Light bulbs are an essential part of our lives, illuminating our surroundings and providing comfort in the darkest hours. While lighting may seem like a basic need, it is a luxury that not all have access to.

1 in 7 people live with NO access to electricity. Our Chief Lighting Officer, Tom Enright, and a very brave, God-loving videographer traveled to Uganda to meet and work with a local Ugandan outreach organization. They traveled together, but alone, venturing into the unknown, a bold journey to Light Up Uganda's remote villages with Solar Lanterns. They were guided by a few emails, faith, and courage. The goal of this trip was to document and experience giving light to the children of 11 remote villages who desire a brighter future but live without electricity.

• To determine if the GoodBulb "WHY" is worthwhile. Does it make a difference if you purchase light bulbs from GoodBulb?

From the beginning, Tom and the GoodBulb team have focused on using their expertise in lighting to make a difference in the lives of others. The biggest takeaway from the trip was the validation that GoodBulb solar lanterns are a life-changing technology. 

Many communities rely on kerosene for light, which is incredibly dangerous, expensive, and combustible — causing fires, explosions, smoke damage, and chronic illness. Communities without electricity are using a light source that kills slowly through illness and quickly with fire.

How can GoodBulb make an impact?

From Tom’s journal, he described each day's events and how it made him feel. 

“Driving into each village, the first thing we saw were worn down, garage-style shops selling knickknacks, liquids, and unhealthy foods. As we drew closer to the village, we saw hundreds of people waiting for us. It didn’t matter if it was 95 degrees or hotter; some waited for hours.  Getting out of the car, the crowd quickly turn into a party. People cheered and started singing and dancing. All the children ran to stare and greet the group. Many wanted to touch our skin — We were the first light-skinned people that many of the villagers had ever seen. Others fell back, shy, and nervous. But everyone was smiling gigantic, contagious smiles.” 

Tom and the GoodBulb team quickly developed a routine for their visits. First, they were brought to a designated seating area. “It reminded me of an old royal court,” Tom described. “The leader of each community would be seated in the center, we’d be sitting to his left (it was always a group of men), and 5 to 8 other community members would be sitting with us. The rest of village would surround the kings court from all angles. The leader would introduce everyone, and I would let the villagers know why GoodBulb was visiting their community. 

From there, men and women from each village put on a performance. Sometimes it was singing and dancing, other times a drama, but it was always in their native tongue. The stories told in the performances were ones of pain and “terror”: mistreated women and children, kidnappings, rape, and fire. Sometimes the songs turned to dirge-like melodies, naming various basic needs that are lacking in their community, like food, water, safety, tools, jobs, education, and light. 

When the performance was over, it was Tom’s turn to share his story. While the weight of what he couldn’t provide was sometimes crushing, he knew it was a moment to shed an ounce of hope - a moment to provide light when he saw so much darkness.

It all started with a light.

Taking one of the GoodBulb solar-powered lanterns from their shipment boxes, Tom held it up for the community to see.

He shared the GoodBulb story, the core values that created the company, and the values that brought him to the current moment.

“We believe in good causes. We believe in good education. We believe in good savings. The solar lanterns that we’ve brought here today accomplish all three. These lanterns will save your homes from devastating fires, they will save your eyes and your body from the smoke of kerosene, they will provide light when you don’t have the sun, and they will save you money.”

At this moment, the audience jumped to their feet, cheering and clapping.  This happened in all 11 villages. The boxes were opened, and the solar lanterns were passed around to each family. Tom taught the villagers how to set up the lanterns by blowing air in and pressing the button. The response was immediate disbelief and joy! These children were holding a piece of technology that was going to greatly improve the quality of their lives.

“I have never seen anything like it, each time someone pressed the button, the lantern would light up — and their face would light up with it. There was laughter, cheering, and giddy chatter.” 

Village after village, together, they road this emotional roller coaster. 

