Are there some people who do not care if their room is quiet? All I want to hear at night are are waves, frogs, and crickets. I find it can be hard to assure that your room is not on a busy street, with motorcycles, buses, and exhaust.
I often find that the rooms on the upper floors and away from the street are directly above the exhaust blowers for the hotel's restaurant. If there is anything worse than a noisy room, it's a noisy room filled with stale kitchen odors from floors below. Unfortunately, I only discover the problem when I've checked into the room -- the only option I've found is to move. This seems a problem of design that envisions a hotel as a generator of multiple revenue streams, rather than a place for people to sleep comfortably.
1
A few tips that most people may have already mentioned.
- go through trip advisor, a lot of people, including myself will mention specific rooms in terms of being quiet/loud, etc
- request rooms away from pools, bars, etc.
- get as far away from the elevator or ice machine
- avoid connecting rooms
- if you didn't sleep well and you are staying more than one night, it never hurts to ask for a room move.
- travel with a white noise machine (the old fashion one, not some "app")
- go through trip advisor, a lot of people, including myself will mention specific rooms in terms of being quiet/loud, etc
- request rooms away from pools, bars, etc.
- get as far away from the elevator or ice machine
- avoid connecting rooms
- if you didn't sleep well and you are staying more than one night, it never hurts to ask for a room move.
- travel with a white noise machine (the old fashion one, not some "app")
2
Ear plugs anyone? For goodness sake! I hate noise like the rest of you, but the only thing you can change is your response to noise. So take it into your own hands and plug your ears.
Oh, and then put your phone on vibrate and loud volume, and you will never miss an alarm either :)
Oh, and then put your phone on vibrate and loud volume, and you will never miss an alarm either :)
As if we haven't thought of that? I use earplugs often in this noisy world. Unfortunately can't wear them overnight as I can't hear the alarm. A loud box fan or running the ac fan helps.
1
Marriott Group desperately needs to reform its floor categories. When you ask for a quiet room, they put you on the "high floor". THey also put on this floor families and frat boys and anyone else whose Marriott Elite daddy made the reservation with his points. The high floor resounds with slamming doors, hardy hailing between bros, and squealing children. Why?
4
I travel a great deal especially internationally. I returned from Amsterdam and Prague this week and fortunately traveled with two white noise machines. One is electric and accepts a small converter and the other is on batteries so that I can place it anywhere at a moment's notice. They drown out the din of humans and televisions but cannot compete with the sounds of drums or loud bass sounds, or work crew's drills. There was also a man who decided to play the bongos at 12:30 am outside my window. All of these I faced on this trip. There should be a white noise machine that can drown out the pounding of people walking above your ceiling but as of yet I don't believe it has been invented. (I always request upper most floor, but sometimes it is not possible and you don't know for sure until you arrive.) On this trip I was given upper most floor in Prague only to find it was an attic like room (many upper floors in Prague are attic like and very hot) w/o any elevator and I walked up and down 80 stairs each time to get to room and out to street. Another upper most floor on 5th floor in Czech Republic was attic w/air conditioner, but they did lend me a fan. Many people cannot accept rooms like that - for me it was fine.
Best recommendation is two white noise machines- one set to rain, the other to loud dense white noise and professional ear plugs. Enjoy your stay!
Best recommendation is two white noise machines- one set to rain, the other to loud dense white noise and professional ear plugs. Enjoy your stay!
3
I always carry a few pairs of soft foam earplugs, the kind you roll to squish down and then insert into your ears. I use them on planes, under my noise-cancelling headphones and they're great at blocking unwanted voices, construction noise or amorous couples in the next room. I've used them in Paris when they were jack hammering the street outside my hotel and in my own apartment when there was construction going on. They're light and cheap and you can still hear well enough for fire alarms, wakeup calls or airline hostesses asking if you'd like an aperatif.
2
I wear earplugs a lot and they're great. Only thing they're not good for is hearing my alarm.
A big part of whether a room is quiet is how things were designed when the hotel was built. Lack of sound insulation between rooms. Doors which bang shut. HVAC units that wake the dead. Etc. It seems like most hotels have been designed by people who either never sleep in a hotel or who can sleep through amageddon.
5
Quiet public accommodations, anywhere? Are you kidding. Why bother. Rent a house. Or find unfrequented isolated places to some peace and quiet. Yes, it's a challenge to find quiet environments but don't hold your breadth waiting for corporations who own and run hotels, apartments, motels to take action in favor of the traveling public. Won't happen!
Try hard to avoid hotels on Friday and Saturday when they discount rooms for weddings and other events like school sports
teams. Find a B&B instead.
teams. Find a B&B instead.
1
Quoting Paul Simon: "Couple in the next room, bound to win a prize./They've been goin' at it all night long ... " Honestly, it sounded like the soundtrack to a skin flick, punctuated by banging and crashing and yelling.
At least the manager was nice enough to refund the rewards points I'd used to pay for the room when I complained about the [lack of] soundproofing.
At least the manager was nice enough to refund the rewards points I'd used to pay for the room when I complained about the [lack of] soundproofing.
5
For ambient noise, I use a thunderstorm ("Healing Sounds of Nature") on endless loop from my phone to bluetooth speaker. Lots of travel-size bluetooth speakers available...can also use them for music/radio, and as a speakerphone.
Door slamming - arrgghhh - technically its not the guests, its the door mechanism that slams the door. I try to remember to manually close the door, to minimize the sound. Astonishing that hotels don't find a better way to close doors - seems obvious that quiet is not a concern of theirs.
Door slamming - arrgghhh - technically its not the guests, its the door mechanism that slams the door. I try to remember to manually close the door, to minimize the sound. Astonishing that hotels don't find a better way to close doors - seems obvious that quiet is not a concern of theirs.
3
I'm not sure if anyone else does this, but it's more about the availability of a white noise to drown out noise, than the location. Granted I don't want to be on the second floor above the swimming pool, but, once I have checked the air conditioning system out I will go from there. If it has a "fan" option, which allows the noise to continue at a constant flow, then I am set. Also, I lower the temperature in the room to it's limit, and this also keeps the fan on. If this is not the case, I just request a floor fan from housekeeping. I have been traveling for years and have rarely had a problem with noise, due to these two options.
