Business

Noise is a top guest complaint but many hotels can’t fix it

Jason GaNun tried three hotel rooms on a business trip in Mississippi to find some quiet time before an important day. But none worked.
He said that the air conditioner in the first room was the loudest unit he had ever heard. In the second bedroom, the noise from the refrigerator was what kept him awake. The third room was occupied by other guests who were having a party.
GaNun is a Pennsylvania-based project manager who works every second week and travels to work.
Lindsey Maness found a noisy, near-by elevator to be a menace when she stayed in Texan hotel for work. Maness, who was seven months pregnant at that time, could hear elevators “dinging” all night. It wasn’t just that.
Maness said that the walls in her room were “paper thin” and she could hear the people in adjacent rooms… talking until late at night. She now works for National Sleep Foundation. It was by far “the worst sleep she has ever had in a hotel.”
Everyone who has stayed in hotels frequently will have faced this issue.
It doesn’t really matter whether it is external or internal. According to ProStay a hotel software and consulting company, guests are most concerned about noise.
With a greater emphasis placed on health and wellbeing, guests of hotels are now more insistent than ever about securing a quality night’s rest. Noise issues are difficult to solve because they can come from many different sources. For example, a noisy street in Manhattan or a room next door yelling. Sound mitigation can also be expensive, requiring costly renovations and build-outs.
What’s going on? And what can guests do to ensure a good night’s sleep?
Isn’t that what hotels are for?
According to Chekitan Dev, professor of Cornell University’s Nolan School of Hotel Administration, and an expert in hospitality branding and marketing, while having a quiet, calm environment is the most important thing that guests want from hotels, it hasn’t been their primary concern.
Dev, a CNN Travel reporter said: “It was not a major priority for hotels until late 1990s.”
Holiday Inn Express’s ad campaigns, which ran from 1998 to the present day and featured ordinary people performing complex tasks like brain surgery – far beyond their expertise – are one manifestation. They would say, “But last night I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express.” When they are asked whether they can do the job.
In many cases hotels invested more money and time in the last few years to create attractive lobbys, restaurants with fine cuisine and fitness facilities.
As hotel costs rise, guests’ demands also increase, but ultimately, they need to rest.
Dev stated, “I expect my hotel room to be quite if you charge me $400 per night.”
Simon Chapman is the general manager at The Benjamin Hotel in New York City. He says that today’s travellers are more concerned about “the quality” of their sleep.
He said that people are now looking at the entire environment, including sound, lighting, temperature and pillow support, as well as how easy it is to disconnect from their technology.
In an age of wearable fitness trackers and meditation apps that measure sleep, the value of 8 hours of good sleep is becoming more evident to guests.
John Lopos is the CEO of National Sleep Foundation. He said that the importance of sleeping has become more prominent in the lives of people because of all the things they need to accomplish in the normal living environment. Why should people sacrifice sleep when on the road?
Hotels can influence the way they operate
Hotel owners have a number of options to reduce noise for guests. This is especially true when building new hotels.
Lopos states “if new construction is planned, it’s important to consider things such as sound mitigation…. In the construction and design phase, how are materials selected, and what do they plan to manage light, sound and climate?”
Modern building codes include standards on sound transmission.
Glenn Nowak is an associate professor of Architecture at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. He says that a score of STC 50 “is the benchmark”.
The sound scores of hotels’ rooms would make a conversation in one room inaudible in another room, and loud music “would be very faint.”
What is the problem?
Nowak, a CNN Travel reporter said that “many hotels were built around the globe before these standards were implemented.”
Renovations can also reduce the hotel’s rating by accident, especially in older properties.
The main barrier to buying a property, whether it is new or old, is usually a financial issue. These considerations are all aimed at reducing the cost of sound.
Dev from Cornell explains that “the tension comes down to the amount of investment needed for a comfortable night’s rest, which is in line with the cost per room.” Sometimes hotels do not invest as much money that is required.
The acoustical qualities of different materials also vary. Nowak points out that when it comes to sound reduction, “cast-in place concrete walls” are often “significantly better than a metal frame wall.”
For the hotel this translates to a larger investment.
He said that the concrete wall is more expensive, takes longer to construct, has less flexibility, and requires higher labor. A concrete wall would be heavier than metal stud walls, and this decision could affect the whole building structure.
Nowak added that double walls are also a good way to acoustically separate rooms, but they add costs.
Travelers are often forced to deal with reservations systems which don’t allow them to select rooms that may be in quieter areas.
There is no standard schematic like the ones offered by airlines to let travelers choose where they want to sit — front, back or window. You can’t tell which rooms are being used or their location.
GaNun, a frequent traveler like GaNun, says that rooms at higher floors and the ends of halls are more quiet. Even if the guest is aware of this problem, and wants to book a corner suite to solve it, there are still some challenges.
Dev calls it his pet peeve and often discusses this with his hotel managers, as well as his students.
He says that online booking of flights allows you to see all the seats available. Why can’t I get the same experience when booking a hotel?
GaNun agrees. He said, “Let’s me choose where I want to stay.”
