Hey! Keep it down in there!

[The Farmers Daughter]

What do you do to minimize noise transfer between rooms? Do you think its acceptable to hear another rooms TV or radio? If not, how to keep the quiet?

 

[Morticia]

I don't think it's acceptable when I'm traveling, especially if it is all night. If you can't fill the adjoining walls with foam insulation, I'd say start looking at heavier drapes, area rugs if there are wooden floors, denser bedding. Anything that will absorb the noise in the room. Can you get the TV or radio closer to where the guest is using it?
We considered getting small speakers to mount on the wall next to the bed, so the TV 'noise' doesn't have to travel the length of the room. (We still don't have TV's expressly because of the noise transmission.) None of our beds are on the same wall, so that's why we thought the speakers would work. My guess is the worst will be in the summer when the A/C is on and the fan is going.

 

[Mini]

Note in rooms on back of door in big bold letters reads "As a courteous to others, please keep the noise level, including the television, to a minimum". Thank you.
In the past I have had to resort to sliding a nasty note under there doors as pounding didn't seem to get any reaction.
All new renos include soundproof insulation. It works.

 

[Morticia]

I thought about getting these for one room that is excessively noisy. You can hang them like geometric art.
Google 'sound deadening panels' there are a lot of different types.
My other idea is to buy a large matelesse coverlet in the right color, staple it to a frame, fill the frame with batting, cover over that and hang. Art and sound deadening at the same time.

 

[Innkeeper To Go]

If you have space (and it only takes about 10 inches), a wall of bookcases on the offending wall really does the trick.

 

[gillumhouse]

More than TV noise, I have had snorers than could be heard downstairs in my Library! This ea downstairs and across the hall from the room they were in! That you can't do anything about. Thankfully, they were the only ones in-house.

 

[wendydk]

I provide a jar of foam earplugs in my amenity cabinet, along with toothpaste, disposable razors and such. My in-room letter states that earplugs are available if guests are bothered by traffic, the a/c unit or other noises.

 

[Copperhead]

We have a small note on the TV remote to please lower volume at 10PM as a courtesy to others. I hate notes but after the BIG storm when we had people here for months, they all became 'too comfortable' and were treating their room as if it were their home. We chatted with each person (all here on business) saying we did not think it was them but were asking everyone, to be fair, to please do this. Everyone seemed to accept it well, guess not pointing a finger helped and the guilty knew who they were.
I know we have spoken about white noise before. I have had several guests bring a fan as they said they could not sleep without a little noise. As was noted on another thread recently, we are not able to be all things to all people. One wants NO noise, the next wants a little something... I can't understand how someone could think that a B&B would be totally sound proof between rooms - we are houses for Pete's sake... But for the most part, I think because of people being courteous in B&B's we do have less noise than in hotels where their thick, commercial insolated walls still allow loud noises to excape to the next room.

 

[gillumhouse]

We have a small note on the TV remote to please lower volume at 10PM as a courtesy to others. I hate notes but after the BIG storm when we had people here for months, they all became 'too comfortable' and were treating their room as if it were their home. We chatted with each person (all here on business) saying we did not think it was them but were asking everyone, to be fair, to please do this. Everyone seemed to accept it well, guess not pointing a finger helped and the guilty knew who they were.
I know we have spoken about white noise before. I have had several guests bring a fan as they said they could not sleep without a little noise. As was noted on another thread recently, we are not able to be all things to all people. One wants NO noise, the next wants a little something... I can't understand how someone could think that a B&B would be totally sound proof between rooms - we are houses for Pete's sake... But for the most part, I think because of people being courteous in B&B's we do have less noise than in hotels where their thick, commercial insolated walls still allow loud noises to excape to the next room..

we do have less noise than in hotels where their thick, commercial insolated walls still allow loud noises to excape to the next room.
Loud noises? In a recent stay in a hotel (for City) I heard the shower upstairs? next door? and thought my roommie was in the shower when she was in the other room of the suite working on a grant ap! Doors closing, TVs - hotels are anything but quiet!

