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REGENCY INSIGHTS BLOG

Practical advice on commercial lighting from LED retrofts to lighting design

hotel-lobby-cove-1

Common light bulbs and LED upgrades for hotels

Posted by Caitlin Ferrell on

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hotel-lobby-cove-1The perfect hotel lighting needs to be functional, aesthetically pleasing, and efficient. It can be difficult to find lighting that achieves all of these things, but our team is here to cut through the complexity. 

Different types of lighting are needed in different areas of a hotel. And between wall sconces, recessed cans, and chandeliers, finding the right bulb can be a process.

We’ve put together this guide to common light bulbs and LED upgrades for hotels along with links to where you can buy either the product or the appropriate LED upgrade. If you'd like to jump straight to a specific area of your building, click on one of these links:

Lobby Lighting

hotel-lobby-lighting

Most of the fixtures found in a hotel lobby include a combination of cove lighting, recessed lighting, and track lighting.

Recessed cans typically use a type of reflector light bulb – like a BR30 or PAR38. BR30 reflector bulbs give a soft, even distribution of light, and PAR38 bulbs are more useful with tall ceilings or to create a more dramatic lighting effect. 

BR30-E26

Reflector Bulb (BR30)

Technical Jargon:

  • Shape: BR30 (3 3/4" diameter)
  • Base: Medium (E26)
  • Wattage: 40W to 65W

What are you looking for?

Buy BR30 incandescent bulbs
Buy BR30 LED bulbs
PAR38-E26

Reflector Bulb (PAR38)

Technical Jargon:

  • Shape: PAR38 (4 3/4" diameter)
  • Base: Medium (E26)
  • Wattage: 39W to 100W

What are you looking for?

Buy PAR38 halogen bulbs
Buy PAR38 LED bulbs

Accent lighting also uses reflector bulbs, but these are typically MR16, PAR20, and PAR30 bulbs that provide a more focused beam of light to accent artwork or displays.

PAR30S-E26

Common Accent Light Bulb (PAR30)

Technical Jargon:

  • Shape: PAR30 (3 3/4" diameter)
  • Base: Medium (E26)
  • Wattage: 39W to 60W

What are you looking for?

Buy halogen PAR30 bulbs
Buy LED PAR30 bulbs

Intricate chandeliers – a staple in hotel lobbies – commonly require torpedo or flame shaped bulbs such as B10s or B11s with a candelabra base (E12 base).

B10-E12

Torpedo Light Bulb (B10 or B11)

Technical Jargon:

  • Shape: B10 (1 1/4" diameter) or B11 (1 3/8" diameter)
  • Base: Medium (E26) or Candelabra (E12)
  • Wattage: 25W to 60W
  • Finish: Frosted or Clear

What are you looking for?

Buy B10/B11 incandescent bulbs
Buy B10/B11 LED bulbs

Another common fixture found in a hotel lobby is a table lamp that uses a standard light bulb (A19 shape) with a standard screw-in base (E26 or “Edison” base).

A19-E26

Standard Light Bulb (A19)

Technical Jargon:

  • Shape: A19 (2 3/8" diameter)
  • Base: Medium (E26)
  • Wattage: 25W to 100W
  • Finish: Frosted or Clear

What are you looking for?

Buy A19 incandescent bulbs
Buy A19 LED bulbs

Finally, cove lighting highlights the lobby’s decorative ceilings or walls and typically requires T8 bulbs. 

T8-G13

Linear Fluorescent Tube (T8)

Technical Jargon:

  • Shape: T8 (1" diameter)
  • Base: Bi-pin (G13)
  • Length: 1 foot to 4 foot
  • Wattage: 13W to 32W, based on length

What are you looking for?

Buy T8 fluorescent tubes
Buy T8 LED tubes

Elevator Lighting

hotel-elevator-lightAnother light bulb common to hotels is the "elevator bulb." This small reflector light bulb has a double-contact base that locks it into place in the roof of the elevator. Since an LED upgrade typically takes these from 20W down to about 2W a piece, this is an easy energy-saving option.

ALR

Elevator Bulb (ALR)

Technical Jargon:

  • Shape: ALR (<1 1/2" diameter)
  • Base: DC Bayonet (BA15d)
  • Wattage: 20W

What are you looking for?

Buy elevator bulbs
Buy LED elevator bulbs

Hallway Lighting

hotel-hallway-PC-1

Hallway lighting generally consists of recessed cans – most will take a BR30. This bulb has a bulged shape and evenly directs light out.

BR30-E26

Reflector Bulb (BR30)

Technical Jargon:

  • Shape: BR30 (3 3/4" diameter)
  • Base: Medium (E26)
  • Wattage: 40W to 65W

What are you looking for?

Buy BR30 incandescent bulbs
Buy BR30 LED bulbs

In many hotels, you’ll also see wall sconces lining the hallways. These fixtures often use a standard light bulb (A19 shape), but it’s also common to see fixtures that require a torpedo shaped bulb (B10, B11).

A19-E26

Standard Light Bulb (A19)

Technical Jargon:

  • Shape: A19 (2 3/8" diameter)
  • Base: Medium (E26)
  • Wattage: 25W to 100W
  • Finish: Frosted or Clear

What are you looking for?