4
Once again it's us people who are largely the cause of the nuisance, irritation, rudeness. Everything from letting doors slam, leaving TV volume too high, allowing children to run down hallways -- it's as if people think they are the only lodgers in the building. Hotels, guest houses, etc. should state their "house rules" or guest expectations and then people who can abide will stay there. Lack of sleep is unhealthy. Civility is being eroded little by little. And what, can only the wealthy expect comforts as a good night's sleep?
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Also -- stay away from wedding venues at all costs -- e.g. big suburban hotels on spacious, well-manicured plots: you know them when you see them. There's something about being in a wedding party that seems to persuade people that they are the only living beings in the universe.
Now, what can be done about the people who shout down the hallways as though they're outdoors, I don't know, but at times I have had rather dire fantasies...
Now, what can be done about the people who shout down the hallways as though they're outdoors, I don't know, but at times I have had rather dire fantasies...
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Quiet is one important quality. But I would also like a room that isn't flooded with outside security or other lighting, a truly dark room. I also like the option of a window that opens. Many hotel and motel rooms are stuffy and stale, or smell of cleaning chemicals. I appreciate a clean room, of course, but I don't want to feel like I'm being poisoned by the cleansers. Yeah, I'm fussy.
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I wish I had seen this article before I traveled to mid-town Manhattan last weekend and stayed in a "boutique" hotel room on the sixth floor. The room was pleasant in terms of decor with a big king-sized bed that I had requested. And light streamed in from two directions as the corner room faced the street on one side. It was way too noisy. From now on I plan to ask for a room on the 15 floor or higher and not facing the street.
2
Window air conditioning (AC) units are a huge contributor to noisy hotel rooms. Recently we stayed in a Savannah, GA riverfront hotel which had an up to date unit that was barely audible. However, the previous nights stay in a St. Augustine beach front hotel had the usual antiquated, growling and obnoxious AC unit that kept us awake nearly all night. From now on, a little investigating before reservations will be a prerequisite for me.
4
Masking outside noise with controlled ambient sound doesn;t work, either. The most annoying noise of all is the HVAC in most hotels/motels...often measured as high as 65dBA. If healthy and restful room design was calibrated to a dBA rating of between 41 - 44, consistently and with HVAC, included, we wouldn't need to have this discussion.
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I have noticed that getting a room on the upper floors sure does help. The only thing that bugged me was the hotel manager trying to push a thank you note about my gold membership under my door while i clearly had a Do Not Disturb outside my door. Sigh, i'd rather they would email such things than handwritten notes.
2
Families with young kids who act like being in a hotel is a vacation from all manners and consideration for other guests. Most of the annoying noise I have encountered is from kids running around in the room above me or in the hallways. Groups of teens travelling with sports teams are also a nightmare, especially the girls in groups who feel the high pitched shrieks (designed to attract as much attention from the boys as possible) is cute. The parents accompanying these sports teams, with adjoining rooms and doors propped open and enjoying their cocktail hour. It's true, I usually stay in moderately priced hotel chains as I am 12-14 days on the road, but most of these rooms still cost me around $100 average a night. People that only occasionally stay in a hotel act too often like it is their playground and they pass that on to their kids and for regular travellers these families are ill mannered, inconsiderate and boorish.
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One nightmare stay in East Lansing involved the late-night arrival of a team of youth, which we learned was the victorious "roller hockey" team from Ohio. They celebrated by rollering up and down the hallway for hours, leaving all of their doors ajar by flipping open the security latch on the door. That way, they rollered from room to room , shouldering their way in while they carried their drink, letting the doors clang behind them. We tried reasoning with the kids, calling the desk (what can I do? I'm all alone here!), but we were stuck for the night. The wise chaperones were fast asleep in another wing and floor of the hotel, not responding to the phone calls from the desk.
But a summer weekend north of Milwaukee was worse, with wedding parties and bar hoppers returning in successive waves all night long, loudly recounting t
But a summer weekend north of Milwaukee was worse, with wedding parties and bar hoppers returning in successive waves all night long, loudly recounting t
3
Country Inn and Suites, Rochester, MN puts their "handicapped" rooms next to the boiler room. You can imagine what kind of sleep that generated. By the time I figured out where the noise was coming from, it was too late to move my 89-year-old ill mother to another room. Handicapped does not mean deaf. I thought it was a blatant affront to handicapped people who are probably frequent hotel clients, headed to Mayo Clinic like we were. I wrote a letter of complaint. Heard nothing back.
9
On a trip to Dublin in 1979 our traditional hotel on the Liffey had a popular ground floor bar and restaurant. We were desperate for sleep, this being our first experience with jet lag. The rooms had translucent, curtainless transom panes, so hallway light poured in and the room could not be darkened. On top of this, the PA announcing "McMillans - your table is ready ... O"Brien party of two - your table is ready" blared throughout the hotel and not just to the ground floor lobby and bar. Up on floor 5 we could not escape either light or PA, and I felt I were in the hospital where it was never dark or quiet - back then there were not pocket pagers and the PA was constantly used to page ("Dr. Howard, Dr. Fine, Dr. Howard ..."). It was astonishing that a purveyor of hospitality could not think to cover the transom panes or limit the PA to the public spaces. Hope they have improved since then.
2
Obnoxiously loud people rarely realize that they are being loud. Their door slamming, blaring televisions, stomping kids and 2am banter are not bothering them. Why in the world would it bother other guests?
Unless the check in for the quiet zone includes a personality test, I doubt it will be successful.
Unless the check in for the quiet zone includes a personality test, I doubt it will be successful.
6
Lot of people complaining about automatic closing hotel room doors. How many of you turn around and catch the door to keep it from slamming? My family does, and my teenaged son has learned "no talking in the hallways, babies sleeping"
3
As brilliant an idea as non-smoking rooms, but in order to find one of their QR hotels, you must log in, which I didn't want to do. I'll wait until they figure out that the American market (at least) just wants the list without providing any personal information.
