Start with the ceiling, the existing controls and the lighting scenes the hotel needs. Survey each area before selecting replacements, then approve a sample using the proposed driver and controls. This gives the design and procurement teams a common specification to quote against.
Two questions from recent hospitality projects
Can we compare warm-white and dim-to-warm options before ordering? A hospitality buyer planning a phased opening asked for recessed, track, linear and decorative fittings, with DALI-2 and warm or dim-to-warm options where available. Make a short schedule by zone and mark the required light behaviour separately from the control protocol. A fixed warm-white fitting stays at its selected colour as it dims. A dim-to-warm fitting is designed to shift warmer as the output falls. Ask suppliers to identify the actual fixture and driver for each option, then compare a sample at the levels the operator will use.
Where does the power feed connect, and is a separate converter required? On a hotel feature-lighting project, the installation team asked both questions after reviewing the shop drawing. They also asked for installation sheets to use on site. Before the order is released, reconcile the reflected ceiling plan, wiring diagram and packing list. Mark each feed position, identify what arrives attached to the fitting or rail and what comes separately, and confirm the input voltage, driver location and control wiring for the approved configuration. The site electrician should verify the final wiring against the manufacturer’s instructions.
Build the lighting schedule by zone
Guestrooms and corridors
Measure the actual ceiling opening and clear depth at a representative fitting. Compare the replacement’s cut-out range, trim coverage and driver access against those measurements. In a mock-up, check glare from the bed, light at the desk or reading position and visibility of room numbers along the corridor. Mark which fittings share a scene or control channel.
Reception and circulation
Treat the reception desk and the circulation route as separate lighting tasks. Give the desk enough useful light for staff, then check that the route to lifts and guestrooms reads clearly from the entrance. On the linear shop drawing, mark the start and end of each run, corner details, feed positions and driver access. Use a sample joint to agree how much of the seam will be visible.
Lobby and decorative features
For a suspended 360° tube feature, provide a dimensioned layout and a ceiling section showing suspension heights, power entry and adjacent services. Ask the supplier to show which joints, suspension parts and power feeds are supplied with the assembly. Review the lit sample from the entrance and from below so the team can agree on connector visibility before ordering.
Restaurants and lounges
Start with the evening dining scene. Check light on tabletops and glare from seated eye level at the actual hanging height. If the same fitting includes acoustic material, ask which configuration the acoustic test covers and whether the panel, light source and driver are included in the quote. Approve the physical finish and dimmed sample together.
Check controls and samples before releasing the order
Where the hotel is keeping existing controls, record the actual control equipment, driver model, dimming method and minimum level used in each scene. Run the sample through the brightest and dimmest intended scenes and the transition between them. For tunable white, include the colour settings specified by the designer. Ask for PstLM and SVM evidence at relevant operating conditions where flicker matters. KLM commercial dimming and flicker guide.
Approve a representative room or ceiling section with the proposed luminaires, drivers and mounting details. Record what the team accepted: cut-out fit, finish, visible joints, beam effect, low-level stability and driver access. Use that record to resolve differences between quotes and to review any substitutions.
Prepare one quotation package per project phase
- Project country, refurbishment scope and target installation dates by floor or area.
- Ceiling plans, site photos, existing cut-outs, available depth and mounting details.
- Fixture schedule with quantities, finishes, optics, colour temperature and scene requirements.
- Existing control and driver information, plus sample approval and reporting requirements.
- Delivery phases, sample sign-off dates and any dates when guest areas are available for installation.
Technical references
For lobby zoning, see ERCO’s hospitality lighting guide. For a broader refurbishment checklist, see Natural Resources Canada’s hotel and motel retrofit guide.
Review your hotel lighting schedule with KLM
Send the fixture schedule, ceiling drawings and installation phases so KLM can review suitable product options and identify details that need confirmation before quoting.
