What Signage Does a Hotel Need? A Room-by-Room Guide

Good hotel signage does one thing well: it tells guests what they need to know without them having to ask. The best hotels barely have any noticeable signage at all — because every sign is exactly where it needs to be, in the right format, readable at a glance. The worst have a jumble of laminated A4 sheets, mismatched plastic plaques and hand-written notes that undercut the guest experience before they've even found the lift.

This guide runs through every area of a hotel — from the front door to the guest room to the spa — and sets out what signage each space typically needs, what format works best, and where wooden signs are a better choice than the plastic or printed alternatives most operators default to.

Reception and entrance

The entrance sets the tone. Signage here needs to be immediately legible, professionally finished, and consistent with the rest of the property's branding.

What you need:

  • Opening hours sign — essential for any property with a staffed reception that isn't 24-hour. Display your check-in and check-out times, reception hours, and out-of-hours contact details. An A4 or A3 oak opening hours sign mounted in the window or beside the door is far more durable and professional than a printed card.
  • WiFi QR code sign — guests ask for the WiFi password more than anything else. A freestanding QR code sign at reception or on the check-in desk means they can connect immediately without staff interaction. A QR code auto-connects the guest's phone to your network — no typing required.
  • Google review QR code sign — the best moment to ask for a review is at checkout, when the experience is fresh. A small freestanding sign on the desk with your Google review QR code captures this without any awkward verbal prompting. See our guide to Google review signs for businesses.
  • No smoking sign — required by law in enclosed public spaces. A wooden no smoking or vaping sign is a like-for-like replacement for the standard plastic version and looks considerably better in a well-considered entrance.
  • Directional signage — in larger properties, wayfinding signs pointing to the lift, stairs, restaurant, and car park. Custom oak directional signs with arrows can be ordered in any wording combination.

Guest room doors

Guest room door signage has a specific functional role — privacy and housekeeping communication — but it is also the piece guests handle directly every day of their stay.

What you need:

  • Do Not Disturb door hanger — the universal standard. Double-sided, with Do Not Disturb on one face and Please Clean the Room or Please Make Up My Room on the other. The most common format is 89mm × 144mm with a 51mm hole for standard door handles. Available in oak veneer or FSC-certified bamboo, with your hotel name or logo engraved. See our hotel door hangers guide.
  • Room number signs — wall-mounted plaques giving each room its number or name. Oak veneered MDF plaques in four sizes suit everything from a boutique B&B with named rooms to a larger hotel with numbered corridors. Pre-drilled for wall fixing.

For properties with a more premium feel — boutique hotels, country house hotels, independent B&Bs — replacing standard plastic door hangers with engraved wooden ones is one of the simplest and most cost-effective upgrades available. At bulk pricing, the cost difference per room is minimal.

Corridors and communal areas

What you need:

  • Toilet and WC signs — required in any shared corridor. Oak WC signs are available in 14 styles including male and female combined, accessible, and with directional arrows for facilities that are not immediately visible. Four sizes suit everything from a door panel to a corridor-facing wall.
  • Accessibility signs — hearing loop notices, wheelchair access signs and inclusive toilet signage. Increasingly expected as standard in any property welcoming guests with accessibility requirements.
  • Deliveries sign — for back-of-house doors or service entrances. A clear Deliveries sign with optional directional arrow saves the repeated problem of delivery drivers at the wrong entrance.

Restaurant and bar

The food and beverage area has more signage requirements than most operators account for.

What you need:

  • Food allergy sign — since Natasha's Law came into force in October 2021, any food business must provide full allergen information. A clearly displayed allergen notice is expected and, for many guests with serious allergies, a non-negotiable. A freestanding A4 or A5 oak food allergy sign is a professional, durable alternative to a laminated sheet. It can include your logo and a prompt directing guests to inform staff of dietary requirements.
  • Card payments only sign — if your property or bar is cashless, guests need to know before they order. A freestanding oak Card Payments Only sign at the bar entrance avoids the awkward conversation at the point of payment.
  • No smoking or vaping sign — required in all enclosed dining areas. A freestanding table version suits restaurant or bar use without the need for wall fixing.
  • WiFi sign — a table QR code sign in the restaurant or bar lets guests connect without asking staff.
  • Social media QR code sign — a Follow Us sign at the bar captures the moment guests are most engaged with your food and atmosphere.

Spa, treatment rooms and wellness areas

Spa signage has specific requirements around privacy, quiet, and transitions between public and private spaces.

What you need:

  • Treatment in progress door hanger — a double-sided open hook door hanger with Treatment in Progress on one face and Please Come In on the other. The open hook format fits over lever handles without removing the door handle, which makes it the right format for treatment rooms.
  • Session in progress or do not disturb sign — for relaxation rooms or meditation spaces. A hanging sign in a size proportionate to the door.
  • Facility room signs — steam room, sauna, changing rooms, relaxation lounge. Suite-name plaques and room identification signs in oak veneer suit the finish of most spa environments.
  • Occupied or In Use sign — for changing rooms or private wet rooms without an internal lock indicator. A double-sided door hanger showing Occupied on one face and Free on the other.

A note on outdoor use

All the products above are designed for indoor use. They are not suitable for sustained outdoor exposure to rain or direct moisture. For covered outdoor areas — a sheltered entrance or covered terrace — the signs will perform well. For fully exposed positions, metal or acrylic alternatives are more appropriate.

Dog-friendly properties may also benefit from specific signage: a Dogs Welcome sign at the entrance, a Dog Treat Station sign at reception, or a Dog Off Furniture sign in pet-friendly rooms. These minor touches register with guests who travel with dogs.

Frequently asked questions

What is hotel signage?
Hotel signage covers all the signs used throughout a property to communicate with guests — from room number plaques and Do Not Disturb door hangers to WC signs, directional arrows, and restaurant allergy notices. Effective hospitality signage is consistent in material and finish, clear at a glance, and placed exactly where guests need it.

What is the standard size for a hotel door hanger?
The most common hotel door hanger size is 89mm wide by 144mm tall, with a 51mm hole for standard round door handles. This format fits the majority of UK hotel room door handles.

What does a Do Not Disturb sign mean in a hotel?
A Do Not Disturb sign tells housekeeping that the guest does not want their room entered. Most hotel door hangers are double-sided: Do Not Disturb on one face, Please Make Up My Room or Please Clean the Room on the other — the guest flips it when they are ready for the room to be serviced.

Do hotels need a food allergy sign?
Since Natasha's Law came into force in October 2021, food businesses in the UK must provide full allergen information. For hospitality venues serving food, a clearly displayed allergen notice and a prompt for guests to inform staff of dietary requirements is standard practice and increasingly expected.

Can wooden signs be used outdoors in a hotel?
Our wooden signs are designed for indoor use and sheltered outdoor positions. They are not suitable for sustained exposure to rain or direct moisture.

What wooden signs do hotels typically use?
The most common wooden hotel signs are Do Not Disturb door hangers, Please Make Up My Room hangers, room number plaques, WC signs, food allergy notices, WiFi QR code signs, no smoking signs, and Google review signs. For spas and treatment rooms, Treatment in Progress door hangers and In Use signs are also standard.

Products in this guide

See the full range in our hotels and hospitality collection and our dedicated hotel signs collection.

Pete, Cherry Grove Craft

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