Swell Suite at Kimpton Charlotte Square

Following the success of the UK’s First Sound Wellness Room at Kimpton Charlotte Square, the five-star hotel is launching a new in-room offering.

Award winning producer, Brian D’Souza spent two years developing a new methodology which harnessed the therapeutic nature of sound - bringing together biophilia, music composition and sound therapy to create the Swell Room, the hotel’s sound treatment offering.

The Swell Suite is an immersive in-room audio-visual experience that promises to connect guests with nature and deliver the best night’s sleep and morning experience for guests. Led by scientific research and in partnership with ishga - the hotel’s native Hebridean skincare partner, two 30-minute compositions have been designed to engage the senses on multiple levels. It transports guests to a place of tranquillity in the remote Hebridean islands in the north of Scotland, using audio and visuals captured in high fidelity. 

The Hebridean islands are home to rugged landscapes, covered in mountains, moors and machair, with sweeping sandy beaches. The islands are untouched and home to some of the finest wildlife in the world, with much of the wildlife being unique and protected.

The in-room Swell Sleep Treatment sound therapy techniques are used to lower heart rate and reduce brain wave state, activating the parasympathetic nervous system to achieve a state of deep relaxation. Non-repeating melodies and rhythms are used subtly, de-activating the brain’s default mode network, encouraging consciousness to slowly drift into the sleep state. The sounds are mixed binaurally, helping synchronise with the brain’s delta waves around 3Hz, typically found whilst in a deep sleep state.  The overall sound mix is delivered using Spatial Audio, allowing for a richer immersion in the soundscape.

The tailored sound and projection techniques are designed to harness the power of sound and sight to trigger a state of sleep. Several studies have found that listening to nature sounds, such as the sound of flowing water or birds, can have a calming effect and improve sleep quality. In one study, participants who listened to nature sounds while sleeping experienced significantly better sleep quality compared to those who did not listen to any sounds.

For the in-room Swell Wake Treatment, tranquil lapping waves from the secluded, Bosta Beach gently brings guests back to a conscious state before introducing harmonious and consonant instrumentation from a range of traditional instruments from the Islands, including the clarsach, whistles, fiddles and flutes. Slowly, more structural elements are introduced, including rich bass frequencies and layered harmonies encouraging engagement from the guests and triggering a dopamine release in their brain for a positive state of mind and uplifted start to the day.  

The suite will include instructions on how to actively listen and how to get the most out of this offering.