Get ready for louder, hipper music at hotels. In the latest bid for a new generation of travelers, hotel chains are paying more attention to music in their lobbies, shops and restaurants.

They're playing it louder, making it more consistent across their hotels and turning more to contemporary tunes.

"It's really foreground music. It's meant to be heard," says Stephen Rosenstock of Omni, which launched its new music program late last year.

With more people traveling, hotel chains are trying to outdo each other in providing a "more memorable experience," says Alan Benjamin, a hospitality consultant. "They are trying to make travel more of a personal experience. Not just that I checked in, went to bed, shaved and checked out."

Part of that, says Rob Kwortnik, a marketing professor at Cornell University, is catering to a rising number of younger customers who are more comfortable with louder music.

What the chains are doing: