Hotel Acoustics: Treat Noise Zone by Zone to Move Upmarket
Noise is the number one complaint in hotel reviews. A zone-by-zone hotel acoustics guide: lobby, restaurant, meeting rooms, spa, and the Atout France criteria.
Read the article →Guillaume Schlupp
Founder of ACOUSTELIO
I design made-to-measure printed acoustic panels for professional spaces, and I write here to make acoustic treatment clear and actionable, without needless technical jargon.
My background
Why I got into acoustics.
I'm an entrepreneur in e-commerce and made-to-order manufacturing. Working with restaurant owners, offices and hoteliers, the same observation kept coming back: beautiful spaces that become unbearable as soon as they fill up. Noise ruins the experience, wears out the teams and drives customers away. And most solutions on the market are either ineffective or frankly ugly.
I created ACOUSTELIO to reconcile the two: real acoustic performance and an object you actually want to show off. I work directly with the manufacturers, I select materials with measured performance (NRC 0.85 absorption) and documented fire rating (EN 13501-1 B-s1,d0), and I insist on one thing: an honest, itemised quote that targets a precise acoustic goal rather than selling as many panels as possible.
This blog is the extension of that approach. I explain what I understand about the subject as projects go by: the difference between treatment and insulation, how to estimate the right number of panels, what certifications are really worth. The idea is not to play the know-it-all expert, but to share reliable landmarks so you can decide with full knowledge.
My topics
What I write about.
Acoustic treatment
Reverberation, intelligibility, reverberation time: understanding what makes a space noisy and how to calm it down.
Sizing it right
How many panels, where to place them, how much surface to treat: method rather than ready-made recipes.
Standards & materials
Fire ratings for public buildings, NRC coefficient, recycled PET felt: what certifications really mean.
His articles
The guides I have written.
Restaurant Noise Levels: What the Regulations Require and What They Ignore
How loud is a restaurant? Real-world readings, decree 2017-1244 (102 dB), neighbourhood noise, labour law: thresholds, risks and solutions.
Read the article →Meeting Room Acoustics: Why Your Video Calls Sound Bad and How to Fix It
Meeting room that echoes, muddy sound on video calls? Target RT, clap test, treatment order: the ACOUSTELIO field method for sound that is finally clear.
Read the article →Sports Hall Acoustics: The Guide to Treating a Gym Where Nobody Can Hear Anyone
Reverberation of 4 to 8 s, inaudible instructions, the French decree of 25 April 2003: the guide to treating a sports hall zone by zone, budget included.
Read the article →Classroom Acoustics: Regulations, Diagnosis and Solutions for Your Schools
Reverberation time of 0.4 to 0.8 s, the French decree of 25 April 2003, budget per classroom: the guide to treating the acoustics of a classroom that echoes.
Read the article →Hearing Fatigue: Symptoms, Causes and Prevention in the Workplace
Hearing fatigue: the mechanism, symptoms (tinnitus, muffled ears), causes in open-plan offices and restaurants, recovery times and prevention at the source.
Read the article →Acoustic Foam: Real Effectiveness, Fire Risk and Serious Alternatives
Acoustic foam: what it really absorbs, why it burns, what fire regulations require in public buildings and what to use instead in professional spaces.
Read the article →Workplace Noise: Regulations, Employer Obligations and Action Plan
The 80, 85 and 87 dB(A) thresholds, employer obligations, the NF S31-080 standard, legal risks: the 2026 guide to workplace noise regulations in France.
Read the article →How to Soundproof a Room: The Guide to Choosing the Right Solution
How do you soundproof a room? A 3-question diagnosis, the real insulation and treatment solutions, budgets compared and the false fixes to avoid.
Read the article →The Decibel Scale: Understanding and Reading Sound Levels from 0 to 140 dB
The decibel scale explained: a chart from 0 to 140 dB with concrete examples, hearing risk thresholds and the real gains from acoustic treatment.
Read the article →How to Reduce Reverberation: A Practical Guide to a Room Where You Can Hear Each Other Again
Why your room echoes and how to reduce reverberation: surfaces to treat, wall panels, ceiling baffles, mistakes to avoid. A field-tested guide.
Read the article →Acoustic Treatment vs Soundproofing: The Real Difference Explained
Acoustic treatment or soundproofing? Definitions, αw and NRC coefficients, real cases in restaurants, offices and public buildings to pick the right fix.
Read the article →Sound Absorption Coefficient: Definition, Measurement and Materials Chart
Definition of the sound absorption coefficient (αs, αw, NRC), ISO 354 measurement, classes A to E and a full materials chart, from concrete to PET felt.
Read the article →Reverberation Time: Definition, Calculation and Target Values by Space
Reverberation time (RT60) measures how long sound persists in a space. Sabine formula, measurement, target values by space and an action plan.
Read the article →How to mount an acoustic panel: adhesive, clips, rails and ceiling hanging
Adhesive, clips, rails or cables: how to mount an acoustic panel on drywall, concrete, brick or the ceiling. Method by surface, tools and mistakes to avoid.
Read the article →Noisy restaurant: why your dining room maxes out and how to truly calm it
Why your restaurant is too loud and how to fix it: the Lombard effect, sound levels in dB, solutions ranked by effectiveness, real-world budgets.
Read the article →Open plan office noise: the real impact and the solutions that work
Open plan office noise: INRS and Ifop figures, NF S31-080 targets by activity and ranked solutions to restore focus and productivity.
Read the article →EN 13501-1 standard: the guide to decoding euroclasses and fire classification
EN 13501-1 standard: euroclasses A1 to F, smoke s1 to s3, droplets d0 to d2, M0 to M4 equivalences and public-building requirements. The guide to reading a fire test report.
Read the article →Acoustic felt: the complete guide to recycled PET material
What is PET acoustic felt? Manufacturing, NRC absorption, comparison with foam, rock wool and wood, limits and maintenance: the complete guide.
Read the article →How many acoustic panels do you really need for your room?
How many acoustic panels for your room? The 15-30% rule, the Sabine formula and 3 worked examples to size it right, without over-covering.
Read the article →An acoustic project to price?
Send me your floor plan or a few photos, I will come back to you with a quote within 48 h.
Request my free quote