Hospitality Design - September 2021 - 28

advertorial
Q&A with Matthew Carter
Division Lead, MODIO
Describe your business in one sentence.
We specialize in the design and manufacturing of
sound masking-a technology that helps building
occupants by reducing noise and increasing their
sense of privacy and overall comfort.
How has your company evolved over the
years?
For much of our history, we've primarily focused
on developing sound masking solutions to
address speech privacy and noise control needs
in commercial offi ces. However, our work in
hospital patient rooms allowed us to see how our
technology could also be used to help occupants
sleep bett er. We started to think about other
facilities where a good night's sleep is important,
and decided to take a deeper look at the noise
issues experienced within hotels. We discovered
that noise is one of the top guest complaints across
the industry, and a large part of the problem is
one with which we were already very familiar
based on our experience with other types of
buildings: the ambient sound in guest rooms is
too low, leaving occupants exposed to all kinds
of intermitt ent noises. This is exactly the type of
problem that can be mitigated, or even eliminated,
by a masking solution.
As a result of our fi ndings, we created MODIO:
a sound masking device specifi cally designed for
guest rooms. This technology only takes minutes
to install, and can either be implemented in rooms
with persistent noise issues or in all rooms to
prevent unforeseen complaints.
What trends are you paying attention to?
Aſt er months of working remotely due to
COVID-19, many people found that their home
offi ces weren't ideal working environments.
They wanted quiet, private spots in which to
concentrate, and neutral spaces in which to meet
with clients and colleagues. Our company watched
with interest as hotels pivoted to meet these needs,
transforming 'WFH' from 'Work from Home' into
'Work from Hotel.'
It seemed like a logical solution. However, we
knew that many properties were still missing a key
element of the WFH equation: noise control. So, as
hotels began marketing this off ering to companies
and individual corporate clients, we found ourselves
returning to our roots: helping people work bett er.
By reducing noise disruptions, MODIO creates a
more eff ective working environment for guests.
And if they stay overnight, they also benefi t from
the greatly improved sleeping conditions. As the
'work-from-anywhere' movement-which sees
employees adopting nomadic lifestyles-rises in
popularity, it may very well continue in a postCOVID
world. But, of course, there's absolutely no
doubt that a good night's sleep will always remain a
top priority for guests!
What differentiates you from
competitors?
MODIO's commercial-grade sound masking
isn't 'white noise' or a machine-generated nature
sound. It follows the National Research Council's
(NRC) masking curve, which is designed to
balance comfort and performance. The soothing
sound it produces-similar to soſt ly blowing
air-is far superior to 'white noise' apps or sound
machines. Much like a dimmer switch, the control
pad allows each guest to set the background
sound level according to personal preference or
as needed to cover disturbances, giving them the
ability to control their room's acoustic ambience
as they would temperature and lighting. And of
course, if they choose not to use it, they have the
option of turning it off completely.
We're not the only ones who notice the quality
diff erence; we've also received a lot of positive
feedback from both hoteliers and guests. For
example, McClinton Heil (then Director of Room
Operations, Marriott Autograph-Lido House), told
us " We've tried other sound machines and this
is the fi rst one to reduce guest complaints. The
product is amazing. " Guests are equally taken
with the product, saying they " love " MODIO and
" get the absolute best sleep. " It's a great feeling,
knowing we're helping hoteliers address a key
problem and guests to get the rest they need-
something so fundamental to overall health and
happiness.
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September 2021 hospitalitydesign.com
http://www.hospitalitydesign.com
Hospitality Design - September 2021

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