Dev said that some chains have begun to look into the shift, but it’s not easy to balance housekeeping requirements with different arrival and departure time options.
Security concerns also prevent hotels from showing occupancy rates during online reservations.
Some hotels market their quietest room to those travelers looking for a restful sleep. They are often paired up with other amenities, such as weighted sleeping masks or a selection of pillows. The price is high, and the typical traveler would not pay that much for an ordinary hotel stay.
The guests can call the hotel to request a room that is quieter, at the end or away from an elevator. They may also put their concerns about noise into the comments section on the reservation website. These requests are also possible at the time of check-in. However, options may be limited when there is high occupancy.
Hotels can’t do everything
Noise pollution from the exterior can be a problem.
New Orleans is known for sudden sounds from musicians.
Silvia Passiflora was awakened by music outside her New Orleans hotel room. Passiflora, a musician who knows New Orleans as a place to hear live music is not bothered by it. The late-night partying definitely peaked through the hotel walls.
She said, “I kept getting up to the sound of music at 2 or 3 in the morning.”
The sounds coming from outside are not always consistent and can therefore be very jarring to a traveling tourist.
For example, The Benjamin is situated at Lexington Avenue and 50th Street, in Manhattan. It’s just a few streets away from Rockefeller Plaza, and many other tourist attractions.
Chapman says that no hotel, especially in Manhattan, can completely eliminate all noises.
Multi-paned windows and blackout drapes can be used to block out both sound and light. Many hotels are now giving out eye and ear masks in lieu of more drastic changes to reduce complaints.
It’s also helpful to know that some areas or rooms in the hotel are noisier than others.
Maness’s room, which was located on the ground floor, is where the sounds from the elevator often echo. Her bad night in Texas taught her a great deal.
Maness stated that she would now book hotel rooms far from elevators and whenever possible, try to get rooms without adjacent guests.
Chapman is the General Manager of The Benjamin and encourages guests to make such requests. He says that guests may indicate a “higher level, quieter area, or room far away from the lift” if there are any available.
There is another problem that many large hotel chains face: They serve people from different backgrounds and with different needs. This includes business travelers attending a conference or a weekend romantic getaway, as well as families who want to keep their children entertained. What’s more appealing to this group than a hotel that has a swimming pool?
Marie Cloutier, who was attending a conference in Massachusetts at an affordable hotel, found that the pool of the hotel was in the atrium on the ground floor in the middle of the building where it could be seen and heard by everyone. Her mistake was to assume that fun ended at night.
She said, “I called the manager of the hotel and he told me that the children needed to play time while the adults could just sit back.”
The hallway noise or the wall thickness is not the only reason guests have trouble sleeping.
Lopos says that when traveling for work, especially, “you’re not in your normal routine and you’re socializing. It’s stressful.”
Guests of hotels often indulge in a nightcap at the bar. Before going to bed, they eat a lot. Stay out longer than normal.
Sleep is affected by all of this.
What you can do to increase your odds of having a relaxing stay
Customers are increasingly able customize the products and services that they purchase. One day, could this mean a system of online reservations that would allow travelers to be more in control of the hotel rooms that they receive?
Maybe.
Dev from Cornell says that the locus of the control has shifted away from the operator and towards the client.
It may be a while before hotels catch up with guests that increasingly value a good night’s rest as the best amenity they can provide, but who are not willing to spend a lot of money on an expensive sleep suite.
Hotel guests are often left to solve problems on their own.
You can also consult sites such as The Quiet Hotels or another website with the same name, Quiet Hotels. These websites give scores to hotels based on their quietness.
For example, The Quiet Hotels gives hotel ratings in New York City, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and other major cities. The website describes its method. Hotels that score 90 points or higher are considered “exceptionally silent.” Editors evaluate the surrounding area for nightlife or busy roads. They also examine the construction of the hotel, taking into account sound transmission, window quality, and the positioning of the rooms.
The Lowell, a hotel in Manhattan with a low room count on 14 quiet floors, is described by the authors of the website as being on a residential street with East 63rd Street, with no traffic. The Hotel Commonwealth in Boston has been described as a building with “concrete and steel post-2003 construction, with high-acoustic glazing.” Guests may also choose to book a room facing an interior courtyard. The hotels are not all budget-friendly, however some of them are.
Nowak at UNLV recommends old properties such as The Peery in Salt Lake City. It was built in 1910 and has “massive brick walls that bear loads” on them. The Peery is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Todd Wheeler, General manager of the Hotel, says that the historic craftsmanship used in the construction of the hotel makes the place relaxing.
He said that many guests appreciated the quietness of the solid construction.
Lopos urges travelers to adopt sleep-promoting activities such as getting plenty of sunlight during the day, working out and following a regular meal plan. Close the curtains before going to bed, and turn down the temperature.
Lopos travels around with his white noise machines, while hotels have been outfitting their rooms with alarm clocks featuring a range of different sound settings.
According to a CoStar report and Tourism Economics, the occupancy rate of hotels in America has been very high this year.
The travel industry will be happy to hear this, but hotel guests who are plagued with noisy elevators or rowdy guests may find it annoying.
To be safe, always carry earplugs.

