Soundproofing Hotel Curtains

hotel curtains

Hotel Window Soundproofing

hotel windows

It’s common for hotels to be located near highways or busy roads because it’s easy for travelers to just pull off the highway and check in. While it’s super convenient this way, it comes with some problems. Someone came to us with this issue and we were able to provide her with soundproof curtains for her hotel.

The Problem: Traffic Noise and Adjacent Rooms

Kelly Valera had a problem at her hotel chain in California. Her overnight guests were tired, and angry. Located too close to the nearby roadways and train tracks, she struggled to find the right price point to make ends meet, but also keep customer’s expectations in line. When they awoke in the middle of the night (sometimes more than once), the noise issue could no longer be ignored.

Each of her windows measured in at about 80” wide and 110” tall, so she needed a custom solution that would fit the windows, but not disrupt the room design. With Residential Acoustics, she found a custom manufacturer that could suit her needs.While researching options, she realized that there was not a one-size-fits-all solution on the market. With over 200 rooms in the hotel, replacing each of the sliding glass doors with triple-pane acoustic glass was not feasible due to how much it would cost. However, going on without a solution wasn’t an option either. That’s when she turned her attention to the growing acoustical solution of soundproofing curtains.

The Solution: Hotel Window SoundproofingHotel Guest Satisfaction

The most common noise complaints for hotel guests come from nearby roadways and traffic (including foot traffic in urban environments) as well as noise generated by other guests. While many of these elements are outside of management’s control, there are a number of feasible approaches:

  • Traditional After-Market Options: Ear Plugs, Sound Masking
  • Operational Options: “Quiet Hours”, Stricter Noise Policies
  • Architectural Options: Roadway Barriers, Triple-Pane Acoustical Glass

While Emily had already requested budget approval for architectural modifications, they were coming along slowly, and she was losing business by the day. That’s when she turned to Residential Acoustics for options.

Soundproofing Curtains have become the newest approach to solving the hotel manager’s dilemma – how to solve noise problems on a budget. In Emily’s case, most of the noise was coming in through exterior windows, hotel curtainsespecially the large, thin sliding glass door panes.

Acoustic Efforts to Meet Guest Expectations

After speaking with an on-staff acoustical consultant, Emily’s curtains were custom-designed to her specifications – to fit the window size and the room décor. Within 2 weeks, Emily began receiving 20 curtains per week from her order of 270. With only a few varying sizes, the fabric and soundproofing liner were cut in ever-increasing volumes.

Each curtain took approximately 15-20 minutes to install, and fit directly on the existing curtain tracks – saving valuable labor and hardware cost. As the maintenance crew became more accustomed to the product installation process, Residential Acoustics expedited delivery of the last several shipments. The entire hotel was completely outfitted within only 6 weeks, and at a cost of approximately $300 per room.

Results of Soundproofing Hotel Windows

By batching together the custom order, labor and logistical costs were dropped by over 20%, meaning that Emily could achieve hHotel Acousticser solution without jeopardizing profitability for the quarter. Most importantly, the curtains blocked an additional 60% of the traffic noise, resulting in happier guests and return customers.

As with many Residential Acoustics’ clients, the optimal results occur when the soundproofing curtains are part of the overall solution, not simply a one-stop-shop. Emily took other simple steps, such as offering earplugs to customers that requested them, and locating sensitive guests in quieter areas of the hotel. By implementing these operational and after-market solutions, Emily solved a long-term problem in weeks and immediately began receiving a return on her investment.

Soundproof Hotel Curtains

If you experience a lot of traffic noise coming in through your windows, soundproof curtains could be one part of the solution to your problem. As we suggested earlier, you could try out a nice pair of earplugs or invest in a white noise machine. Whether you’re in your own home or you need some acoustic treatment in your hotel, you can contact us if you have any questions about possibly purchasing our curtains.

Request Acoustic Consulting

Summary
Soundproofing Curtains for Hotels
Article Name
Soundproofing Curtains for Hotels
Description
Soundproofing Curtains have been an effective tool for hotel owners and operators to reduce hotel guest noise complaints from roadway noise.
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Publisher Name
Residential Acoustics
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