Skift Take
Music is getting better at hotels. What was once piped through in muted tones has now moved front and center. The strongest hospitality companies are investing in experiences in an effort to map from the soul of a brand and capture its signature sound. And, as Sister City has shown with its Björk collaboration, hotel music can become high-concept performance.
Boutique and luxury hotels go to painstaking lengths to get elements of their design right. Countless hours are spent on feng shui, color palettes, and scent. But music is something that can create another texture in a place and can elevate the hotel experience to a new level. Trouble is, getting music right is one of the hardest things to nail. And sometimes it only takes one false move to irritate a guest or break the magic of a moment.
One approach to building this dimensional layer is human-centric, drawing upon someone's ability to map sound to the vibes of a physical space. Another approach we'll also look at here is a tech-driven strategy, drawing upon AI and conceptual art for something more experimental that achieves a similarly transporting effect.
When music works, it adds depth and personality to a space: The Hotel Saint Cecilia in Austin, Texas, has a meticulously crafted soundtrack playing in the bar and common areas. The playlist touches upon the psychedelic rock heritage of Austin with the likes of Roky Erickson and more modern, dreamy "gauze pop" from the Allah-Las, but also flirts with shades of Texas country music that are on point. The sounds tap into both the spirit and the aesthetic of t