Business

Goldman Sachs Warns Oil Could Hit $120 as Shipping Risks Rise

Goldman Sachs says that oil prices may surge up to $120 per barrel if the attacks against shipping in Middle East increase.
Bloomberg TV interviewed Daan Struyven on Monday, the co-head for global commodities at Goldman Sachs.
The price of oil has risen in recent weeks due to renewed hostilities. It soared early Monday morning in Asian trades, reaching its highest level since July.
This weekend, the situation escalated after the U.S. announced that it had hit three Iranian oil tanks in response to the IRGC’s use of ballistic missiles against two U.S. Warships.
After the attack, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf declared that “proportionate response” was over and that Iran’s future retaliations will be “faster and heavier.”
Iran said that it will announce in the next few days a “new exclusion zone”, which “will start from the U.S. Naval Blockade line, extend towards the Strait of Hormuz and continue from this side into the Persian Gulf.”
Mohsenrezaei said that any ship found to be entering this area in order to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, and which is identified, will appear on the sanctions list.
Brent Crude was trading at more than $97 a barrel early on Monday. The U.S. benchmark WTI Crude was also above $92 per barrel.
Struyven, a Goldman analyst who spoke to Bloomberg, said that Goldman believes “significant upside in crude oil prices” but also added that investors would bet more on the rising prices of natural gas and refined products.
Experts say that in gas and fuel markets, the supply shocks were greater than on the crude oil market.
By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com
Oilprice.com: Top Stories
U.S. Strikes Three Iranian Tankers and Iran Vows Revenge The U.S. strikes three Iranian tankers, and Iran vows revenge
BLM moves to fast-track oil permits in Alaska Petroleum Reserve
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Business

Labor Day sales are live: Shop expert-approved deals from Amazon, Apple, Hoka, Patagonia and more up to 75% off

