Hey {{first_name|there}},
Most people book a hotel for one reason: somewhere to sleep.
So why are so many hotel rooms so bad at it?
Last week I put that question to the people who can actually fix it.
I was on stage at the World Travel and Tourism Council Global Summit in Malta. In the audience were presidents and CEOs of Four Seasons, IHG, Hilton and Marriott. Health Ministers. Tourism Ministers. Deputy Prime Ministers. The biggest decision-makers in travel and health, all in one room.
I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sure how the room would take it. I’ve been talking about airline lighting and hotel sleep environments as a biohacker for fifteen years. Most of the time people nod politely and change the subject.
This time was different.
Think about the last long trip you took.
Travel already asks a lot of your body. You eat when your body clock expects to be asleep, then sit under bright cabin lights when your brain thinks it should be dark.
One study found heart attacks rose 24% on the Monday after the clocks went forward by a single hour.
Fly across several time zones and you’re asking a lot more of your body than that.
Then you reach the hotel. Light comes in round the curtains, bright LEDs everywhere, and the minibar is full of Mars bars for when you get in late. The room might look beautiful, but it isn’t helping you recover.
The industry is finally paying attention, because travellers are already ahead of it.
Health is behind 41% of trip cancellations. 59% of travellers look for blackout curtains, yet most hotels still don’t have them. Rooms built for sleep can charge 20 to 30% more, and guests who sleep well stay longer and come back.
I told them that luxury travel can be healthy too. Great food and brilliant service still matter, but so does a room that gets properly dark.
Several hotel groups and ministers asked me to consult on improving the sleep and lighting experience, including on aircraft. That’s something I’ve been pushing for fifteen years. Feels like the industry is finally ready to hear it.
To listen to the rest of the conversation, watch it here.
Until they catch up, I pack for it. Sleep mask. Silicone earplugs. Blue-light-blocking glasses on about three hours before bed wherever I am.
To see how I’m actually sleeping while I’m away, I use my Gabit ring. HRV, resting heart rate, sleep stages, so after a long flight I can compare the data with how I feel in the morning. No subscription. Battery lasts 7 to 10 days.
One thing worth doing this week
The next time you book a hotel, search the reviews for “blackout” and “noise” before you book.
If nothing comes up, email the hotel and ask. Pack a sleep mask if they can’t promise it.
Researchers call it the “first-night effect”: in a new room, part of your brain stays on alert, so a sliver of light under the door or a corridor noise can decide how well you sleep.
Notice how you feel on the first morning compared to your last trip.
Look after yourself,
Tim 💚
P.S. I’ll be putting all of this into practice when I fly to Austin for the next Health Optimisation Summit, 2-4 April 2027. Earlybird tickets are live and the price goes up as each release sells out.