Tom shared the GoodBulb mission and listened to the stories of 11 remote villages, then he delivered solar lanterns to each family. 

In one day, Tom and the crew completed distributions in three separate remote villages. Tom said it was the most emotionally draining day he’s ever experienced. There wasn’t time to process and rest, so when it was time to move to the next village, they piled back into their old Toyota and hit the red dirt roads.

While each day followed a general structure, there was some variety. Sometimes they shared meals with the elders, eating chicken, bananas, sticky dough, various meats, and fruits. Every meal was eaten with their fingers as utensils. Other days, they worked through lunch, listening, talking, dancing, and playing games with the children.  

Each time, Tom and his team were deeply moved by the happiness radiating from the communities as they shared the revolutionary solar lanterns. In between village distributions, the team would circle back to some of the villages. Tom wanted to see how the families used and cared for the lanterns. He discovered that most families had secured a place for the lantern to sit in the sun during the day, which was either where the women cleaned pots and pans or hanging from their huts.  One family left their lantern on the ground overnight and discovered that a pig had become interested in the solar lantern, chewing and breaking it. We discovered our lanterns are not pig proof.

It was during these follow-up visits that Tom felt a renewed confidence in the lanterns’ ability to make a real impact. Kids at school swung their lanterns around, giggling with joy now that they were able to read after the sun went down. Their parents could spend THE SAVED money on food, clothing, books, tools, and shelter, rather than kerosene. 

It was these moments that pushed Tom and his team through the exhaustion, through the crammed Toyota rides, through the moments of grief — and the moments of joy. Grief because at the end of the day, many hardships remained. “They would share their problems, their pain, and they would look at me, praying that I could help them. That I would find a way,” he said. “It was a lot to take in.” That was a hard reality to sit with.

Tom knew there was something that he could do — something positive, something that would create lasting change. He saw it in the eyes of the school children when they saw the lantern for the first time. He saw it in the rejoicing, the singing, and the smiles of the women and men as they replaced their old kerosene lanterns with new, safe GoodBulb LED solar lanterns.

“You can see it had an impact on their lives. You can see the lanterns will make a difference”

Fifteen days of travel later, Tom was back in Kampala with a journal full of notes and his heart raw with emotion.  For his last dinner in Uganda, he ordered the fish and chips, for the fifteenth time. He reflected on the last couple of weeks; what did this trip mean for GoodBulb? What was he bringing home?

The poverty, the lack of jobs, the inequality between men and women, the intense need for love and care – but also the joy of improved livelihoods, the resiliency, and the hope. That night, Tom wrote some final thoughts in his journal.

“When I think back to the beginning idea... GoodBulb, we only had statistics about what kerosene does, but we didn’t fully understand how many people live without light. I’d only seen it on paper. Being here, it’s real.”

The statistics became more than just numbers. They were the villagers he shook hands with, women he laughed with, children he danced with. They weren’t data, numbers, or information; they were friends. “It was important to see in person that we’re making a difference. That’s what we’re coming home with. I am now confident, and I have seen that what we’re doing is making a difference. GoodBulb solar lanterns are impacting lives, and while they need so much more, that is a start.” 

You, our loyal, amazing customers, made this story happen. Each time you purchase a GoodBulb, you are supporting our mission to bring light to families without electricity around the world.  

With GoodBulb, we have an opportunity to buy a light, and be a light.

We need your help to make sure every child is living with light. Consider using GoodBulb lighting to light your business and your home, and with it, light another home in need. 

Welcome back to this week’s hotel lighting guide that covers Hotel Dining Lighting for the hotel industry. Don’t worry if you missed last week’s post on Pool Lighting and Spa Lighting, we’ll include the important points down below for your convenience. This lighting series covers everything that hotel owners, management, and maintenance staff need to know about maximizing hotel lighting. If you want to make sure your guests get the most out of their stay and get the most out of your bottom line then this hotel series is for you. Be sure to subscribe to this series to get notified when a new post goes live.

