Chackolli sums up.
LED is the new revolution in the lighting market. Mohammed Gulfam, General Manager, VITS Delhi feels, “ LED walkway lighting system has made lighting more effective and has reduced the long run pinch in operating costs.”
Kiran Ganti adds, “LED technology is fast growing and ever-changing. The energy savings are huge when LED lighting fixtures are used as opposed to halogens and even fluorescent lamps. The upfront cost for LED fixtures is high but that will reduce. LED fixtures cannot always replace the traditional halogen, fluorescent and HID sources. Despite the focus on LEDs and their seemingly endless potential, it will still be a few more years till they become a solution to all our lighting challenges.”
Energy efficiency is today the criteria while choosing lighting. Pradipta Biswas, GM, The Orchid explains, “All 24 hour lighting uses lamps that are energy-efficient according to Ecotel standards. In public spaces such as guest rooms and front-of-house areas within the hotel, 25% of the lighting fixtures are energy efficient according to Ecotel standards. 75% of the lighting fixtures are energy efficient according to Ecotel standards. In outdoor areas, all environmentally harmful CFC’s such as R11 and R12 have been excluded from hotel operations and absorption refrigerant systems are in use.”
Kiran Ganti couldn’t agree more. “Lighting and HVAC are two major factors affecting the running cost of a building. Using energy-efficient lighting fixtures and appropriate dimming controls can drastically reduce costs, while still keeping with the intent of a good lighting scheme and cutting the carbon footprint.”
Bhatnagar of InterContinental Marine Drive adds, “It is certainly the most important criteria. For this reason this shift has started from halogen to LED. At the same time electricity is becoming more expensive and it is the right time to go for energy efficient bulbs.”
With the shift from analog to digital, lighting has become more innovative. Pathare of Hafele India, says, “RGB Controllers, dimmers and motion sensors, are the new age accessories that go hand in hand with modern lighting. RGB controllers are used to produce different and desired colour effects from one LED source only. Dimmers help to create the mood by creating a dim-light environment, and at the same time save energy. Motion sensors are being put into place for hands-free functioning of any light source, be it in the bathroom, guest room or a wardrobe.”
Chackolli of Sheraton Bangalore concurs. “Yes, it is the new technology. Digital dimming can be used almost anywhere that analog dimming was used, for the same purposes: visual needs, personal control, daylight harvesting, scheduling and other control strategies. If fluorescent dimming is desirable for a given application, digital dimming can offer distinct advantages related to intelligence, flexibility and two-way.”
“I guess it is crucial to move with times, it requires a sleek look, and that’s attractive,” avers Vikram Sharma, GM, VITS Hotel Pune.
Hafele India offers special lighting solutions for bathrooms, ceiling lights, sensor based wardrobes, inner cabinets, et al. Another range is RBG strip lights for cove lighting and decorative shelf lighting, which is used in bars and restaurants. Philips offers energy efficient and sustainable lighting solutions to hospitality players and helps them in reducing their carbon footprint by switching to energy-efficient LED lighting.
Maintenance of lights is of prime importance. “It is not difficult to maintain lighting in a hotel provided you have the right control systems and trained manpower,” says Gadgil of Grand Hyatt. Bhatnagar of InterContinental Marine Drive feels, “Regular rounds have to be taken so that the fused bulbs are changed immediately. Expensive, yes, in terms of replacement costs. LED are still costly and not available immediately and have a long waiting period, so we end up keeping additional stock and we lock our money in this.”
Today, decorative lighting apart, it is important to sustain the green factor with the décor and energy-efficient lighting is thus of prime importance. With global warming and increased awareness about the environment, energy efficient lighting now plays an important part in the hospitality industry.
