Have you ever heard a selection of elevator music that you actually enjoyed? It’s a rare occasion when a hotel guest begs the receptionist for a copy of the tunes being played in the lobby. Now, in a bold move, Hyatt Hotels is trying to change that.
The upscale hotel chain wants your vacation to have a soundtrack. Last week, Hyatt executives announced it is starting a new pilot program whereby the hotel is throwing out the elevator music and crafting unique musical offerings for its lobbies, restaurants, elevators and spas. The hotel will then post the musical selections online so guests can listen, buy and download the sounds of their vacation.
So what types of selections are we talking here? Try mellow electronica. Hyatt representatives may have a different spin. They describe their lobby collection as “instrumental lounge music.” The restaurant soundtrack includes up-tempo vocals and the spa music is “meditative.”
You can judge for yourself by visiting one of the three Hyatt hotels that are testing the program. They include: the Hyatt in Scottsdale, Ariz.; Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort & Spa in Austin, Texas; and Hyatt Westlake Plaza in Thousand Oaks, California. Hotel executives say if the program is successful, the company will create soundtracks for more of its properties.
Personally, I think it sounds more gimmicky than relaxing, but I will stifle my judgment until I visit the properties myself. However, it should be noted that Hyatt executives do agree that the soundtracks are another way to brand their hotels.
One Hyatt PR guy put it this way: “The ultimate goal is to immerse travelers in a sensory experience, lock it into their memory and let them take a piece of it home.” Basically, what the hotel wants is for you to hear a certain song and remember your time at their property… and hopefully you will be enticed to plan your next trip.
“You can’t put a price on sensory experiences,” a Hyatt executive said. “They’re so invaluable and so total.”
As for the Hyatt’s music website, more than 100 people have visited since it debuted last month. Hotel guests can click to download music for $22 per compilation. Each collection contains 15 songs.
I don’t know about you, but I tend to choose a hotel based on price, service and location NOT whether the property played music I liked or had hand soap I enjoyed. Not for nothing, if I were in a higher tax bracket I would stay a Hyatt whenever I was on the road. As for the music concept… I certainly appreciate the fact that the hotel chain is trying to differentiate itself, though whether this venture will be successful… I suppose only time will tell.
What do you think about the new program?
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