Last Week’s Main Points

For good pool lighting and spa lighting, keep the following in mind:

Pool Lighting

Spa Lighting

We’re packing this series full of information and it still only touches the outer aspects that Lumen Masters like us consider while doing a lighting retrofit. So be sure to give this post an extra read-through if something is not making sense. Better yet, visit our website at www.goodbulb.com or give us a call at 701-205-4953 to speak with a Lumen Master.

Restaurant Lighting 

Hotel dining has many faces in the hospitality industry because there are so many different types of hotels around the country. The lighting in a boutique, chain, convention center, and resort or casino hotel will vary greatly from what is being used in motels or one of the many Inns around the country. Restaurant lighting should reflect the needs of the space, some properties are going to require general lighting whereas others require a more romantic light. Lighting in the dining area requires that we pay attention to the atmosphere and position the lights accordingly, this process is called zoning. Zoning is the practice of creating an area within the area, in this case, it’s creating comfortable places within the hotel. Lighting in the restaurant and dining areas should follow the overall character of the property. After two decades in lighting, we have supplied light bulbs and fixtures to every type of hotel. Each hotel is unique, requiring individual attention to lighting solutions. The one thing they all have in common is that quality matters. The light bulbs need to last, they need to compliment the space and the Kelvin temperature or color of light needs to be consistent. You can redesign a room to get the mood and response you want from your guests by changing nothing but the lighting. Bad bulbs and burned-out light bulbs tell your guests that you just don’t care that much about your property. 

If you own one of the chain, resort, boutique, bed and breakfast, casino, gastro, or Inn hotels around the country and have a restaurant or dining area attached to the property then the lighting concepts will vary but the ambiance and lighting should reflect the experience and location of your property. The same concept will apply to conference/convention center hotels and your motels that accommodate travelers as a place to stop during long trips. The diversity in culture, climate, and activities are just a few of the things that make traveling across America amazing. From Northern Minnesota to Maine, to Marco Island, and west towards Texas, Arizona, and Salt Lake City, the properties will be unique. The one thing they all have in common is that they have light bulbs and light bulbs burn out and they need to be replaced. 

It’s no secret that the bad bulbs and major brands in lighting are manufacturing light bulbs to burn out much faster than they should. Planned obsolescence is when brands manufacture their goods, so they require replacing. It’s much harder for them to figure out how to make an LED last 10,000 hours compared to one that lasts 100,000 hours. Did you know that Phillips, GE, and Sylvania once had an agreement where if they manufactured incandescent bulbs that lasted longer than 3000 hours they could find each other. Stop buying bad bulbs and most lighting problems in your properties would be fixed. 

Much like our lobby lighting requires task lighting, some front-of-house restaurant areas within your hotel require the same. Seating areas like tables, booths, and bartops are going to require intimate lighting. Nostalgic lighting is gorgeous and turns an ordinary socket into something remarkable. If your brand standards allow for it, then we recommend adapting nostalgic LEDs as this look is attracting, entertaining, and comforting your guests. A quick tour around your local neighborhood and you’ll be sure to spot Nostalgic light bulbs in cafes, restaurants, and other meeting areas that are in tune with their target audience. There are thousands of different fixtures and hundreds of different nostalgic bulb styles so we recommend speaking with a Lumen Master before purchasing something new or trying to find replacement bulbs. Buying bad bulbs will cost way more money than spending a few minutes speaking with an expert when buying light bulbs, the correct color of light, the longest-lasting, and the most energy-efficient light bulb solutions. 

Seating areas should blend key lighting elements together such as task lighting and accent lighting. A common approach to achieve this combo is using pendant lighting above booths and tables. The prevalent use of this fixture is because of its adjustability in mounting height that can easily be used for booth lighting as it can be used for high-top lighting. This is a piece of zoning for you to create an area within the area where lighting is providing space. Another benefit is that pennant light fixtures come in every style imaginable, so you’re sure to find one that matches your brand standards. These factors combined help provide your guest with perfect task lighting, allowing them to enjoy their meal, read the menus, the morning paper, have a comfortable conversation, have the ability to unwind, reflect and relax. 

