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How Local Playlists Enhance the Hotel Experience

An OpenMusE study by HearDis! and Sinus. Conducted at Motel One and The Cloud One hotels. Hotels shape experiences  through all the senses – music is a key, yet often underestimated, element. Music influences atmosphere, memory, and the emotional connection to a place. The study provides evidence on how local music strengthens these effects and helps create a genuine connection to the destination more quickly.

Photo Credits: Motel One
 

What measurable effects does local music have on the quality of the stay?

HearDis! has long been creating curated local music playlists for Motel One and The Cloud One hotels. The playlists are part of the aim to make cities and their identity tangible as a holistic experience.The 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.

 

 

Study design: How testing was conducted

  • The music study was carried out by HearDis! and Sinus as a real-world pilot in six Motel One Group hotels in Berlin, Hamburg, Paris and Vienna.
  • Across two phases, two music programmes were played, both designed to be consistent with the brand (“brand-fit”)
  • The only difference lay in the local character of the content: (A) a brand-fit playlist without local content
and (B) a brand-fit playlist with local content.
  • Local character was defined by having local artists, local language or a relevance to the city/region.
  • Guests and employees evaluated their experience using a QR code survey, without knowing the purpose of the test.
  • This allowed direct comparison of the impact of local music under real hotel conditions. 

 

Key results

 

  • The study shows clear, significant effects of localised playlists on the guest experience.
  • Firstly, local music markedly strengthens the emotional connection to the destination. Guests exposed to local playlists reported a markedly stronger sense of attachment to the place than those listening to non-local playlists:  they were almost three times more likely to feel connected to the city or country.
  • 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.
  • 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.

 

 

 

Result 1

Local music makes the destination tangible

Guests who listened to local playlists showed a substantially stronger sense of attachment to their place of stay than those with non-local playlists. Local music therefore measurably strengthens the sense of arrival.

 
 

 

Result 2

 

Local music enhances the hotel experience

The proportion of guests reporting an overall good or very good stay increases by 13 percentage points when local music is played. Music therefore acts not only as an atmospheric element, but also as an experience driver.

 
 

 

Result 3

Local music arouses curiosity about the city 

Guests exposed to local playlists were far more likely to say the music inspired them to explore new artists and songs. The data discloses how local music content challenges listeners’ filter bubbles and biases.

 

The local context counts

  • Local context has a stronger impact than familiarity.
  • Many songs were unfamiliar (average familiarity 2.29/5), yet were perceived as suitable (average fit 3.44/5).
  • Local music makes the identity of a place audible and strengthens emotional arrival.
  • Music is a relevant factor in the stay (average influence: 3.97 out of 5 points).
  • The brand-fit remains stable (the suitability with the hotel environment averages 3.26 out of 5 points), while the relevance to the city increases.
  • Positive effects are shown consistently across age groups, gender and music preferences.
  • Staff also experience local music as a positive atmospheric factor

The OpenMusE study clearly demonstrates the impact of localized music in hotel environments. Playlists that reflect local artists, language and cultural references significantly strengthen guests’ connection to the destination, improve their overall stay and spark curiosity to explore new music: even when the songs are unfamiliar.

When localized music is curated to remain brand-fit, it enhances the sense of place while preserving a coherent and recognizable sound environment. Localized playlists thus become a powerful tool to make places audible and enrich the guest experience throughout the entire stay.