Are Hotel Rooms Soundproof?

A noisy room might make your hotel stay miserable. It has the possibility of derailing your entire vacation plan. So, how do you get around it? It’s simple: book a hotel with soundproof rooms. But, are hotel rooms soundproof?

In this article, we shall explore this question in detail and also cover everything else related to soundproofing in hotels. Most importantly, we will share tips and tricks to help you find hotel rooms that are soundproof so you can keep it private and cozy!

Are Hotel Rooms Soundproof?

Yes, most of the big hotel chains have soundproof hotel rooms. They invest most of their capital in their infrastructure, which includes soundproofing their hotel rooms. However, some may not have soundproof windows and doors through which the noise may pass. 

This does not imply that the less expensive the hotel, the less soundproof it is. Many hotels may offer affordable yet aptly soundproof stays. 

They can do this because they use smart technology like soundproof curtains, paint that acts as a barrier against noise coming from other rooms, and so on.

Some hotel owners also invest smartly and set up their hotels in places away from the city with picturesque views. These places are naturally protected from the bustle of the city. 

These kinds of locations are not very remote. So, they act as a perfect place for someone who is looking for a stay within proximity of the city but not exactly in it. 

Do All Hotels Have Soundproof Hotel Walls?

No, it is not necessary that all hotels have soundproof walls. Several of the hotels do not invest in soundproofing their doors and walls, thus sound travels freely. Nonetheless, you can always check in with the hotel to ensure that you are given a soundproof room.

Most hotel rooms that are a bit expensive have soundproof walls. But this doesn’t mean that you can have a superior experience only because you are paying more. However, some good hotel chains like Hilton, Ritz, and others have nearly zero noise-related complaints.

Why Don’t All The Hotels Go For Soundproofing?

Soundproofing efforts are costly, which is why many hotels do not consider them cost-effective. Soundproofing entails employing a variety of unconventional materials to conceal sounds from other guests and rooms. Most hotel operators save money by building thin walls in their establishments.

Most hotels have soundproof walls, but may not have soundproof doors and windows. 

This means that your sound will not be transmitted through the wall to the adjacent rooms, but someone outside the room may hear loud noises via the door or windows.

Many hotel owners employ average building materials, let alone soundproofing materials. 

You can find many hotels in good locations with bad infrastructure. 

They cut costs by not providing up-to-date facilities, and this might make your stay unpleasant. 

The materials used for soundproofing are indeed costly, but they are required to reduce sound transfer and let the guests have a pleasant stay.

How To Find Soundproof Hotel Rooms?

To obtain a soundproof hotel room you can avoid choosing a room near the front desk or elevators, for example, as they are some of the noisiest locations. Or you can reserve a night at a hotel outside or in a quaint part of the city.

The point is, finding a soundproof hotel room can be tricky at times, and some guests even forget to check for soundproofing, which can be a bad decision. 

To avoid this, compile a checklist of the following things and make sure to mark all of them.

Avoid Room Near Front Desk

There is a lot of activity at the front desk. Hotel guests get all of their questions answered there. Even late-night check-ins and check-outs are handled only by them. Even at night, you can constantly hear voices coming from the help desk. If not the visitors, then perhaps the hotel staff members could make noise while doing their job, though not on purpose.

Hence, when booking your room, request a room away from busy areas such as the reception or help desk and stairways. 

Off-City Hotel Can Be A Better Option

Book a room away from all the noise, away from the city rush. To enjoy a peaceful holiday you can always go to an off-city hotel. They may not have soundproof hotel doors or window panes but they will provide a pleasant environment. 

Not only that, but they also offer a serene location and pleasant view that will satisfy your purpose for coming on vacation. This might not be possible with the hotels in the middle of the ever-moving cities.

You can also assume that other guests staying there will also be like-minded and hence peace-loving. So in an off-city hotel, you can have peaceful nights, great views, and wonderful neighbors.

Fancy Isn’t typically the Best Choice

You may find a fancy hotel in a prime location, and this may make you delusional because you think you’re getting the best quality room and service as well. However, this may not always be the case. Various hotels invest a huge lump of money in decorating the premises but miss out on the major part like insulating the rooms properly.

These hotels make major investments in the location, leaving them with less money to spend on upgrading their guest rooms and amenities. On the exterior, their structures are exquisitely crafted, but on the inside, they are only sufficient.

Don’t Stay Near Machines Or Elevators

Appliances such as ice makers, dishwashers, and others produce a lot of noise. Thus, if you stay near that and your room is not adequately insulated, sound waves from that equipment may penetrate your room. If the rooms are not well insulated then it may make your stay very discomforting.

Additionally, stay away from the elevators and the hallways because they are crowded areas where you might hear people conversing loudly. There is constantly a lot of activity going on there. Therefore, you should avoid them.

Always Check The Reviews First

Always read the reviews; if there is a sound problem, you will most likely find it among the negative reviews. 

Don’t always look at favorable feedback. Your hotel’s flaws, especially the negative ones, will always be present in the negative reviews.

Additionally, don’t base your decisions on a single review. It’s conceivable that the owner made modifications in response to the feedback. Therefore consult with the staff before deciding anything.

Why Hotel Soundproofing Hotels Is Important For A Good Night’s Sleep?

For hotel visitors to have a comfortable night’s sleep, soundproofing in hotel rooms must be done correctly. Even a little noise might easily spook some people out of their sleep. A bad night’s sleep can make someone irritable the next day, which could impact reviews of the hotel. 

A soundproof room makes it simple to have a good night’s sleep, which is essential for the individual as well as the hotel’s reputation.

According to many researchers, disruptive noise is one of the top complaints of hotel guests even after Wi-Fi connectivity, cleanliness, and rude behavior of staff. 