1
Check out hotels on google earth to see EXACTLY where they are located. You can see where the closest hospital, police and fire station is - if it's across the street, don't stay there. Sirens.
If the floor heat/cool system kicks on and off - take the cover off, find and hit the "continuous" switch so that the fan is always ON. If it's a small wall thermostat, make sure fan is always in the ON setting. I have done this hundreds of time. If you can't figure out how to do it, ask for the engineer to come to your room and do it. They will.
Unplug the phone. Put a "DND" post-it note on your door, even if there's one on the doorknob.
Many hotels let you request a quiet room, but they will tell you it is a request and there is no guarantee you will get it. I make a point of calling around 2 PM on the day of check-in, ask for the front desk, and make that request again, to the person who is actually checking people in that day.
More often than not, they have honored that request, and when they do, I give them a good review when it's a room procured using a travel site (hotels.com, expedia.com, etc). And I let them know when I check out that I appreciate that they honored my request and the review will reflect that.
The more travelers who let hotel staffs know how much a quiet room is appreciated, the more quiet rooms there will be.
One more thing -- if maid service is quiet and never wakes you, a nice tip and a thank you note will make their day.
If the floor heat/cool system kicks on and off - take the cover off, find and hit the "continuous" switch so that the fan is always ON. If it's a small wall thermostat, make sure fan is always in the ON setting. I have done this hundreds of time. If you can't figure out how to do it, ask for the engineer to come to your room and do it. They will.
Unplug the phone. Put a "DND" post-it note on your door, even if there's one on the doorknob.
Many hotels let you request a quiet room, but they will tell you it is a request and there is no guarantee you will get it. I make a point of calling around 2 PM on the day of check-in, ask for the front desk, and make that request again, to the person who is actually checking people in that day.
More often than not, they have honored that request, and when they do, I give them a good review when it's a room procured using a travel site (hotels.com, expedia.com, etc). And I let them know when I check out that I appreciate that they honored my request and the review will reflect that.
The more travelers who let hotel staffs know how much a quiet room is appreciated, the more quiet rooms there will be.
One more thing -- if maid service is quiet and never wakes you, a nice tip and a thank you note will make their day.
14
It is unfair to suggest that all children past babyhood are noisy. On a recent trip to New York, my children and I enjoyed reading in the Amtrak quiet car (yes, it took bribes and threats initially) and then were kept up half the night by drunken partyers in the hotel room next door at our upscale hotel--even after numerous complaints to the management!
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Yeah, when that happens, it's a reflection as much on the parents as the kids. When we were growing up, even as toddlers, we were not loud because our parents told us to keep our voices down.
Earplugs can be very effective. I like the foam cylinders that look the same at each end. (These are much more comfortable than the bullet-shaped ones.) You have to follow the directions telling you how to insert them, or they won't work as well.
4
Could you people pipe down, please?
8
Earplugs have improved a lot over the years. I recommend the non-slippery foam kind, but apparently other people like the slick kinds. In either case, earplugs are a cheap way to improve the quality of your life by allowing you to get more sleep.
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I have not found them all that helpful. They seem to only slightly muffle the noise and actually make certain vibrations MORE noticeable. I'll try the kind you mention..
2
Air conditioning noise is a major annoyance.
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That's one of the only things that can help me sleep!
1
I think that the idea of quiet zones is a good one, especially in chain hotels. That way you don't have to inspect the place, find the "quiet zone" (ie.,off the street, farthest from the highway, away from elevators and ice machines) and then ask for a room there, which they may not have. They could even charge more - most light sleepers would gladly pay a little more for a better placed, better insulated room. And how about a "no tv" section?
7
In university, the 12-story dorm I lived in in a major city designated the top 2 floors for quieter folks more interested in studying than partying and the form you filled pre-assignment asked your preferences. It worked pretty well and we also had the nicest views of the city/ lake. Hotels could do similar. I would not encourage them to charge more though! They may simply get more business by such a move and they could always sell "extras" -- e.g. ambient white noise piped in, sleeping eye masks, lavender sprays, etc.
When I travel, I ask for a quiet room, and I am happy to say that this is what I have been receiving. I put my request in my email exchange with the hotel and on the phone.
First thing we do after we is unplug the refrigerator. They should have a switch instead of making one search for the plug.
We recently stayed at Radisson BLu Hotel in Oslo. I can't begin to describe the pleasant experience while there. My husband and I were amazed that a hotel connected to the airport could be so quiet, clean, and comfortable. From now on we will default to Radisson if there is one available in the cities we visit.
2
The Radisson Blu at Stockholm Arlanda airport is also terrific, for the same reasons...
I'm reading this from an airbnb room I'm staying at in Colombo, Sri Lanka, where I was awoken this morning by loud traffic, seemingly thousands of birds chirping, and a recording of monks blaring over loudspeakers that started at 5 AM.
Just part of the experience . . .
1
In my experience, the noise in a hotel room that disrupts my sleep is usually the mechanical air handling device. Then I have to choose between temperature comfort and quietness. The ultimate hotel room for me has a splendidly comfortable bed, fresh unscented air, a night time temperature between 66 and 68, silence, and a very subtle night light in the bathroom which I do not have to turn on.
5
First thing I do is check out the compressor noise from the refrigerator. If it is obnoxious, I unplug the thing.
Earplug work wonders; I've even used them at concerts where the noise level would send me home otherwise.
Earplug work wonders; I've even used them at concerts where the noise level would send me home otherwise.
1
I always unplug the refrigerator in the room.
1
I could fall asleep (and stay asleep) next to a construction site with full sunlight streaming through the windows during an earthquake. But smells, particularly something burning, will wake me up in a second.
About ten years ago there was a massive fire about 40 miles from my house, We were downwind from it. My wife could barely discern the odor, but my brain kept me awake all night. I will wake up from a deep sleep if my wife is grilling a burger on the back porch with the door open.
But throw a starving, roaring lion in my bed and I will pretty much ignore it unless it smells like its hair is singed.
