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Re-energizing Your Hotel Post-Pandemic

Reflections on how to maintain & upgrade hotel operations as the world comes back to life

By: Tom Enright

Recently, I’ve been speaking and visiting with hotel management both in my local community and across the nation, and I’ve noticed a troubling trend. As hotels are opening their doors once again to guests, there is an industry-wide challenge of keeping track of hotel manager operations. This makes it extremely difficult to pass on information when there is a job transfer to someone new. Post-pandemic job turnover is high and many new hotel managers are left pondering questions like:

What type of lightbulbs were used in this hallway? 

What color paint is in these rooms? 

How do we fix the ovens, the heating, the a/c, etc.?

As someone who has worked with hotels for decades as the Chief Lighting Officer at GoodBulb, I have the utmost respect for the hotel manager position. Whether it’s a 24-room hotel or a 200-room hotel, hotel managers make sure guests are comfortable and have a fantastic experience. They manage a team of amazing individuals who keep the ambiance just right, the rooms feeling fresh and welcoming, the pool immaculate, and the lights on.

This is why I’m writing this—to acknowledge the difficulties that many hotel managers and heads of maintenance are experiencing right now in hotels, and to hopefully offer some encouragement and support. What I’ve seen is that, despite the challenges of “starting over” with new staff and post-pandemic problems to face, I’ve also seen hotels take this as a time to refresh and re-energize. This has yielded amazing results and often helps take care of maintenance issues that may have otherwise become problems in the future. Here are a few creative ways that I see hotels making the most of their reopening:

Set the tone with a new ambiance

I believe one of the most important parts of a hotel is the ambiance. As hotels are opening their doors and creating new hotel management positions, now is a good time to consider the impression your hotel has on your guests. How does the lighting look in the lobby? In the rooms? 

At GoodBulb, we come alongside you to create a lighting strategy that matches the ambiance you want. Is it a warm comforting room in 3000 Kelvin, or a brighter whiter, more alive at 3500 Kelvin? Both are perfect depending on what you want the customer to experience. We have thousands of bulbs and a team of Lumen Masters to design a lighting layout that brings your vision to life.

Create a lighting layout plan

Lighting is an important part of the total hotel experience. Guests often don’t realize the extent of lighting required—the hotel exterior, pathway lighting, elevator lighting, stairwell lighting, parking lot lighting, etc. This is why whenever we have a new hotel client, we invest the time in building a relationship and understanding your hotels’ goals. Our team realizes that each hotel operates differently, which is why we make efforts to meet with you by phone, video conferences, and on-site consultations. We ask what bulbs are used in each part of the property, we gather photos of the various lighting fixtures in the hotel, and we create a thorough documentation of the entire lighting layout of the hotel.

For hotels that have worked with us, we maintain a history of the lighting layout, products used for every room and lobby, and intended ambiance for every space. This makes the information easily transferable between hotel management and staff, or when training a new hotel head of maintenance.

Stop using buying groups

Something I’ve experienced working with hotels is that many rely on buying groups for their products. These buying groups are often very removed and do not understand lighting. I’ve seen buying groups send replacement bulbs to hotels without any regard for their existing lighting. This results in mismatched colors and shapes and can ruin the ambiance. It often causes more problems that my team and I can come and fix. Then, when a hotel manager or hotel maintenance engineer has questions, there isn’t anyone that can really answer those questions.

My recommendation is to find a lighting team that can take the time to know you and your hotel personally, and create a custom lighting solution for your property.

Upgrade equipment, save money

Perhaps you have not yet switched to LED lighting. If you have not yet switched to LED, I’ll be frank, you need to do it. Old lighting is costing you dollars every day, and it’s an easy upgrade. We can take the worry off your plate and install new LED bulbs in a quick turnaround project. You’ll see the energy savings almost immediately, and notice a better quality of light as well.

Rejuvenate, re-energize, reopen!

The world is opening up, and people want to see places. Breathe life back into your hotel. Now is the time! And if you are ever in need of lighting support or just a phone call with someone who sees and understands the challenges of the industry, you can always call 701-205-4953 and ask for Tom. Or, send us a message at hello@goodbulb.com. Our team is here to listen, support, and provide the best lighting solutions possible.

Tom

P.S. If you’re in the hospitality/hotel industry, we are—as we speak—preparing a TON of content specifically for hotel management and hotel lighting. You won’t want to miss it. Here’s how you can stay in touch for valuable hotel lighting tips:

  1. Follow GoodBulb on Instagram and Facebook @goodbulb
  2. Sign up for our newsletter, here! (Scroll down to find a sign up for the “brightest newsletter in your inbox” 💡)