Labor Day is the unofficial ending of summer. Whether you are sad to say goodbye or excited for autumn, everyone can agree that finding great deals will make any season more enjoyable. We can help. We have a team of experts who spend hours scouring retailer sales so that you know what to buy now, and what is better to hold off on. We’ve found markdowns up to 75% this Labor Day on homewares, clothing staples, tech gear, and much more from Apple, Kate Spade and Patagonia. We’ve put together a list of all the Labor Day deals you shouldn’t miss.
Labor Day Deals: The Best Labor Day Offers
Hanes Men’s Hoodie (originally $27): A Rare 70% Discount
Patagonia Men’s Nano Puff jacket ($160, originally $229): rare sale on a editor’s pick
Apple AirTag 4 Pack ($80, originally $99): lowest price ever seen
Ninja Flip Toaster Oven & Air Fry ($150, Was $250): Get $100 off
Dyson V8 Cyclone cordless vacuum cleaner ($300 instead of $400): rare deal
New Labor Day deals
Neutrogena Dry Touch Sunscreen 70 SPF 50 ($5, used to be $13): lowest price in months
Bose QuietComfort headphones ($199, originally $349): rare 45% discount
Levi’s Women’s Ribcage straight Jeans (45 dollars, originally $85): Lowest price for 30 days
How to pick up the best Labor Day deals
We only highlight markdowns that we think will save you real money. Some sales are not good; prices may be inflate to appear larger, or some products will cost less elsewhere. What we would skip on Labor Day
Apple iPhone: Wait — there will be a new iPhone model soon. Prices on the existing model typically drop when it launches.
Black Friday is the best time to buy video games and high-ticket technology.
Winter clothing: The new season collection is now in stores, but wait until November to get the biggest discounts on winter staples such as coats and booties.
Best Labor Day deals: Top picks
Best Labor Day deals: Rare deals
Best Labor Day deals: Style
Our style expert says that retailers are clearing summer stock to make way for the fall and winter. So, you can expect steep discounts over Labor Day on items like sundresses and sandals. I recommend shopping for the current season. Stock up now on lighter (and cheaper) clothes, and then grab the discounted styles of fall when the next round of sales comes around in October. Browse more style deals here.
Best Labor Day deals: Home
Our home expert says that now is the time to buy the outdoor furniture you have been wanting. Keep an eye on deals for pillows and mattresses. Mattress prices are usually at their lowest around Presidents’ Day. However, you may still be able to find some great discounts during this period. If you’re looking for new bedding and towels that are luxurious, I recommend waiting until the “white sales” in January. These items usually have even greater discounts. Click here to see more deals on home products.
Best Labor Day deals: Kitchen
Our kitchen expert says that as the seasons change, deals on kitchen equipment start to appear. Many of these products are useful all year round. Air fryers and cookware are great for summer, but also useful as we move into the fall. Black Friday is when you’ll see the biggest price cuts on larger appliances like refrigerators and ranges. If you can wait until November, then it might be worth buying one. Browse more kitchen deals here.
Best Labor Day deals: Tech
Our tech expert says that if you have been waiting to upgrade your tablet or laptop, it may now be time. The AI industry is creating a huge demand for components and memory chips, so the low prices we experienced in late 2017 and early 2018 are not returning. What’s the exception? Amazon devices. Prime Day is coming up, so I would wait to buy Kindles or Echo devices until they are heavily discounted. Find more deals on tech here.
Live4 Updates
These reviews are the latest versions available at the moment of publication.

Business

$40 trillion U.S. national debt just got uglier as interest payments rise to $1.25 trillion a year