About ten years ago there was a massive fire about 40 miles from my house, We were downwind from it. My wife could barely discern the odor, but my brain kept me awake all night. I will wake up from a deep sleep if my wife is grilling a burger on the back porch with the door open.
But throw a starving, roaring lion in my bed and I will pretty much ignore it unless it smells like its hair is singed.
Two little words: ear plugs. Works every time, even when my room in Seville was right above the nightclub in which the visiting Barcelona F.C. team was partying. (That and the half-bottle of manzanilla the management sent up as an apology).
2
What surprises me here is that the focus is on sleeping. Sleeping is good, and something you should be able to do in a hotel. But if I'm in a hotel, it means that I'm working, and I usually need my evenings to write. Noisy neighbors mean I can't get my writing or transcribing done. So, here's me wishing that more hotels don't just have cushy sleep zones, but "trying to work here" zones distant from the partying youngsters and screaming kids.
9
No need to spend $100 on a whole device when there are great noise apps you can get on your phone. I use Simply Noise and Simply Rain. Get some good silicone earbuds that fit snugly and you're good to go.
3
I use a portable sound-conditioning device. But construction materials could make a big difference. The Narita Hilton is very close to the Narita International Airport (near Tokyo). It is almost bizarrely quiet, despite the proximity of airplanes taking off and landing. I've been there several times and the building materials--particularly the windows seem to get the credit. I know the difference, having also stayed at other nearby hotels.
2
rely on yourself, not labels.
-never book a hotel with a disco dance emporium.
-get a set of ear plugs. EAR is a reputable brand but there are many others.
-demand the room on the opposite side of the highway.
-pull the plugs on the fridge, the TV.
-duct tape any LEDs.
-turn the AC off and open the windows. your earplugs willl take care of teh ambient noise outside unless you are in an urban area.
-don't watch TV.
-calm your mind to deal with the unexpected.
-good luck.
p
-never book a hotel with a disco dance emporium.
-get a set of ear plugs. EAR is a reputable brand but there are many others.
-demand the room on the opposite side of the highway.
-pull the plugs on the fridge, the TV.
-duct tape any LEDs.
-turn the AC off and open the windows. your earplugs willl take care of teh ambient noise outside unless you are in an urban area.
-don't watch TV.
-calm your mind to deal with the unexpected.
-good luck.
p
2
The Quiet Room initiative and resultant labelling is a winner...great initiative on the part of hotels adopting the scheme.... I am tired of hotel rooms with poor sound insolation, or where staff and management don't recognise noise as the biggest hindrance to sleeping well in many hotels.
3
Bring earplugs. I once was had to stay at the NY Hilton because of a blizzard; the room was right next of the elevator. I heard whoosh,whoosh, whoosh all night long. I would have done better sleeping at work.
2
The white noise app on my iPhone works just fine.
Sometimes you have to travel to Sickland, i.e. the hospital. To my horror, I had to share a room with a roommate who watched television until the wee hours. I was very sick and not allowed to sleep. The hospital did not enforce its quiet hour policy. The earplugs furnished to patients were the cheapest. Until my spouse brought me earplugs from home, I got very little sleep. It seems as if all institutions where one has to sleep whether hotel or hospital demean the importance of a night's sleep. This is a cultural shift.
1
Another solution is poured to fit ear plugs, the type developed for heavy equipment workers. Expensive, but they work, come in their own little zip pouch with id and last for decades. Also very effective if your sleeping partner snores!
1
The night that Al Gore defeated some guy named Bush I was in a well recommended hotel in Monterey, CA. I booked a high floor room away from the beach. It turns out that November is seal mating season and the roars of the bulls was deafening.
As it grew later, I noticed an increasing level of decibels coming from a building next to the wall of the hotel. By 1 AM I had to use my ear plugs. Still not able to sleep. After several unanswered calls to the desk, I called the police on their non-911 line. I was told that the building contained a rave bar which was having a really good night. In the AM I checked out and asked for my money back. No problem!
So, if you ever go to Monterey, and stay at the Monterey Hotel, ask if the rave bar is still in operation and, if it is, ask for a room in the wall opposite from the rave bar wall.
As it grew later, I noticed an increasing level of decibels coming from a building next to the wall of the hotel. By 1 AM I had to use my ear plugs. Still not able to sleep. After several unanswered calls to the desk, I called the police on their non-911 line. I was told that the building contained a rave bar which was having a really good night. In the AM I checked out and asked for my money back. No problem!
So, if you ever go to Monterey, and stay at the Monterey Hotel, ask if the rave bar is still in operation and, if it is, ask for a room in the wall opposite from the rave bar wall.
For me the most serious problem are guests who go carousing through the halls at all hours of the night as if there is no one else on the floor. And some hotels seem to invite hall noise. If you stay at the otherwise worthy Lucerne Hotel and you are trying to sleep with the lights off, look at the door. There is light coming in on three sides of the door and a two-inch gap between the door and the floor, with no sill or weatherstripping. I have stopped staying at the Lucerne because management will not even make a minor investment in quiet. I have never seen a hotel that posts a sign to be considerate of other guests in the hallways.
4
Two additional points: When I travel I always request a quiet room that also has a window that can open. These have become increasingly rare, especially in the Sun Belt of the US and in large urban centers around the world (especially those with high air pollution). I want to breathe fresh air in places such as Florida and Arizona. In some cities, including San Francisco (which has great air), most hotel windows are sealed because of suicide attempts. A few years ago there I had to sign an agreement that if I fell or jumped out of the window the hotel would not be liable. The ideal sleeping conditions for many people (myself included) is a quiet environment with cool, fresh air. I know where to find this in Europe, but it is nearly impossible in the US. Second point: we have become a culture that tolerates unhealthy levels of noise all the time. I have a decibel meter on my smartphone and regularly find that the basic ambient noise is above healthy levels in most places. NYC buses generate a great deal of noise even if no one is speaking. NYC garbage trucks that rotate through the night collecting trash are also above safe sound levels. Ditto strident US sirens (compare these to the more muted ones in most of continental Europe, though not the UK). Constant exposure to excessive noise is a major health issue and must be treated as such. It is pollution every bit as much as pollution of air and water, which are also becoming perilously unhealthy in the US and elsewhere.
