The Art of Sound in Hospitality: A Conversation with Tom Parker from Fettle Design The Art of Sound in Hospitality: A Conversation with Tom Parker from Fettle Desi...

Tom Parker, co-founder of Fettle Design, is shaping the future of hospitality interiors, where sound is as vital as sight. From boutique hotels in London to supper clubs in New York, Parker’s specific craftsmanship blends storytelling with sensory design. Today, sound is no longer an afterthought; it’s a design component as integral as color, material and finish. These are the elements that traditionally define the visual and tactile quality of a space; now, aesthetics and acoustics are being planned with equal importance.

Tom Parker’s design journey began with a love for interiors and the freedom they offered to shape entire environments. After working at leading London interior design studios, he and Andy Goodwin launched Fettle in 2015, starting with small restaurant renovations before expanding internationally. Today, Fettle operates from London and Los Angeles, with a portfolio that includes The Georgian Hotel in Santa Monica, Hoxton Hotels in Portland and Rome, and new supper clubs in NYC and beyond.

Sound as Design in Hospitality Spaces

For decades, hospitality design prioritized what guests could see and taste: visual aesthetics and the culinary experience. Sound, though omnipresent, was often overlooked. Parker reflects on this blind spot:

“For a long time, what you hear in a space was just less important. People forgot that hearing is one of our senses.” But that mindset is changing. Today, we see a shift that acoustics are no longer a technical afterthought; they’re becoming a core part of the design brief. Parker observes that nearly every client now raises the topic early in the process.

Parker points to evolving guest expectations and the rise of hybrid spaces that blur the line between dining and nightlife. Supper clubs, piano bars, and immersive venues demand flexible environments where music and conversation coexist harmoniously.

“When you say, ‘supper club,’ you automatically think something more sound-driven. That awareness is feeding into the industry.” This shift has practical implications. Designers must balance aesthetics with acoustic performance, integrating treatments that enhance clarity without compromising style. Parker notes that advances in materials have made this easier:

“Five years ago, acoustic treatments meant ugly ceiling grids. Now, acoustic fabrics are beautiful and seamless.” Parker continues, “Acoustics is now the talk of the industry.”

Designing for Sound and Flexibility

Case in point, when Tom Parker talks about a newly opened supper club in New York City that he designed, his enthusiasm is palpable. The space is more than a restaurant; it’s an environment that can shift from an intimate dining space to high-energy nightlife.

“It’s basically a supper club… predominantly dining, but with club-level acoustic and speaker treatments.”

The challenge was twofold: create a flexible layout that could morph throughout the evening while maintaining acoustic integrity. The client wanted a series of smaller rooms that could merge into one expansive space for events. Parker explains, “We took this big, open 3,000- square-foot space and introduced fabric walls that could pull back to open the space but also absorb sound.”

These fabric partitions weren’t just decorative; they were engineered to reduce sound bleed between zones. Combined with a fabric-wrapped ceiling and acoustic panels, the design achieved nightclub-level audio without sacrificing comfort and beauty.

“You don’t want to eliminate sound – you want to eliminate noise,” Parker notes.

For years, designers worked to hide AV equipment, such as speakers. Now, technology is part of the aesthetic, signaling that sound is central to the experience. This openness mirrors a growing trend across hospitality: venues like The Aubrey at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park and Bacchanalia in London showcase L-Acoustics systems as design features, blending high performance audio with visual storytelling. Similarly, Virgin Hotels Edinburgh and the Four Seasons Abu Dhabi integrate speaker arrays seamlessly into luxurious interiors, proving that audio can be both functional and beautiful. “For this NYC client they wanted the processor visible, almost like a design feature. It adds to the vibe,” Parker confirms. In these spaces, sound isn’t hidden—it’s celebrated.

Contrast that with another project Parker references, a Brentwood restaurant designed for all-day dining. Here, the acoustic strategy was subtler but no less intentional. “It’s never going to be super heavy sound-wise, but even then, they were keen on acoustic treatments.” Ceiling coffers lined with acoustic fabric and gold-toned panels ensure conversations remain clear, even during peak hours. “Every project we do considers acoustics. It’s how it should be.”

These two projects illustrate a broader trend: the blurring of dining and nightlife. In cities like New York and Las Vegas, supper clubs and hybrid venues demand designs that balance intimacy with spectacle. Bruno Mars’ new Bellagio venue, The Pinky Ring, takes this to the next level, pairing elevated dining with live, close-up performances in an elevatated setting, where sound becomes part of the storytelling.

“It’s fascinating how operational concepts define layout, and how sound drives that narrative.”

Shaping the Future of Hospitality Design

At the L-Acoustics Studio in Los Angeles, Parker experienced L-ISA, an acoustic technology that transforms sound into a three-dimensional canvas.

“The level of mastery was eye-opening… If we could bring even a fraction of that control into hospitality, it would change everything.” For Parker, the future of hospitality design is multisensory: “Visual boundaries have been pushed. Sound is next.”

This vision aligns with the growing trend of immersive environments where dining, music, and architecture blend together. As the lines between different venue types—such as restaurants, clubs, and bars—continue to fade, acoustics will play a key role in shaping and designing the ambiance, whether it’s a supper club in Manhattan or an intimate piano bar in Georgetown,

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