Lighting for the Hospitality Industry Pricing and Costs
Budget for hospitality industry lighting costs
Lighting for the hospitality industry should reflect and reinforce the image and atmosphere your business wants to put forward. As a restaurateur or a hotelier you know that atmosphere often makes or breaks a hospitality business, so it's critical that you use lighting effectively to get your hotel off to a good start and keep your guests coming back.Lighting for the hospitality industry pricing and costs can vary greatly, depending on the style you're looking for, how elaborate the light is and how large it is. Custom and handcrafted pieces generally cost the most; metalwork and glasswork can also cost you a pretty penny, while plastics are going to be your least expensive option. Consider the following:
1. Use restaurant lighting to enhance the diners' experiences. Generally, bright lighting makes for quicker eating while dimmer lighting fosters an intimate, slower experience.
2. Install hotel lighting in your lobby, hallways and guest rooms. The style here will mostly depend on the look you're going for, and cost will vary accordingly.
3. Make sure to get restaurant and hotel light fixtures for outside. This is a small price to pay to avoid settlement costs from someone tripping in the dark.
Buy restaurant lighting to give your establishment the ambiance you desire
In restaurants and bars, lighting sets the tone. Even if you have a lot of natural light at your establishment, you'll still need lighting for nighttime. You can use individual lamps at tables to provide an air of intimacy but larger lights to go in hallways and the bar area. Small table lights range from $8 to $30 each. Chandeliers can cost a couple hundred dollars but are more likely to be thousands of dollars, depending on how elaborate they are. Pendants and wall lights can cost several hundred dollars.
Try: Interior-Deluxe has a nice selection of lighting for restaurants, bars and lounges. Check out the table lights at Tropical Lights, which are great for both restaurants and bars with intimate atmospheres.
Invest in lighting for hotels and resorts
Hotels and resorts are full of lighting, from the moment a guest walks in the entrance to the moment he goes to sleep at night. Indoor hotel lighting ranges quite a bit in price. Bedside lamps and reading lights can cost just a couple of hundred dollars. Specialty or custom-made items, like sconces in the hallways, can cost upwards of $1000. For every budget, there are affordable products.
Try: Design your own pendants for just a few hundred dollars at Alluminare. Browse through the selections at Atlantic Hospitality, which offers every type of lighting you need for guest rooms, lobbies and hallways. Palecek offers natural solutions to lighting, as there is a push toward being "green" in the hospitality industry.
Remember to get hospitality lighting for outdoor spaces
More expensive resorts and upscale restaurants may choose to invest in elaborate outdoor lighting to set the mood, whereas a mom-and-pop diner may just want a simple outdoor light for the path to the parking lot at night. As with indoor lighting, outdoor lighting contributes to the ambiance of the establishment. Unique, handcrafted outdoor lighting can cost several thousand dollars, while basic lanterns and wall lights may only run you $40.
Try: eLights.com offers a variety of types of outdoor lighting for decks and porches, which is handy for both outdoor restaurant seating and pool areas at hotels. Consider the lanterns at 2nd Ave Lighting for your outdoor areas.
- Light bulbs for hotel industry lighting vary as well. Standard incandescent bulbs are very cheap, only a couple dollars per package of four. Fluorescent tubes are just a bit higher, with compact fluorescents (CFLs) being the most expensive. CFLs use less energy, and much of the hospitality industry is shifting toward these more efficient bulbs.
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