Pendant light fixtures are also great at providing the kind of accent lighting that promotes intimacy within the group. Though this benefit is mainly attributed to the light bulb used, its lumens, kelvin temperature, and CRI, some can be attributed to the style of the fixtures. Speaking of bulb talk, it’s best to go with brand standards choosing your bulbs. GoodBulb can help, odds are we have worked and our currently working with you brand in select hotels around the county. If your lighting standards allow for some self-expression then we recommend going with warm and intimate LEDs that are at or below 800 lumens and a CRI that is greater than 90. These are very generic recommendations because proper lighting is based on the application and the property. 

So we have learned about lighting our seating areas that include booths, tables, and hightops but what about our general lighting? We’ll want to observe your hotel’s brand standards. O.k. They’ve been observed and they recommend using dimmable recessed luminaires for ceiling lighting. One solution is BR30 in recessed can lights, the light levels can be adjusted according to your guest’s liking or the time of day. Many top restaurants place indirect lighting luminaires directly over tables, doing so provides needed light while creating an intimate atmosphere. Apart from creating the intimate space, general lighting subtly guides your guests to available seating areas.

We can’t say this enough – dimmable lighting is your friend! Modern lighting solutions along with compatible switches can greatly reduce your lighting costs. These solutions can make achieving the right light much easier than in previous years, allowing for customization that can delight your guests and your business. If you’re considering a new lighting project or undergoing a retrofit then not taking advantage of these options today can mean you’ll be paying for them later. This is the lighting trend that we’ve noticed gradually happening over the years and not following trends can mean your hotel will receive fewer bookings with each passing quarter. Do the smart thing, stay current with lighting trends, and give your hotel the resources it needs to be successful.

A Special Note on Sky Dining

One of the most beautiful spots in Fargo North Dakota, is a rooftop bar that looks down upon city and breath taking sky dining locations across the United States. During my travels I have been fortunate to visit roof top bars in Hong Kong, China, Vietnam, India, Africa, the Dominican, Mexico, and countless cities and states across America.  One of my favorite memories is one that looks down upon Wrigley Field in Chicago.

These areas are breath taking, yet the lighting in these areas has a new variable to consider – 360-degrees sky views. The big selling point for sky-view restaurants is just that, it’s “sky-view” that overlooks the surrounding area, often a busy metropolitan cityscape, and people want to see the lights. While we still want to encourage the same intimacy mentioned above, we need to be mindful of our views and most of all our lighting reflections. Much like a bathroom mirror reflects light, our windows can become troublemakers when it comes to light reflection, diminishing the viewing quality that our guests desire. To avoid this issue and to keep your guests happy, check your light angles to avoid any unwanted light from being reflected back at your guests. Keep in mind, the most important aspect of sky-dining is the amazing cityscape and country views this dining experience provides. Every action should be taken to improve your guest’s experience in this regard. 

Lounge & Bar Lighting

Bar lighting follows the same guidelines as restaurant lighting but with a deeper focus on relaxation and intimacy. Your guests come to your hotel lounge & bar to relax after a long day, enjoy an evening with friends, and maybe make some new ones. The light levels in these places depend greatly on the time of day, the theme of the lounge and or bar, and the audience your place attracts. This last factor can be huge in how you cater your service offering and whether or not your target audience accepts or rejects your offering. If you’re offering high-end drinks as the classic shaken, not stirred martini but your environment attracts a different clientele then there’s going to be an obvious mismatch here. 