Buy A19 incandescent bulbs
Buy A19 LED bulbs
B10-E12

Torpedo Light Bulb (B10 or B11)

Technical Jargon:

  • Shape: B10 (1 1/4" diameter) or B11 (1 3/8" diameter)
  • Base: Medium (E26) or Candelabra (E12)
  • Wattage: 25W to 60W
  • Finish: Frosted or Clear

What are you looking for?

Buy B10/B11 incandescent bulbs
Buy B10/B11 LED bulbs

Occasionally, a wall sconce fixture will use a CFL bulb. While some people tend to dislike CFLs due to their gradual start-up, this shouldn’t be an issue unless you plan to turn the hallway lights on and off frequently.

Room Lightinghotel-room-PC-1

Desk and floor lamps in a hotel room generally use standard light bulbs (A19 shape). These standard bulbs may use a standard screw-in base or a twist-and-lock (GU24) base. 

A19-E26

Standard Light Bulb (A19, E26)

Technical Jargon:

  • Shape: A19 (2 3/8" diameter)
  • Base: Medium (E26)
  • Wattage: 25W to 100W
  • Finish: Frosted or Clear

What are you looking for?

Buy A19 incandescent bulbs
Buy A19 LED bulbs
A19-LED-GU24

Standard Light Bulb (A19, GU24)

Technical Jargon:

  • Shape: A19 (2 3/8" diameter)
  • Base: Twist-and-lock (GU24)
  • Wattage: 25W to 100W
  • Finish: Frosted
Buy A19 LED bulbs (GU24 base)

For the general lighting, you’ll commonly see recessed cans that take BR30s. Some recessed cans use A19 bulbs, but light distribution isn’t always the best.

BR30-E26

Reflector Bulb (BR30)

Technical Jargon:

  • Shape: BR30 (3 3/4" diameter)
  • Base: Medium (E26)
  • Wattage: 40W to 65W

What are you looking for?

Buy BR30 incandescent bulbs
Buy BR30 LED bulbs

Pro tip on room lighting: Some hotels have converted to GU24 sockets instead of Medium (E26) sockets, as noted above. GU24 sockets have a 2-pin base that’s shorter than the standard E26 base – make sure to double check the base before purchasing new bulbs.

Mechanical and Maintenance Room Lighting

hotel-mechanical-roomHotel maintenance rooms use overhead fluorescent lighting – 4' fluorescent strip fixtures with linear fluorescent tubes (either T8s or T12s). With the phase-out of T12s, the best retrofit option is a common question we field. There are several solutions, but we recommend installing electronic ballast-compatible linear LEDs and a new electronic ballast. This will save a significant amount of energy and last for years. Retrofit options are discussed in this blog post.

T8-G13

Linear Fluorescent Tube (T8)

Technical Jargon:

  • Shape: T8 (1" diameter)
  • Base: Bi-pin (G13)
  • Length: 2 foot to 4 foot
  • Wattage: 17W to 32W, based on length

What are you looking for?

Buy T8 fluorescent tubes
Buy T8 LED tubes

Parking Garage Lightinghotel-parking-PC-1

Most hotel parking garage lighting consists of overhead fluorescent lighting – typically 4' vapor tight fixtures that require fluorescent tubes (generally T8s). Again, there are excellent LED upgrade options available for parking garages. These lights typically remain lit 24/7, so this is where an LED upgrade almost guarantees savings on cost and energy – and provides a sense of safety for guests.

T8-G13

Linear Fluorescent Tube (T8)

Technical Jargon:

  • Shape: T8 (1" diameter)
  • Base: Bi-pin (G13)
  • Length: 4 foot
  • Wattage: 28W to 32W

What are you looking for?

Buy T8 fluorescent tubes
Buy T8 LED tubes

In some garages, you'll also find square-shaped fixtures with HID bulbs. These garage-lighters or canopy lights also have excellent LED upgrade options.

 

EG-HID

HID Light Bulb

Technical Jargon:

  • Shape: ED
  • Base: Medium (E26) or Mogul (E39)
  • Wattage: 175W

What are you looking for?

Buy HID light bulbs
Buy LED replacements for HID

In some cases, an LED upgrade may allow you to reduce the overall number of fixtures while improving light levels. This story is a great example where we helped a Dallas parking garage increase its light levels and efficiency while using fewer fixtures.

For a deeper dive, check out this article with tips for retrofitting or upgrading parking garage lighting.

 

Exterior Building Lightinghotel-exterior-PC

A common exterior lighting fixture for hotels is a wall pack. These fixtures, similar to the garage fixtures, use HID bulbs. Wall packs light the sidewalk or surrounding ground areas and add a sense of security.

EG-HID

HID Light Bulb

Technical Jargon:

  • Shape: ED, ET, BT, etc.
  • Base: Medium (E26) or Mogul (E39)
  • Wattage: 100W, 175W, 250W, or 400W

What are you looking for?

Buy HID light bulbs
Buy LED replacements for HID

 

If you're considering a lighting upgrade to save electricity or reduce maintenance headaches around your hotel, we have a team ready to help. For more guidance on lighting and how we can help make an upgrade easy, contact one of our lighting experts today for a free lighting consultation.

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