Doubleline, an investment management company, noted in a recent report that by 2025 the net federal interest payments on the U.S. national debt, now at $40 trillion, will surpass the previous record of 18.4%. The U.S. collects nearly 19% (or $1.25 trillion) of its total tax and revenue to pay interest, which is equivalent to the 2026 Defense Budget.
Increasing interest payments can create a vicious cycle. The government has to borrow more money to pay the interest and is then less able to invest in infrastructure, education or other areas that promote growth.
According to the Kobeissi letter, a global market commentary, interest expenses as a percent of revenues have tripled since 2015. The Congressional Budget Office predicts that interest expense will reach 25% in 2036.
The Kobeissi Letter posted on social media that “the US debt crisis has never been seen before.” These projections are based on the assumption that there will be no recession or major slowdown in this time period.
How the interest rate on debt today is different than in 1991
In 1991, when the U.S. was still recovering from recession and the oil shocks of the Gulf War, it had a booming economy. At the time, the high demand for Treasuries pushed the yields to 8%. This was down from over 10% during previous decades.
Doubleline said that the situation is very different today. Doubleline argued that the government was able to handle an interest rate of 8% when debts were smaller. But this is not true today. The public debt in 1991 was 44% of U.S. Gross Domestic Product. Today, it is more than 100%. The government still has to spend more because of the lower interest rate, even though the debt is so large.
Analysts wrote: “The federal interest burden is at a new record, but the yield on long bonds has not reached that record.” The yield may seem normal by historical standards but not the government’s reaction to it.
In order to complicate matters, hyperscalers and major tech firms are now turning towards debt markets. AI companies will issue $225 billion of bonds during the first half 2026. This capital spending may worsen national debt, as many of the investments are tax-deductible. It also bucked a trend where private companies borrow less when governments were borrowing more. Tech giants are flocking to bonds with a 10-to-30 year term to raise the long-term funds needed to build out AI. This is straining the U.S. economy and forcing the government to offer higher interest rates to maintain demand.
Ed Yardeni, a Wall Street veteran and economist who has been in the business for over 30 years, wrote a note recently that said: “Capital is not flowing to Treasuries because it’s going into corporate bonds. Treasury yields had to go up to clean out the market.” The AI revolution has a crowding out effect that is causing Treasury yields rise.
Scott Bessent, U.S. Treasury secretary, doubled Treasury buybacks for 10-to-30 year bonds from $2 billion up to $4 billion. This move surprised investors, and was a rare example of direct involvement by the Treasury chief. Doubleline analysts said the strategy blurred between managing cash and controlling markets. It also showed how crucial a time it is for the U.S. to manage interest rates on its debt.
Analysts said that “Net interest expenses have already reached a new record as a share of revenues, and the Treasury is continuing to finance large budget deficits on a market where private capital demand is high.” The level of long bonds is therefore more important than what the comparison with historical data suggests.

Business

Feds detail plans for investigating cargo plane crash in Miami

MIAMI, FL (AP) – Federal investigators are laying out their plan to determine what caused the Amazon cargo plane that crashed off of a Miami International Airport runway and killed at least five passengers and injured five more as it hit vehicles and was consumed in flames.
Around 2 pm, the aircraft, which had arrived from San Juan in Puerto Rico, overran the runway and crashed into a road that was used by workers at the nearby airport and businesses. Officials said that five people died, two were hospitalized for less serious injuries and three others suffered critical injuries.
The plane’s impact did not immediately reveal if any of the passengers survived, or if all the victims were in cars.
Miami-Dade Rescue Fire chief Ray Jadallah said that the crash trapped both the copilot and pilot in their cockpits, and other passengers in vehicles. Crews had to rescue a trapped person under a car, according to the agency.
Jennifer Homendy, Chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board will hold a press conference on Monday.
Experts said that investigators will likely consider whether or not the plane was too high before it touched down. The landing zone usually is the first 3000 feet (914 meters).
Steve Arroyo, an aviation safety expert, said that if the plane was outside of this area it should have aborted its landing attempt and tried again.
Mary Schiavo is a former inspector general of the Transportation Department and a pilot. She said that a video online showed the Amazon airplane floating for a long time above the runway without flaring its nose up to push the main landing gear down.
There was no rain, but storm clouds were looming and there were strong winds. Schiavo stated that the tailwind could have caused the plane to float further down the runway.
Schiavo explained that a tailwind would only make things worse if the pilot had already lost a large portion of runway when he didn’t touch down or land immediately.
Miami Airport does not have the arresting system that has been installed by the FAA at over 120 airports across the country to stop safely planes that go beyond the end of the runway. The FAA credits the beds of lightweight material that can be crushed at the end a runway with saving at least 497 people aboard aircrafts which overran the runway.
Flights were halted at this busy hub of travel for most of the afternoon. The department reported that 200 emergency workers responded to the scene and found the aircraft with smoke and heavy flames from an engine compartment fire. The fire was extinguished by firefighters using foam supplied by specialized airport firefighting teams. Crews are still working to fix a fuel spill on the aircraft hours after the incident.
Images showed that the Prime Air aircraft came to rest next to a road near two semitrucks. Images showed that the aircraft was resting flat on its back and was still largely intact, despite being damaged by fire.
21 Air is a North Carolina-based cargo company that operated the flight. Flightradar24, a flight tracking site, reports that the 32-year old Boeing 767 originally was built for passenger transport and served for over two decades for various airlines. It then became a cargo aircraft in 2015.
Schiavo stated that the NTSB would also examine closely the maintenance history for this aircraft, especially since the plane has had a past of being owned by foreign companies in the previous. This includes a Russian firm.
FlightAware’s website, which tracks disruptions to flights, reported that more than 160 flight cancellations and 325 delays had occurred by Sunday evening. Orlando International Airport officials, located more than 200 km (320 miles) north of Miami said that some flights had been diverted to their airport.
Amazon stated in a press release that they would be willing to cooperate with any investigations.
The company expressed its sorrow at the loss of five lives. Our deepest sympathy goes out to all the affected families and loved ones.
A UPS aircraft crashed last year after it lost its engine as it was accelerating along the runway of Louisville’s Muhammad Ali International Airport. All three pilots were killed in the crash, as well as 12 other people. 23 more people were also injured.
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Funk reported on the story from Omaha, Nebraska. Associated Press journalists Tim Reynolds, Rio Yamat and Wufei Yo contributed from Miami.