In either case, there’s always one right move and that’s to use dimmable lights in your lighting design. Doing so will allow you to adjust light levels throughout the day, typically you’ll go with a brighter light level during daylight hours. At night you’ll dim the inside environment to allow for a seamless transition from the light levels outside to match the lighting inside. If it’s 2 pm but cloudy and raining outside then adjust your light levels accordingly. Guests wouldn’t expect to come into a brightly lit area but they also wouldn’t expect to come into a dim, romantic setting at 2 pm either. In any case, use your best judgment when adjusting your lighting to match the desired taste of your guests and your experience. 

Keep in mind that every restaurant is unique and so is every lounge and bar, each will require the owner to be in touch with these environments to determine the right lighting. What works for one venue may not work for your venue. Let your environment, guests, and advice from the lumen masters determine your lighting. If your guests are having a good time then your lighting is set correctly, if you notice guests are not enjoying their time, then give your lighting and ambiance a second thought. Lighting makes a difference. 

Restaurant Lighting – Back of House

Back of House lighting is shockingly different when compared to your front-of-house lighting needs. Typically, and we don’t recommend doing this, you’ll find many kitchens emulate a set on a horror film, rather than bright, productive workplace. The offices and kitchens are usually the worst, with the hallways being a close second. Usually, when it comes to the back-of-house lighting needs, priorities are on the kitchen area, cold storage areas, and frequented areas by staff. It’s not hard to rationalize this either, after all, priorities should be placed on the areas that make your business money – the staff, kitchen, and other functional areas.

The question is not so much what areas to focus on when it comes to back-of-house lighting but what lighting fixtures and bulbs to be using in these areas. For the kitchen, we highly recommend pure white, high CRI 5000-kelvin LED bulbs. Going this route will ensure that your staff in this area can work efficiently, be more productive and provide clean light. Common lighting fixtures used in professional kitchens are fluorescent tubes and LED linear tubes. To go with the best option, that will cut down your long-term costs, we recommend using bypass LED linear tubes. The most important factor is making sure your bulbs are National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) rated or in other words, food-safe rated. 

When it comes to cold storage options, we recommend looking for low-temperature occupancy sensors that are designed to function in these areas. These will help save on costs and be efficient enough to handle regular traffic from staff. As far as fixtures and bulbs are concerned, we need an NSF-rated bulb that is commonly going to be a LED. Going with an LED bulb in this area is best because it produces less heat than legacy light bulbs, thus reducing the energy cost of keeping your cold storage cold. 

Common Cold Storage Fixtures and Bulbs Include:

Hallway lighting and office lighting usually take a back seat when it comes to the lighting priorities of hotel management and maintenance technicians. We get it, when it comes to managing a tight budget, priorities have to be made along the way. Yet, you might be making cuts in areas that can be hurting your business. If you’re not using LED bulbs to light these areas then you’re overspending on lighting costs by using inefficient lighting techniques in areas of the hotel where the bulbs are always burning. This cost increases too if motion-activated light sensors are not being used, a few left-on bulbs can add up over the course of a year. Lastly, there’s a good chance the Kelvin temperature being used in these areas is below the 5000 Kelvin temperature that is recommended to improve focus and productivity. This area may be the last one on the priority list, but making an effort to improve the lighting in these areas can pay dividends to your mood and productivity levels.

Wrap Up

This wraps up our Dining segment for our hotel lighting guide. As usual, we covered a lot of ground in this segment but you can count on us to do a quick recap below.

There’s a good amount of information that we covered in this section so be sure to take some notes, review particular areas, and know that you can visit goodbulb.com or call us at (701) 205-4953 to work with a Lumen Master. We at GoodBulb have over two decades of industry experience in helping hotel owners and managers shape their visual perceptions and save on energy costs.

Be sure to subscribe below to stay up to date on our latest hotel lighting guide and take control of your expenses, brand perception, and guest experience.

