With so many choices, how does a traveler decide which hotel to stay in? Unless they get a personal recommendation, most will turn to online reviews with hotel ratings on popular sites, or crowdsource opinions from social media travel groups for an answer to the question: what’s the best hotel to stay at in my city?
With all due respect to fancy lobbies, rooms matter most. According to a study by Cornell University Hotel School at the SC Johnson College, when giving ratings to a hotel, guests focus on the space they value most and are most likely to consider their immediate surroundings: their hotel room.
So, this begs the question: How can architects and interior designers build and design hotel rooms that prompt hotel guests to write 5-star reviews? Smart glass. In this blog, we’ll explore four ways that smart glass can boost hotel ratings.
The Correlation Between Smart Glass and Hotel Reviews
- The illusion of space: Most hotel rooms are limited in terms of space, and guests feel it. For some guests, the first thing they notice when they walk into a room is the size. How many times have you said – “wow, this room is huge!” or “this room is so small”. Just because a space is small, doesn’t mean it needs to FEEL small. To overcome small spaces, many hotels are turning to glass partitions, mainly for bathroom enclosures. Glass partitions make spaces feel bigger with transparency for an open atmosphere and glass walls themselves consume less space than traditional studded walls, not only giving a sense of space, but actually saving square footage.
- Privacy: Whether staying in a room alone or sharing it with a travel companion, having a sense of privacy is critical to feelings of comfort. With the increase in glass bathroom enclosures to make spaces feel more fluid and open, privacy is a prime concern. LCG® (Light Control Glass), with liquid crystal switchable glass film, also known as smart glass or privacy glass, allows glass to switch from transparent to opaque for an open atmosphere or privacy on demand. LCG® smart glass hotel room bathroom enclosures support the illusion of space in point one, without compromising privacy. See how The Crowne Plaza in Singapore’s Changi Airport, rated the #1 hotel (2015 – 2019) by Skytrax, utilizes smart glass bathroom enclosures.
- Customization: Comfort is key, thus having the flexibility to alter the look and feel of a space is not only a luxury but a necessity. Giving guests the ability to customize as many elements in their room as possible does not go unnoticed. From user-friendly thermostats to being able to choose from a pillow menu, guests want choices. Having the ability to customize the lighting in a room is no different. Natural light is almost always preferred over artificial light, and making use of it supports a guest’s experience and the hotel’s bottom line. Gauzy SPD smart glass windows block 99% of light, meaning that a room can be almost blackout, or gradually shaded, without blocking views. With SPD smart glass windows, guest can optimize daylight instead of artificial light, or eliminate it for a dark room. Gauzy LCG® with SPD technology can be dimmed, allowing guests to further customize their space.
- Cleanliness: If a hotel room feels dirty, it probably is dirty. Carpets, fabric curtains, bed covers, and all other fabrics collect dust and odors. All this combined makes a room feel unsanitary. With the increased use of glass in hotel design for space optimization and better access to light, the first go-to for privacy or shading is shutters or fabric curtains that are ugly, collect germs, and since they are hard to clean – don’t get cleaned. Switchable glass partitions and smart glass windows completely eliminate the need for drapes and shades, making guests rooms more sterile.
The ROI is in the Ratings
Providing guests with an experience they won’t forget seems to start and end in the very space where their day begins and finishes: their room. Thoughtful consideration and planning of guest room design during hotel building or renovation may just end up making the difference between a 5-star rating and a no-star rating.Building or remodeling a hotel and considering LCG® switchable smart glass for interior bathroom enclosures or exterior windows? Contact Gauzy for a quote today.
