Given that a lot can go wrong in the course of planning and carrying out a hotel renovation or construction project, it’s important to have all ducks in a row. The four pieces of critical information below are meant to prevent unwelcome surprises that can cause costly delays and errors.
1Obtain surveys and reports.
Hire professional surveyors to provide 2D or 3D scans for the existing building. While there is an up-front cost to obtain this level of detail, it will save time and expense later in the process when time becomes increasingly precious or cost impacts could be more significant. Don’t forget to perform an ADA compliance review to identify any existing conflicts with current regulations.
2A picture is worth a thousand words.
As part of the survey, engage the surveyor to photograph existing conditions as part of their services. It is not uncommon for the design team to be located in another state, so having access to current photos depicting existing guestroom conditions will provide valuable information to the design team. In high-occupancy hotels, it can be difficult and costly for the design team to access multiple room types to verify conditions. Have the surveyor take care of this all at one time.
3The value of as-builts.
When closing on your acquisition or launching a hotel renovation project, include a search for existing CAD files in addition to existing hard-copy documents as part of the due diligence process. The existing CAD files can provide significant cost savings at the start of a project when cash flow may be constrained. Show what’s in the mix.
4Ensure operations has a current guestroom matrix that accurately depicts room types.
The design team will need to understand the existing mix of guestrooms. Also, be sure to provide the design team a proposed guestroom matrix if any changes to the mix are desired based on the market demand or repositioning of the property. Changing room types affects design fees and bears notable construction costs to move electrical and low voltage wiring.
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