Welcome back to this week’s hotel lighting guide that covers Hotel Dining Lighting for the hotel industry. Don’t worry if you missed last week’s post on Pool Lighting and Spa Lighting, we’ll include the important points down below for your convenience. This lighting series covers everything that hotel owners, management, and maintenance staff need to know about maximizing hotel lighting. If you want to make sure your guests get the most out of their stay and get the most out of your bottom line then this hotel series is for you. Be sure to subscribe to this series to get notified when a new post goes live.

Last Week’s Main Points

For good pool lighting and spa lighting, keep the following in mind:

Pool Lighting

Spa Lighting

We’re packing this series full of information and it still only touches the outer aspects that Lumen Masters like us consider while doing a lighting retrofit. So be sure to give this post an extra read-through if something is not making sense. Better yet, visit our website at www.goodbulb.com or give us a call at 701-205-4953 to speak with a Lumen Master.

Restaurant Lighting 

Hotel dining has many faces in the hospitality industry because there are so many different types of hotels around the country. The lighting in a boutique, chain, convention center, and resort or casino hotel will vary greatly from what is being used in motels or one of the many Inns around the country. Restaurant lighting should reflect the needs of the space, some properties are going to require general lighting whereas others require a more romantic light. Lighting in the dining area requires that we pay attention to the atmosphere and position the lights accordingly, this process is called zoning. Zoning is the practice of creating an area within the area, in this case, it’s creating comfortable places within the hotel. Lighting in the restaurant and dining areas should follow the overall character of the property. After two decades in lighting, we have supplied light bulbs and fixtures to every type of hotel. Each hotel is unique, requiring individual attention to lighting solutions. The one thing they all have in common is that quality matters. The light bulbs need to last, they need to compliment the space and the Kelvin temperature or color of light needs to be consistent. You can redesign a room to get the mood and response you want from your guests by changing nothing but the lighting. Bad bulbs and burned-out light bulbs tell your guests that you just don’t care that much about your property. 

If you own one of the chain, resort, boutique, bed and breakfast, casino, gastro, or Inn hotels around the country and have a restaurant or dining area attached to the property then the lighting concepts will vary but the ambiance and lighting should reflect the experience and location of your property. The same concept will apply to conference/convention center hotels and your motels that accommodate travelers as a place to stop during long trips. The diversity in culture, climate, and activities are just a few of the things that make traveling across America amazing. From Northern Minnesota to Maine, to Marco Island, and west towards Texas, Arizona, and Salt Lake City, the properties will be unique. The one thing they all have in common is that they have light bulbs and light bulbs burn out and they need to be replaced. 

It’s no secret that the bad bulbs and major brands in lighting are manufacturing light bulbs to burn out much faster than they should. Planned obsolescence is when brands manufacture their goods, so they require replacing. It’s much harder for them to figure out how to make an LED last 10,000 hours compared to one that lasts 100,000 hours. Did you know that Phillips, GE, and Sylvania once had an agreement where if they manufactured incandescent bulbs that lasted longer than 3000 hours they could find each other. Stop buying bad bulbs and most lighting problems in your properties would be fixed. 

Much like our lobby lighting requires task lighting, some front-of-house restaurant areas within your hotel require the same. Seating areas like tables, booths, and bartops are going to require intimate lighting. Nostalgic lighting is gorgeous and turns an ordinary socket into something remarkable. If your brand standards allow for it, then we recommend adapting nostalgic LEDs as this look is attracting, entertaining, and comforting your guests. A quick tour around your local neighborhood and you’ll be sure to spot Nostalgic light bulbs in cafes, restaurants, and other meeting areas that are in tune with their target audience. There are thousands of different fixtures and hundreds of different nostalgic bulb styles so we recommend speaking with a Lumen Master before purchasing something new or trying to find replacement bulbs. Buying bad bulbs will cost way more money than spending a few minutes speaking with an expert when buying light bulbs, the correct color of light, the longest-lasting, and the most energy-efficient light bulb solutions. 

