The art of making sweet hotel music

Check into a W Hotel in Asia and you'll probably struggle to make it to the reception desk without dropping your bags and bouncing into Woo Bar. On Friday night, there'll be a DJ spinning, and electronic music blaring deep into the lobby.

Music has always been crucial to W's hip, upscale brand. The Starwood chain even produces its own original albums and holds DJ contests. According to the Wall Street Journal, more hotels are picking up what the W is putting down, because as W has shown, music can set the mood of not just the lobby, but the entire brand.

These days, it's not unlikely for luxury accommodations to hire a music-curating company to create a soundtrack for their properties. WSJ points to Europe's five-star Rocco Forte group, which lets staff play their own playlists sometimes, but last year hired a music director/former DJ to curate a special sound for the space:

"Music can easily be tweaked for the personal locations—a lot more classical for tea in London, verging on techno in Berlin. concerning 30% of the songs are updated each week. Every three weeks you have actually totally brand-new playlists, (food and beverage manager Lydia) Forte says. It is essential not only for guests, However for groups working in the hotels. If [employees] are bored, the service gets bored a little bit."

The location and time of day also need specific types of music. Lobbies are of course the most challenging spots, with higher tempos for busy check-in and check-out times as a must. Likewise, picking something that will appeal to the hipsters but not hurt granny's ears can also be tricky. The wrong choice of music can alienate repeat and potential customers alike.

One music consultant recommends no smooth jazz, hip hop or Kenny G, period. That we can agree on!