9
What's fascinating is that nobody has yet figured out how to solve the slamming hotel door. It's a simple engineering problem. Whoever can figure it out, patent and brand it, and roll it out across the industry (once one big chain gets it, everybody will want it), will make a lot of money.
8
Americann hotels are located in a few midwestern towns. They advertise that all their rooms are quiet. Part of that is that they have insulation on the bottom of the room doors that not only keeps noise from coming in under the door, but also slightly retarsd the closing of the door so that it won't slam. Interesting thing, though, there are always one or two people who still pull the door shut and slam it. I guess if it hasn't been slammed, it can't be really shut.
I don't understand people who let a door slam in a place where others have paid money to sleep.
I don't understand people who let a door slam in a place where others have paid money to sleep.
With a mobility disability, I can't be in a room far from an elevator. My white noise machine or white noise app usually does it unless it's a poorly built hotel. I learned in Vegas (where I go for work) to be cautious at Mandalay Bay (site of too many conventions) to ask for a room not facing pools or "beach" where events are done. For my industry (meetings) I can ask hotels if they have certified quiet rooms. Like Amtrak's Quiet Cars, I bet these rooms will be most requested.
It is worth knowing, when interpreting quiet category data, that a difference of 6-7 decibels is about a doubling of sound intensity (the scale is logarithmic). So a category II room is about half as noisy as a category III room, and a category I room is half of that, or about 1/4 as noisy. Big differences.
2
Like with the extremely popular Amtrak "quiet car", I have never understood why hotels do not group people who want to sleep into a separate section. Several people I know find ear plugs painful to use, and it's also painful to pay a great deal for a place to sleep only to be kept awake by a party next door. The person who designs a hotel dedicated to tranquility and actual sleep would make a fortune.
4
I appreciate hotels making earnest efforts to improve guest's choices. I do believe that parabolic microphones, designed to amplify and collect sounds, might resemble the proposed headboard shape.
The W Hotels are a disaster for anyone who wants to sleep - flimsy in the extreme, intrusive musak and cultivating a clientele of mindless overgrown children who have no thought of moderating their behavior so as not to intrude on others. And - added pleasure .... their room sometimes contain weird fairylight strips that don't turn off. So you get light pollution as well as excess noise. I literally ripped the fairylights out after the hotel staff were unable to explain how to turn them off. Oh, and did I mentioned pretentious, fussy, poor signage and a host of other drawbacks ....?
5
My experience as well. Plus, you pay a premium for the discomfort.
Also a problem is the out in the middle of the room wash basin. If one person likes to wake early their morning ablutions wake up everyone else. I know some like this arrangement but get me a gosh darn door for the bathroom and make it one that CLOSES!! ( those barn doors at some Hilton Garden Inn's are an abomination!!! )
10
"hotels are turning their lobbies into bars and game rooms to court millennials"
Ugh.
Ugh.
40
Ah, yes - millenials. At whose name all heads shall bow and all knees shall bend. The ones shrieking in the bar and in the hallways until 3 a.m.; colliding into you while they stare into their phones, oblivious; yelling across the lobby because their earbuds distort the volume of their speech.
Of course hotels should accommodate their every whim!
Of course hotels should accommodate their every whim!
1
I use meditation music/ nature sounds online from Youtube as part of my practice but some of them could be adapted (and some are actually designed) to be used as for insomnia/ sleep aids. Their duration lasts from a few minutes to 8-10-12 hours. And best of all, most are FREE, no need to buy another device/ service. Listen directly or with your own headphones.
7
I try to keep noise in mind when suggesting apartments to clients of our rental agency for Barcelona and Paris. If owners' information doesn't specify, I ask if the windows face the courtyard or the street; the courtyard is the best defense against street noise that can break out at any time in these vibrant cities. Most apartments now have modern, acoustic windows, but not all, so that's a question, too. It also matters what neighborhood you're in, what floor you're on and the location of the bedroom; sometimes they are interior, which is best for low noise. If you're renting, don't hesitate to ask questions about all of these.
As a light sleeper, I always carry foam earplugs, and use them at home, too. My current favorites are "Hearos" from Rite Aid. Don't wait until you get to Europe to buy earplugs; the ones I've gotten there aren't nearly as effective.
Ron Bartizek
www.likelivingthere.com
As a light sleeper, I always carry foam earplugs, and use them at home, too. My current favorites are "Hearos" from Rite Aid. Don't wait until you get to Europe to buy earplugs; the ones I've gotten there aren't nearly as effective.
Ron Bartizek
www.likelivingthere.com
12
Hearos in NR 32-33 strength are da bomb. (Figuratively, of course).
I once rented an apartment on the second floor of a building on the Champs-Elysees for a week, and was chagrined to discover the building was above a busy arcade and next door to the Planet Hollywood under construction. But when I got to my room, I found that the windows faced the lovely landscaped courtyard terrace--and I could not hear ANY of the noise. Lesson learned: make sure you get either an interior room or one away from the action. (And at convention hotels, especially music conventions with “guerrilla showcases,” reserve early enough to increase your chances of being on a “quiet floor”).
I once rented an apartment on the second floor of a building on the Champs-Elysees for a week, and was chagrined to discover the building was above a busy arcade and next door to the Planet Hollywood under construction. But when I got to my room, I found that the windows faced the lovely landscaped courtyard terrace--and I could not hear ANY of the noise. Lesson learned: make sure you get either an interior room or one away from the action. (And at convention hotels, especially music conventions with “guerrilla showcases,” reserve early enough to increase your chances of being on a “quiet floor”).
Some of y'all should just stay home, if noise machines and ear plugs don't work for you.
1
Some of us do not have a choice and have to travel for work.
5
Yes, this will go over so well with the company I work for. In exchange for forgoing promotions, interesting work, making necessary connections I get to sleep at home. Such a trade-off.
3
Perhaps we are, and that's why Louisiana has a large State deficit!
1
Then there's always ear plugs...
