Road Warriors May Sleep More Soundly with the Right Lighting

To help guests combat sleep troubles and jetlag, Westin Hotels & Resorts has partnered with Philips Lighting Co., Somerset, N.J., and a group of sleep doctors to create a hotel-room laboratory, called the Concept Room, to minimize sleep deprivation and cut jetlag recovery time in half. This working laboratory is currently being tested at The Westin Chicago River North, and is the first such partnership between Philips Lighting and a hotel company.

The Concept Room is equipped with Philips Lighting's ActiViva lamps, which are new blue-light lamps that provide phototherapy and directly affect the way people feel by making them more alert, awake and energized. The room also holds a sound machine with 50 choices including crickets, rainfall and beach noises; sleep vials containing calming essential oils at turndown; a standing fan to ensure constant air circulation (a result of sleep doctors' research showing cool, free-flowing air leads to optimum rest); jetlag calming tea; calming snacks and soothing in-room artwork.

The lights — along with other amenities such as a guided-meditation TV program and a room-service menu filled with calming snacks such as a banana-milk smoothie — are being tested by Westin through a series of evaluations with travelers who have recently crossed two or more time zones.

The Concept Room is also equipped with Philips Lighting's ActiViva light therapy in the shower, in a version not yet available to the general public. In addition, the room contains a light therapy box at the work desk station. According to research, a 20-minute dose of this light helps guests to reenergize and feel more alert. Guests can further awaken their senses with the Heavenly Shower's eucalyptus shower fizzer. The room also offers running maps created in partnership with Runner's World magazine to encourage guests to go outside for fresh air and exercise, jetlag invigorating tea and a room-service menu of rejuvenating snacks such as high-protein smoothies.