Business

US fuel prices hit record high for Labor Day weekend

Filling up your tank to go on a last trip for the summer over Labor Day Weekend is more expensive than ever before in the U.S.
According to AAA, the average cost of gas for regular was $4.14 per gallon before the Labor Day holiday. This is nearly $1 higher than the previous year, and more than double the Labor Day Weekend record price of $3.82 in 2012.
Nicole Collins was planning to travel from Philadelphia to South Carolina in order to see friends. However, she explained that her family had spent the majority of summer at home because it is so costly to drive.
Gas is expensive right now. Collins added, “It doesn’t matter that we have a child, we have to also pay for this.” Collins was speaking outside of a Claymont gas station, Delaware where the price per gallon is $4.199.
The prices have risen since the U.S., Israel and other countries attacked Iran on February 22nd. The flow of crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for the transportation of crude oil to the world market, has plummeted. Iran refuses to open the Strait.
Tom Seng is a Texas Christian University professor of energy and finance. He said, “Everything pointed to the Iran War” and the Strait of Hormuz.
The Energy Secretary Chris Wright gave few details on the date when drivers could expect to see a reduction in gas prices, but acknowledged that the price is higher than Labor Day 2025.
Wright stated on ABC’s This Week that “yes, the prices are higher, but we will do everything to bring them back down.”
Gas prices are still below the national average of $5.02 per gallon, set by June 2022.
Diesel is another story. It reached a new record Friday of $5.85 per gallon, the national average.
Diesel is used by trucks and other systems for freight delivery. This increased cost of transportation, which can be passed onto consumers at grocery stores or package delivery services, increases the price.
Collins stated that “it doesn’t seem as if there is an end” to the situation.
As the driving season in summer ends, gas prices tend to drop. Refineries then switch over to a winter blend that is cheaper.
Seng added that there were other factors, even outside the unstable situation in the Middle East this year, which make the future price of oil unpredictable. U.S. refining plants are operating at 98% of their capacity. Many in Texas’s unusually hot heat. Prices will be hard to lower if there are any problems or hurricanes knock some systems off line.
It’s not just an issue in the Middle East. Diesel supplies are being squeezed by Ukrainian drone attacks against Russian refineries. Matthew Metzgar is a clinical economist at UNC Charlotte and he said that Chinese refiners also see a decline in output.
Metzgar stated that “there is just less fuel coming out of these refineries.”
Wright, energy secretary Wright, stated that Trump administration is taking steps to increase the production, and the markets are forecasting lower prices for the next few months.
If you take a look at futures, you’ll see that if you buy gasoline in bulk today for November two months in advance, the price is $0.35 less than today. The marketplace believes that gasoline prices will be significantly lower in the future,” said he.
There is not much a motorist can do geopolitically to bring down the price of gas.
Metzgar says that price apps are a good way to save money on trips, particularly long ones. Gas prices along the Interstate could be up to 10 cents per gallon higher than in stations just a few miles away.
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Mingson Lau, a videojournalist with Associated Press and Gary Fields, a reporter for the Associated Press contributed.