Seating areas should blend key lighting elements together such as task lighting and accent lighting. A common approach to achieve this combo is using pendant lighting above booths and tables. The prevalent use of this fixture is because of its adjustability in mounting height that can easily be used for booth lighting as it can be used for high-top lighting. This is a piece of zoning for you to create an area within the area where lighting is providing space. Another benefit is that pennant light fixtures come in every style imaginable, so you’re sure to find one that matches your brand standards. These factors combined help provide your guest with perfect task lighting, allowing them to enjoy their meal, read the menus, the morning paper, have a comfortable conversation, have the ability to unwind, reflect and relax. 

Pendant light fixtures are also great at providing the kind of accent lighting that promotes intimacy within the group. Though this benefit is mainly attributed to the light bulb used, its lumens, kelvin temperature, and CRI, some can be attributed to the style of the fixtures. Speaking of bulb talk, it’s best to go with brand standards choosing your bulbs. GoodBulb can help, odds are we have worked and our currently working with you brand in select hotels around the county. If your lighting standards allow for some self-expression then we recommend going with warm and intimate LEDs that are at or below 800 lumens and a CRI that is greater than 90. These are very generic recommendations because proper lighting is based on the application and the property. 

So we have learned about lighting our seating areas that include booths, tables, and hightops but what about our general lighting? We’ll want to observe your hotel’s brand standards. O.k. They’ve been observed and they recommend using dimmable recessed luminaires for ceiling lighting. One solution is BR30 in recessed can lights, the light levels can be adjusted according to your guest’s liking or the time of day. Many top restaurants place indirect lighting luminaires directly over tables, doing so provides needed light while creating an intimate atmosphere. Apart from creating the intimate space, general lighting subtly guides your guests to available seating areas.

We can’t say this enough – dimmable lighting is your friend! Modern lighting solutions along with compatible switches can greatly reduce your lighting costs. These solutions can make achieving the right light much easier than in previous years, allowing for customization that can delight your guests and your business. If you’re considering a new lighting project or undergoing a retrofit then not taking advantage of these options today can mean you’ll be paying for them later. This is the lighting trend that we’ve noticed gradually happening over the years and not following trends can mean your hotel will receive fewer bookings with each passing quarter. Do the smart thing, stay current with lighting trends, and give your hotel the resources it needs to be successful.

A Special Note on Sky Dining

One of the most beautiful spots in Fargo North Dakota, is a rooftop bar that looks down upon city and breath taking sky dining locations across the United States. During my travels I have been fortunate to visit roof top bars in Hong Kong, China, Vietnam, India, Africa, the Dominican, Mexico, and countless cities and states across America.  One of my favorite memories is one that looks down upon Wrigley Field in Chicago.

These areas are breath taking, yet the lighting in these areas has a new variable to consider – 360-degrees sky views. The big selling point for sky-view restaurants is just that, it’s “sky-view” that overlooks the surrounding area, often a busy metropolitan cityscape, and people want to see the lights. While we still want to encourage the same intimacy mentioned above, we need to be mindful of our views and most of all our lighting reflections. Much like a bathroom mirror reflects light, our windows can become troublemakers when it comes to light reflection, diminishing the viewing quality that our guests desire. To avoid this issue and to keep your guests happy, check your light angles to avoid any unwanted light from being reflected back at your guests. Keep in mind, the most important aspect of sky-dining is the amazing cityscape and country views this dining experience provides. Every action should be taken to improve your guest’s experience in this regard. 

Lounge & Bar Lighting

Bar lighting follows the same guidelines as restaurant lighting but with a deeper focus on relaxation and intimacy. Your guests come to your hotel lounge & bar to relax after a long day, enjoy an evening with friends, and maybe make some new ones. The light levels in these places depend greatly on the time of day, the theme of the lounge and or bar, and the audience your place attracts. This last factor can be huge in how you cater your service offering and whether or not your target audience accepts or rejects your offering. If you’re offering high-end drinks as the classic shaken, not stirred martini but your environment attracts a different clientele then there’s going to be an obvious mismatch here. 