4
The concept of white noise apps just seems a bit foreign to me - consciously making noise to tune out noise. It makes me think of the silly but funny old movie line, "it's quiet...too quiet."
I guess it's all relevant, as I have known people who thought a trip to an ocean-front hotel would be lovely, only to find the noise of the ocean kept them awake all night. Somewhat difficult to shut that down...
I guess it's all relevant, as I have known people who thought a trip to an ocean-front hotel would be lovely, only to find the noise of the ocean kept them awake all night. Somewhat difficult to shut that down...
5
It eliminates the startle response. Wave sound apps don't work for me, but the steady white noise (or preferably brown) is a godsend. Blends right into the background and keeps outside noise from alerting me.
Thanks for this article. Ear plugs don't always work for me, but I will take a look at some of those recommended by readers. One type of noise I haven't seen mentioned is the hum of motors and fans. Twice when I have asked for a quiet room, I have been put in a room where I can hear fans or motors from a kitchen or similar unit.
3
In smaller hotels I am always wary of rooms in the back, which, as you point out, can be near fans or motors and other kitchen-related noise (and smells).
1
I avoid the top floor, where you can sometimes hear ventilation fans placed on the roof. I also unplug the mini-bar or refrigerator if there is one so that I won't have to hear the compressor cycling. Rooms near ice-machines or vending machines are also a no-no.
Recently I stayed at a small B & B on Nantucket and their tvs were set to a topped out low to medium range volume. I thought it was a great idea to keep the peaceful and quiet atmosphere of the property. Who wants to listen to loud tvs blaring from the room next door, especially late a night. We've all experienced that.
On another note, the swinging slamming shut of room doors in the hallways need to be re-engineered to close more softly. I find that those wake me more often than anything else.
On another note, the swinging slamming shut of room doors in the hallways need to be re-engineered to close more softly. I find that those wake me more often than anything else.
71
I hope they market that. For those who are hard of hearing, it may be a miserable option. And is that ADA-compliant??
Why can't they use this philosophy for restaurants? It would be nice, just once in a while, to have a nice meal and be able to hear what my table mates are saying!
153
Amen, little Sister ! I am very Senior and near deaf. I sleep very well in a hotel because I am required to take my aids out of my ears. But, like you, I suffer in a restaurant wherein I hear basically one noise but I understand nothing. I will never accept a table in the center; I always ask to be seated on the periphery. Hearing is one thing, understanding is another.
1
If restaurants must play music (softly, please!), make it instrumental music, not vocals. That makes for a much better dining experience!
1
Amen to that!
3
Then there are those of us who live where there is no light at night other than starlight and no sound other than nature, no human caused light and no sounds of human activity. Travel means noise and light no matter what countermeasures are taken even in the so called quiet hotels.
12
Which is precisely why I stay home.
1
No mention in the article of the most essential aide to modern life (including travel): Bose noise-canceling headphones. In severe cases, supplemented by ear plugs.
9
How do you sleep with headphones on?
3
There are many white noise apps available on the iPhone..Noisli works for me. You can customize a white noise that works for you. It has blocked out a midnight soccer game in Jerusalem and many noisy neighbors. It is also great for air travel. I plug in my noise canceling headphones...slept 9 out of 16 hours from Johannesburg to Atlanta.
1
Why bother. We always ask for a higher floor and a room away from the elevator. We stayed at the Raddison Blue in Gallway Ireland and there was a loud wedding reception . We complained to the Manager at 3am and he responded that there wasn't one on the next night.
8
I have found that 4-star chain brands like Radisson Blu in UK and Ireland are one of the worst places for noise -- lots of weddings, conventions, hen & stag does, general drunkenness.
16
'We always ask for a higher floor and a room away from the elevator.' As do we, Rob.
I may be the most noise-sensitive hotel client ever and will move rooms multiple times if necessary. I have used a Brookstone Tranquil Moments alarm clock / white noise device for years with great success. I do it with the plug because batteries run down fast. Have also found "White Noise" app (free) for iPhone useful. In worst circumstances, I added Bose sound cancelling headphones. But nothing will stop the wall-and-floor vibrations of heavy bass.
19
I think I am...so thanks for the suggestions!
In Spain, I noticed a guidebook that rated hotels based on "tranquilidad" (tranquility).
We need similar ratings on all travel websites.
We need similar ratings on all travel websites.
53
I don't know if it still does, but the Michelin Red Guide always used to have a special symbol for "tranquil" hotels.
4
"But it seems the most foolproof thing to do is to cluster guests who want quiet rooms in the same area of the hotel. "
To this I would suggest clustering likely noisemakers in their own areas of the hotel -- e.g., families, anybody sleeping more than 2 to a room, hen and stag parties, wedding parties, etc.
Personally, no hotel is too quiet or empty for me. In addition to doing the suggested things, I always take ear plugs with me (my favorites are Flents "Quiet Please," which I order in large quantities from a place in Okla. called "The Ear Plug Superstore"!).
I don't think the padded headboard is a very good idea, unless you're going to pad the whole wall. Also, keep in mind that anything upholstered is more likely to provide a haven for bedbugs.
Abroad, I find smaller, independent hotels can be quieter and even have rules banning noisy guests. I am currently booking a hotel for a Fri/Sat night in the UK in the fall. I dread those nights there because hotels tend to be full of noisy, heavy-drinking footballers, hen & stag parties & the like. I was pleased to see some small hotels and B & B type places that state specifically in their rules they will not take the stag/hen dos, limit no. of people in room, etc.
To this I would suggest clustering likely noisemakers in their own areas of the hotel -- e.g., families, anybody sleeping more than 2 to a room, hen and stag parties, wedding parties, etc.
Personally, no hotel is too quiet or empty for me. In addition to doing the suggested things, I always take ear plugs with me (my favorites are Flents "Quiet Please," which I order in large quantities from a place in Okla. called "The Ear Plug Superstore"!).
I don't think the padded headboard is a very good idea, unless you're going to pad the whole wall. Also, keep in mind that anything upholstered is more likely to provide a haven for bedbugs.
