How localised playlists enhance the guest experience

A great hospitality experience is the sum of countless details: service, interior design, lighting and scent among many other factors. Music has the power to set the emotional temperature of a space before we consciously realise any other design elements - so what happens if the music selection is an audible, localized translation of the city or country you’re in?

HearDis! has gained extensive experience in creating curated local music playlists for Motel One and The Cloud One hotels, and these playlists are part of our shared vision of making cities and their identity tangible through a holistic experience. This music study was the first systematic and data-based investigation into how local music measurably influences guests’ sense of arrival and the quality of their stay.

Nobody has yet measured the true impact of local music on guests’ sense of connection, their experience, or their desire to explore. This real-world study has found out.

Until recently, little was known about how local music shapes the way hotel guests feel about their destination - or if it does at all. Earlier studies have proven the power of context (like how French music makes French wine sell better), but mostly focused on retail environments with academic or theoretical approach. The HearDis! music study examined the measurable impact of local music on guests' arrival and quality of stay under real hotel conditions. 

Within the OpenMusE project, researchers from HearDis! and SINUS conducted a pilot study across six Motel One locations in Berlin, Hamburg, Paris and Vienna. Across two study periods, each hotel played two different types of playlists:

First, a brand-fit music program that did not feature any local content. Then, a brand-fit music program including local content: lyrics in national language, referencing the city or songs performed by artists from the respective city. 

The surveys we have conducted with hotel guests captured how these different playlists influenced people’s feelings:

→ Connection to place

→ Overall experience

→ Inspiration to explore new music

The findings were remarkable:

The study shows clear, significant effects of localized playlists on the guest experience. Firstly, local music measurably strengthens the emotional connection to the destination and sense of arrival: Guests exposed to local playlists were almost three times as likely to feel attached to the place as those with non-local playlists.

Secondly, local music measurably raises the quality of the stay: The proportion of guests rating their stay as good or very good increased from 66 per cent to 79 per cent, a rise of 13 percentage points. Music therefore acts not only as an atmospheric element, but also as an experience driver.

Thirdly, local music boosts curiosity and cultural engagement: The inspiration to discover new songs or artists grew from 27 per cent to 44 per cent, up 17 percentage points.

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