 

[Don Draper]

No TV's and a little fan in each room for white noise. I like the idea of the ear plugs as well because we can still get some snorers that wake the whole house up!

 

[muirford]

We don't have TVs, we have fans and our clock radios play a couple of versions of white noise. I hadn't thought of offering earplugs - I don't like them myself but lots of people use them.

 

[EmptyNest]

We had notes in our rooms to please consider other guests in the house when using TV and radio. It seemed to work for us. However, sound insulation in the walls would be the way to go if possible for sure. But that isn't always an option in old homes. You just have to do the best you can with draperies, rugs etc. If someone is really abusing others, I would talk to them about it. Afterall, they are in a home, not too much to be done about it. Heck hotels won't do anything about loud TV's etc...you just bear with it in most cases.
When I do travel I always have my own ear plugs and sleeping pills

 

[kattrin]

Our issue is the older guest who doesn't hear well and turns the TV on early in the morning, waking up the entire house. Or, the guest who gets up early and turns the TV so that they can hear while they are in the bathroom. I do hate to mention it to them especially if it is a hearing issue. Mornings are the worst time around here for noise.

At the same time, the smell of coffee brewing in the kitchen rises to the second floor and is a wonderful way to wake up. The guests love it. We also put a large carafe of coffee outside the bedrooms for the early riser. There is a large chair, a good lamp and a stack of books, magazines as well as the morning paper. Hopefully, thats keeps the TV off and the noise level down.

 

[Morticia]

Our issue is the older guest who doesn't hear well and turns the TV on early in the morning, waking up the entire house. Or, the guest who gets up early and turns the TV so that they can hear while they are in the bathroom. I do hate to mention it to them especially if it is a hearing issue. Mornings are the worst time around here for noise.

At the same time, the smell of coffee brewing in the kitchen rises to the second floor and is a wonderful way to wake up. The guests love it. We also put a large carafe of coffee outside the bedrooms for the early riser. There is a large chair, a good lamp and a stack of books, magazines as well as the morning paper. Hopefully, thats keeps the TV off and the noise level down.

.

We've had that, too. I'VE been woken up by the TV being turned on in the living room because guests want their coffee but their spouse is sleeping. I go right out and turn it down and remind them OTHER guests besides their spouse are sleeping.
We've had some very aware guests here who know their mothers or fathers are pretty deaf and they set the TV up with closed captioning for them, or they'll pull a chair up really close.

 

[JBloggs]

There is no way to make every room sound proof unless you live in a bunker.
Hotels are the worst, slamming self closing doors, housekeeping vacuums, echoing corridors, ice machines!!
I think B&B's are pretty nifty when it comes to different room config's to help with sound. If someone is sensitive to sound, I wish they would ask which room is away from the others or stairs or dining room where there is talking in the am's. Etc. Heck some people complain when it is too quiet! Go figure!
I try to ask for a room on the quiet side of the house if possible, but who knows you might have some blabbermouth on a cell phone stand in the hallway and talk - we can't solve every problem, its LIFE.

 

[Samster]

There is no way to make every room sound proof unless you live in a bunker.
Hotels are the worst, slamming self closing doors, housekeeping vacuums, echoing corridors, ice machines!!
I think B&B's are pretty nifty when it comes to different room config's to help with sound. If someone is sensitive to sound, I wish they would ask which room is away from the others or stairs or dining room where there is talking in the am's. Etc. Heck some people complain when it is too quiet! Go figure!
I try to ask for a room on the quiet side of the house if possible, but who knows you might have some blabbermouth on a cell phone stand in the hallway and talk - we can't solve every problem, its LIFE..

Right, it's life. Our room books tell folks that we don't have official quiet hours but they should be aware of other guests. I have only had one person talk about noise traveling from room to room via the bathrooms.