Abroad, I find smaller, independent hotels can be quieter and even have rules banning noisy guests. I am currently booking a hotel for a Fri/Sat night in the UK in the fall. I dread those nights there because hotels tend to be full of noisy, heavy-drinking footballers, hen & stag parties & the like. I was pleased to see some small hotels and B & B type places that state specifically in their rules they will not take the stag/hen dos, limit no. of people in room, etc.
38
I live in NYC so I am accustomed to a certain amount of street noise at night, but I do like peace and quiet when I'm trying to sleep. In the U.S. and Canada I recommend staying away from large chain hotels which cater to business people and/or groups, especially those located in city centers. Smaller hotels - not necessarily in suburbia but located away from locations such as, for example, Times Square - are usually more tranquil. We have found several such places in our travels, and the management of these smaller places are usually more agreeable to our requirements.
Quiet is the most important thing when I travel - and I travel a lot! The Hilton chain is starting to let you pick your own room and check in the night before - and the room tips on TripAdvisor really help. I recently stayed at a Hilton Garden Inn in Washington DC, and I used this system to check in the night before, a room far from the elevators and there was no ice machines on that floor. Children are no problem in hotels, they usually go to sleep early - the really worse problem are rooms with connecting doors, where the neighbor tries to get into your room, thinking the door is a closet perhaps (recently experienced this at a hotel in Nashville), or conducts speaker phone conferences at top voice (yelling from across the room) with multiple people yelling back. Yikes! I recently experienced this in Nashville, where a full-throated speakerphone conversation in Chinese went on and on in the room next door. I called reception to move me, and ended up on the side of the hotel that gets live music from outdoor concerts until 2 or 3AM - so moved again. If you get a great front desk, they will help you. But I do not advise using earplugs - if there is a fire, you will not hear the alarms, and it will take time for the first responders to find you. Better to move rooms and be safe than use ear plugs and risk injury or death in an emergency - and yes, I've been awakened by fire alarms in several hotels over the years and had to evacuate. Being able to hear is too important.
23
I use earplugs every night, even at home, and I can hear smoke alarms just fine. Earplugs are rated to reduce, not eliminate, noise.
25
Earplugs (I also wear them every night at home and on travel and oftentimes when I am a passenger in a small car as road noise over a long trip is tiring) do not impair one's ability to hear audible alarms. What the earplugs do is muffle/blunt the sounds and enable better sleep quality without compromising safety.
What kind of ear plugs do you have that you cannot hear a fire alarm?!!!! Seriously, I was woken by a fire alarm last month in a hotel and nearly had a heart attack. Earplugs DO NOT keep that noise out.
1
I just spent several nights in a very large, very tourist-centric hotel in midtown, in a room that was right next to the elevators. I assumed I would get no sleep at all from the noise of the elevators and people walking back and forth past my door. The room was quite warm so I had to blast the insufficient air conditioner all night, but the nice white noise hum and the walls that were apparently thicker than those of a castle keep prevented any noise from interfering with sleep. It was very strange - no noise at all. Either I had very quiet floor-mates or the hotel is just well built (thanks to its age, presumably).
5
Most of my worst hotel noise experiences have involved connecting doors to the adjoining room. I think the small space between the doors can actually serve as an amplification chamber. In a major chain hotel in Anchorage, I awoke at 6 AM to a barrage of angrily hurled obscenities. The man in the next room was carrying on a very disturbing argument over the phone with his wife back home. It sounded like he was standing next to me.
21
Why is it often so hard for people in the service industry to put themselves in their customers' shoes? Yes, the room actually does need to be quiet in order for guests to be able to sleep, duh! That is basically the point of a room with a bed in it.
61
Because there is more involved in the hotel business than just providing a bed -- with much of the profit coming from banquet sales, liquor sales, group bookings, etc. So hoteliers are very eager to book groups of big eaters and drinkers, who also, in my experience, tend to make a lot of noise. So one of the keys to finding a "truly quiet hotel room" is staying away from hotels -- often 4-star chain hotels -- that do a lot of that business, as well as hotels that advertise special activities and deals for children ("kiddie clubs," "kids stay free" deals, etc). Of course there's no guarantee that if you book a hotel with no banquet or conference facilities, no deals for kids, etc. you will have quiet neighbors, but I think it's a start that puts you one step ahead.
10
It's all about saving on construction costs. Skimp on a little wall insulation here, use cheaper hinges that allow doors to slam, etc., and the hotels enjoy a one-time savings at the ongoing cost to their guests.
Then there are those of us for whom ear plugs are uncomfortable and cannot go to sleep using them
40
Thank you!! Anything in my ear and I'd be up all night!
2
ear plugs exert a subtle pressure that for some can be almost painful until your ears get used to them, but that goes away. try wearing them during the day for a while to help build up your tolerance.
i couldn't live without them now. i wear them every night. i wear them at work.
oh, sweet sweet silence!
i couldn't live without them now. i wear them every night. i wear them at work.
oh, sweet sweet silence!
I don't find earplugs comfortable either, and certainly don't enjoy them. But you do have to try a variety of types, and give them time to warm up to your body temperature. It's worth trying to persevere for a half an hour or so...you may find you'll fall asleep before you rip them out...And you can always pull them out halfway through the night and continue sleeping in less noisy circumstances. Just muffling a sound can help, so it's not so jarring at that point when you're just about to drift off to sleep.
1
What's all the fuss? Pack silicone ear plugs and you'll sleep well.
7
A topic close to my heart... sound comes from all over in hotels. While I know to request rooms with no doors to the adjoining room, and on a corner if possible, often the top floor is a must. A few weeks ago in Latvia, I stayed in a gorgeous room in a splendid hotel, but was on level 5, not 6 (the top floor)... and the people above me seemed to enjoy walking around above my head until late into the night (1am or so) and again from about 6am... Peace and quiet - and true rest - were just not achievable there... A shame, as the rest of the hotel, staff included, were excellent... so it's hard to win... But as someone who doesn't even turn on the hotel room's tv, it's hard for me to find other guests as quiet as I am...
23
I shudder when I see the hotel has bare hardwood floors.
