A hotel will require some form of renovation work at some stage in its life. Whether you are new to the hotel industry or a seasoned hospitality professional, you may be considering embarking on a hotel refurbishment. To help you get started, we are offering some top tips for successfully transforming a dated hotel into beautiful accommodation for your guests.
The Perfect Design
Before you do anything, you need to consider the style you want to achieve throughout the hotel. Do you want to offer a contemporary design or a traditional interior? You could even create a mixture of the two. For example, Sajan Hansji, the principal of Hansji Hotels, recently took the old-fashioned Sunshine Hotels & Suites and transformed it into the stunning Radisson Phoenix City Center, which accentuated the architectural details within the hotel, whilst breathing new life into the property with modern upgrades.
Create Detailed Plans
Organization is essential in any hotel renovation, which is why it is essential to create detailed plans for the project that you must follow step-by-step. Consider how long it will take to complete the renovation project and account both money and time for any potential issues that may arise. Most construction projects will come with unexpected surprises along the way, so account for delays and extra costs before you embark with the project.
Consider the Customer
The guests should be at the heart of a hotel’s operations, which is why they should come first when embarking with a hotel restoration project. If you plan to keep the hotel open during a refurbishment, or hope to open the doors to the public in stages, it is vital you take the necessary steps to minimize disruption, so guests can have an enjoyable stay from the moment they check-in to the second they check-out.
Reduce Noise Pollution
You will want your guests to feel relaxed and comfortable within a hotel, so book them into rooms away from noise. For example, place visitors on the floor below the renovation projects, if possible. Also, encourage builders, electricians, plumbers, painters and decorators to be as quite as possible, and only embark with loud machinery after the check-out time and before check-in. If noise and disruption is unavoidable, it might be best to close the hotel’s doors until the renovation is complete.
Don’t Let Your Existing Customers Down
The aim of the renovation project is to attract additional custom, but you shouldn’t disappoint your current guests throughout the process. If you have made a commitment to a guest, you must follow through with it. For example, if they have booked a wedding at your hotel, you must ensure the hall is ready, all the lighting works and there’s no sign of any construction work taking place. If that means hiring additional workers or paying for overtime, so be it – because one bad review could make the redevelopment a waste of time.
Hotel renovations take hard work, time and money, but the rewards will be worth all the effort once more guests start walking through the doors.
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