Due to the noise, they were dissatisfied with the stay and gave negative reviews about the hotel. 

According to many reports, a night of good sleep is one of the top expectations of hotel guests while staying in it.

Why Is A Soundproof Room Necessary For Customer Satisfaction?

Poor acoustics are detrimental to business. The dissatisfaction of attendees, event planners, and restaurant patrons isn’t just being expressed online. A worldwide accreditation for hotel acoustic comfort is provided by QuietHotelRoom.org, and users of the SoundPrint app can choose restaurants that are noise-friendly.

When visiting a hotel, visitors seek tranquility. But that is too tough to find in places where the landlords don’t care about unwanted noise.

The noise bothers people who want to conduct meetings and those who desire deep, undisturbed sleep.

Many people visit the hotel to party and enjoy themselves until late at night, which does include a lot of noise. 

However, it will be difficult for guests to relax and have a good night’s sleep if hotel walls allow sound to travel to adjacent rooms. 

It could also annoy those who are leading the conference and delivering the lecture or in the hotel for business purposes.

The emphasis of recent hotel marketing campaigns has been on a comfortable night’s sleep, therefore soundproofing hotels is important to ensure that your customers can sleep without being disturbed. 

How Do Hotels Make Their Rooms Soundproof?

There is no such hard and fast rule to soundproof a hotel so it depends on the hotel owner to make their rooms soundproof in various ways. To make it happen they may use methods and materials that reduce noise like acoustic panels, soundproof curtains, double-glazed windows, etc.

Using Insulation

A common thing that hotels use for soundproofing is insulation. Insulation is a method to make walls thicker and prevent the room from sounds coming from the next door.

More insulation means fewer noise issues. 

Some of the common insulation materials are fiberglass and mineral wool. Mineral wool is among such other materials that are excellent at noise absorption.

Curtains That Provide Soundproofing Effects

Soundproof curtains are another pocket-friendly investment to avoid sound transmission. These curtains can mute mid-range sound waves. 

They require around 15 to 20 minutes to install and the best part is that they fit directly on the existing curtain tracks, minimizing expenditures on personnel and hardware.

Painting The Walls Soundproof

Many hotels also use soundproof paint to address the noise entering from some other room. This paint is good for hotels because it is intended to tackle small-range frequencies such as outside noise. 

Because sounds from conversations and televisions commonly penetrate hotel walls, this paint adds an extra layer of protection.

Concealing The Ceiling Noise

The floor of one guest is the ceiling of another’s so even a little movement can cause much noise.

In multi-layer buildings, sound often comes from the ceiling. Thus, to soundproof ceilings and prevent noise, hotel builders use green glue. 

Can You Ask For A Refund If Your Hotel Room Wasn’t Soundproof?

Yes, you can request a refund if your hotel room isn’t soundproof despite the fact that the hotel made the soundproofing promise when you made the reservation. You might not receive a refund if they didn’t say that their rooms were soundproof.

In other cases, you can request a refund if the hotel’s noise complaint policy allows for it. After you check-in, the hotel management will give you the noise complaint policy. 

Note that all stays do not include this, however, some excellent hotels do. 

They state the restrictions and quiet hours’ for the guests to provide a serene environment for their guests. 

They also collect noise complaints and respond in a variety of ways, such as warning another visitor, swapping guestrooms, or providing discounts or vouchers. 

The technique of restitution is entirely dependent on the gravity of the event and its impact on the guest’s stay.

How Can You Make Your Hotel Room Soundproof?

One of the most effective ways to make your room soundproof is to have a white noise machine with you. You can either pack this device in your travel gear or use one that certain hotels offer. Alternatively, you might reserve a room away from the hotel’s busiest sections.

You may not always find the room as peaceful as you wished it to be. In that case, you can either request the staff to switch to a new room or change the hotel. 

But if none of this is an option then you can do the following things.

Keep White Noise Machines While Travelling

If you are not a heavy sleeper, you should invest in a white noise machine. If you travel regularly, consider purchasing a travel-size white noise machine. White noise machines are really useful.

For the best results, it is recommended that you utilize a real white noise machine rather than an app on your phone. 

If you ask, some hotels may also provide white sound machines. This is the most effective technique to create a peaceful sleeping environment. 

With a smooth, peaceful humming sound, these machines will cover any noise that enters your room.

Book A Room That Is Away From Noise

Always ask for a room that is away from the help desk, elevators, or ice machines to have a peaceful stay. While requesting the room make sure to tell the management about these things.

Are Marriott Hotel Rooms Soundproof?

Indeed, yes! The rooms at the Marriott are soundproof. They use good quality insulation material and hence their room offers a quiet space. But the level of sound insulation in all Marriott hotel rooms differs which means not all Marriott hotel rooms are entirely soundproof.

Some of the rooms may not be totally soundproof, while others may be adequately insulated from outside noises. 

Thus, checking with the hotel staff before booking is a better option.  

Is A Hilton Hotel Room Quieter?

Yes, most of the Hilton rooms provide a peaceful environment. Hilton hotels are often constructed with thick cement walls to guarantee soundproofing between rooms. Nonetheless, there may be occasional audible noises from people in the hallway or rooms adjacent to yours.

In general, most Hilton hotels get a lot of excellent feedback. 

Several of them mention the hotel’s tranquility. If you’re unsure whether the Hilton you’re visiting will be quiet enough, it’s always worth checking online.

Bottom Line

If you are sensitive to noise, it may be worth getting a room away from the stairs or escalator, as this is where people tend to be the loudest as they arrive upstairs. 

Every hotel, like every journey, will provide a unique experience. Some are soundproof, but the majority are not. 

All you need to do is keep the aforementioned points in mind and reserve a place to stay.