6
When making a reservation, specify a quiet room, and reiterate the request a week before arrival. Call attention to these communications at check in. Also, pay close attention to room tips on sites like Trip Advisor. Some urban hotels have double or triple glass windows. And don't assume a luxury hotel means a quiet room. I stayed in the Copacabana in Rio de Janeiro a few years ago. I asked for quiet room. They gave me a room either on top of or below their banquet hall. Brazilian weddings tend to run until 4:00 am. When I complained at midnight, the hotel said the wedding would soon be over. At 1:00 I called the front desk and demanded a move. They took me to a room where the thermostat had been set at about 58 degrees. The next day they told me to go back to my room and that no parties were planned. What was really galling is that I was awakened from an afternoon nap that very same day by a band practicing in the banquet areas. I went down to the lobby, and the manager told me that the noise was coming from across the street, on the beach. Suddenly, a blast of volume blew down an interior staircase into the lobby, startling everyone. It was the band, just upstairs. I shot up the stairs, with the manager trailing behind me. I asked the band/p.r. people standing around if they were having an event that evening. Yes, starting at 10:00 pm. The manager gave me a new room, but I will never stay at that hotel again.
23
Welcome to South América...
The worst chronic offenders are the screaming, crying rug rats who are running down the hallways. Then there are people who slam doors and those who have lead feet when they walk in the room above you. Additionally there are always the drunken party people who come back late and carouse in the hallway as well. Television sets should be set to a low volume by the hotel. However I always request a child free area of the hotel above all. Cigarette smoke pales in comparison than being held as a captive audience to someone else's undisciplined, untrained, noisy and rude child.
64
It's not just the rug rags but older children, often part of some large sports group, who are making a ruckus. A couple of months ago my husband and I stayed near the airport in a motel where we had stayed before with no problems. This last time however, the motel was overrun by kids in a hockey league who were running up and down the halls until way past midnight. The desk clerks and security guards could do nothing to stop them. And the parents were worse than useless. These were their precious darlings. How dare anyone have the audacity to complain. Besides they too often look at this as a chance to let their kids run wild. I would gladly pay more for a truly quiet space with everything you suggest. But I'm come to realize that the bottom line for most chains is to get as much business as possible, which means large rowdy groups of irresponsible adults and their uncontrolled children. Earplugs would never drown out that type of noise. That's one reason we have started staying in Airbnb apartments. I know at least I won't hear doors slamming all nights and shrieks of giddy children.
18
Oh boy, you describe a hotel stay in Plattsburgh or Lake Plaid to a T during the winter months. Whenever I must travel up there for business, I never make a reservation in advance. I just cruise the main drag and scope out the hotels with the school buses in them. or even better, I just stay in a crappy one-story motel in an end unit.
1
Poorly brought up children have greatly increased my devotion to online shopping as well.
1
As a global traveler who is allergic to noise, I can attest that finding a quiet room can be exceedingly difficult, principally because other people's definition of "quiet" doesn't bear much of a resemblance to my own. I always request (in advance) a quiet room, and yet am foiled at least 50% of the time by: slamming hallway doors; grinding ice machines, in-room heating/AC units that ping and click (ditto in-room refrigerators); elevators that whir and bang; water pipes that gurgle; local streets with blaring car horns, etc. etc. Not to mention crazy stuff like the hotel in Mandalay that happened to be right next to the Buddhist monastery belting out chants over its loudspeaker system for three hours every evening.
I would absolutely pay a premium for a truly quiet room. Where's the App for that?
I would absolutely pay a premium for a truly quiet room. Where's the App for that?
75
The first thing I do is unplug those little (very noisy) fridges. I bring a small cooler and get some ice if there's a need. I am careful to plug the thing back in before I leave.
1
Quiet...blessed quiet has become the scarcest luxury, and I appreciate efforts by hotels and other services to recognize that there is a time for noise (actually, no there isn't) and a time for quiet and people who want either or both should be accommodated graciously.
46
ear plugs work. I carry several foam pair on the road. Cost nothing.
6
ear plugs don't remove the vibration you feel (well, I do) from heavy feet walking in the room above you...
8
I agree with Julian on the fact that ear plugs don't help with vibration from heavy feet (or 5 in. heels) above. I originally got ear plugs because of a noisy neighbor, but quickly realized they did little to help with vibrations. However, I also discovered they do block out a lot of noise like middle of the night garbage collections, which are an ongoing problem where I live. So I am a big fan of them, except when confronted with vibration noise -- which can also come from music (heavy bass).
7
Mack's Pillow-soft earplugs work best for me; made of silicon, they take the shape of your ear and are very effective.
Surprized to read that W New York hotels are considered where "people don't go there to sleep". Stay at the W Union Square monthly for about 10 years and it's always quiet as a mouse when I'm there to sleep. Occasionally a wedding party makes a bit of noise when they go in and out of their rooms but that is rare and very brief. Also stayed at the W Times Square for 8 nights last year and that room was also very quiet. If you stick to the highest floor that's available, that should do the trick. If you're very sensitive to noise, you can also request not being near the elevator.
3
Have you ever stayed at the original NYC W hotel, the one on Lexington Avenue?
1
Unless you stay at the W in Washington DC, which has a rooftop bar. I can attest personally to the rooftop bar remaining "lively" well into the wee hours, even on a Tuesday night. Best to avoid if you're a business traveler.
2
No, just the 2 W's I mentioned.
Many years ago, a friend and I stayed in Crete on a cheap holiday. Our room was above a taverna, where the music and dancing went on until dawn. After three sleepless nights, I was desperate, and went to a pharmacist for sleeping tablets. Instead, I emerged with a package of wax ear plugs recommended by the friendly Greek pharmacist. Not only did I sleep soundly for the rest of the trip, but I have been a faithful user of this type of earplug ever since. They mold to your ear shape and seal out virtually all noise. I have used them all over the world and at home to block out everything from loud parties to snoring. I no longer worry about noisy hotel rooms.
61
That's OK if you can guarantee that there won't be a fire or a terrorist attack or any other reason to want to be able to hear an alarm, or even your clock or wake up call.
Would they allow you to hear the fire alarm?