How boutique hotels create that romantic atmosphere with light

Have you ever wondered why that bed looks so inviting or why you feel so good when you’re getting ready in a boutique hotel room? It has a lot to do with fabulous styling and everything to do with great lighting. Yes, behind (or next to) every plush pillow is a brilliantly lit lamp.

Lighting ties all of the luxurious and artisan elements of a boutique hotel together, creating a feeling that’s unique to that space. Here are some of the many ways that this special atmosphere can be achieved.

Masseria Cimino in Italy. Photo by hotel.

The welcoming glow

Great lighting is often functional as well as atmospheric. Externally or in their lobbies, boutique hotels may use semi-hidden strips of white or coloured light that cast a glow across ceilings or down walls. This feel-good lighting effect surrounds guests as they enter the property, immediately setting the tone for their particular boutique experience and inviting them in.

Lion Sands in South Africa. Photo by hotel.

The illuminated staircase

Whether it’s the wall next to the stairs, the handrail or the stairs themselves that are lit-up, some boutique hotels use illuminated staircases to entice guests up (or down) into their sleeping quarters and effectively separate day and night-time spaces.

Zoned spaces

Your boutique hotel bedroom is more than just a sleeping space. It’s where you rest, wash, dress and enjoy your morning coffee or evening apéritif. Rather than just cutting the space off with screens or furniture, boutique hotels often zone rooms with different light fixtures and layers of light to create private, social and practical areas. It could be a well-angled reading light, ambient lighting that guests control with a dimmer switch, a back-lit shaving mirror or a seating area flooded with calming natural light; the mixture of soft glow with bright light all adds to the effectiveness of the space as a whole.

And Beyond – Lake Manyara Tree Lodge. Photo by hotel.

Utilising natural light

Whilst natural light is beautiful, it may come from a window with an undesirable view. Some boutique hotels soften it with layers of sheer fabrics or laser-cut screens, channeling and controlling the amount of light that enters the room to create an entirely unique effect.

Riad in Marrakech

Brilliantly bold

A boutique hotel without a statement light is like night without day. If the bed is the focal point of the room, an oversized pendant light may be hung above it or unusual table lamps might be placed either side of it. The idea is to draw the eye to that area and contribute towards the feeling of drama, high-style or art that the hotel is trying to achieve. Other bold lighting choices may be illuminated showers, low-hung lights over tables in dining areas or clusters of wall-lights in hallways.

San Giorgio in Mykonos. Photo by hotel.