The main role of technology in hotel guest rooms and cruise ship staterooms is to create an immersive experience for guests. The right technology can transport guests away, providing the rest and privacy away the hustle and bustle of a packed vacation or busy business trip. To craft this experience, the technology needs to provide all of the comforts from home, plus more. From linens and furnishings to even the technology itself, every element of the space is chosen to create that “home away from home” feeling.

However, nothing can ruin that feeling faster than noise from the next room filtering in, disturbing sleep and making the entire space feel cramped. The source of this issue is sound transference from hotel televisions. As we have all observed at one time or another, sound from a source travels in all directions unless something hinders its movement. While walls may have some amount of sound absorption, noise from a television can still transfer from one room into neighboring rooms.

One source of problems with hotel televisions is that the majority of sound from a speaker is output in the direction the speaker faces. Someone standing behind a speaker can hear some sound directly from the speaker (how much will depend on how the specific speaker is designed), but much of the sound the listener will hear is sound reverberating off other surfaces.

This plays an important part in sound transference. In most televisions, the speakers are typically located on the bottom or back of the device. Modern television designs typically favor small bezels (the hardware surrounding the actual screen), which limits the ability to have speakers mounted on the front. In residential applications, this is completely fine. Sound reverberates off the back wall and is delivered to the listeners and can still provide a pleasant experience. However, in hospitality applications, this can cause significant issues. While some sound will bounce off the hard surface and reverberate back into the room, some of the sound will transfer through the wall and disturb neighbors.

Thankfully, sound transference can be managed with a solution like the JBL Pro SoundBar. With the JBL Pro SoundBar’s front-facing speakers and a design targeted specifically at guest rooms and staterooms, guests can have a pleasant sound experience without disturbing everyone around them. To learn more about how to design guest rooms that don’t disturb the neighbors, check out our design guide, Limiting Sound Transference in Hotel Guest Rooms and Staterooms, an eight-page primer with all the information you need to create a memorable getaway for all of your guests.

Do you have experience designing experiences in hotel guest rooms and staterooms? Share your insights in the comments.