In either case, there’s always one right move and that’s to use dimmable lights in your lighting design. Doing so will allow you to adjust light levels throughout the day, typically you’ll go with a brighter light level during daylight hours. At night you’ll dim the inside environment to allow for a seamless transition from the light levels outside to match the lighting inside. If it’s 2 pm but cloudy and raining outside then adjust your light levels accordingly. Guests wouldn’t expect to come into a brightly lit area but they also wouldn’t expect to come into a dim, romantic setting at 2 pm either. In any case, use your best judgment when adjusting your lighting to match the desired taste of your guests and your experience. 

Keep in mind that every restaurant is unique and so is every lounge and bar, each will require the owner to be in touch with these environments to determine the right lighting. What works for one venue may not work for your venue. Let your environment, guests, and advice from the lumen masters determine your lighting. If your guests are having a good time then your lighting is set correctly, if you notice guests are not enjoying their time, then give your lighting and ambiance a second thought. Lighting makes a difference. 

Restaurant Lighting – Back of House

Back of House lighting is shockingly different when compared to your front-of-house lighting needs. Typically, and we don’t recommend doing this, you’ll find many kitchens emulate a set on a horror film, rather than bright, productive workplace. The offices and kitchens are usually the worst, with the hallways being a close second. Usually, when it comes to the back-of-house lighting needs, priorities are on the kitchen area, cold storage areas, and frequented areas by staff. It’s not hard to rationalize this either, after all, priorities should be placed on the areas that make your business money – the staff, kitchen, and other functional areas.

The question is not so much what areas to focus on when it comes to back-of-house lighting but what lighting fixtures and bulbs to be using in these areas. For the kitchen, we highly recommend pure white, high CRI 5000-kelvin LED bulbs. Going this route will ensure that your staff in this area can work efficiently, be more productive and provide clean light. Common lighting fixtures used in professional kitchens are fluorescent tubes and LED linear tubes. To go with the best option, that will cut down your long-term costs, we recommend using bypass LED linear tubes. The most important factor is making sure your bulbs are National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) rated or in other words, food-safe rated. 

When it comes to cold storage options, we recommend looking for low-temperature occupancy sensors that are designed to function in these areas. These will help save on costs and be efficient enough to handle regular traffic from staff. As far as fixtures and bulbs are concerned, we need an NSF-rated bulb that is commonly going to be a LED. Going with an LED bulb in this area is best because it produces less heat than legacy light bulbs, thus reducing the energy cost of keeping your cold storage cold. 

Common Cold Storage Fixtures and Bulbs Include:

Hallway lighting and office lighting usually take a back seat when it comes to the lighting priorities of hotel management and maintenance technicians. We get it, when it comes to managing a tight budget, priorities have to be made along the way. Yet, you might be making cuts in areas that can be hurting your business. If you’re not using LED bulbs to light these areas then you’re overspending on lighting costs by using inefficient lighting techniques in areas of the hotel where the bulbs are always burning. This cost increases too if motion-activated light sensors are not being used, a few left-on bulbs can add up over the course of a year. Lastly, there’s a good chance the Kelvin temperature being used in these areas is below the 5000 Kelvin temperature that is recommended to improve focus and productivity. This area may be the last one on the priority list, but making an effort to improve the lighting in these areas can pay dividends to your mood and productivity levels.

Wrap Up

This wraps up our Dining segment for our hotel lighting guide. As usual, we covered a lot of ground in this segment but you can count on us to do a quick recap below.

There’s a good amount of information that we covered in this section so be sure to take some notes, review particular areas, and know that you can visit goodbulb.com or call us at (701) 205-4953 to work with a Lumen Master. We at GoodBulb have over two decades of industry experience in helping hotel owners and managers shape their visual perceptions and save on energy costs.

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