Designing a Hotel: From Vision to Materialization

What are the key steps in designing a hotel, from concept to conclusion?

Over the last few years I have been involved in several projects from ground up to properties evolving / converting from an existing property into a hotel. Ground up should be easier – in that it can start on paper, set down ideas from the inception, taking into consideration land and location, determine concept and needs, and have the requirements and parameters established before laying the first brick. Even then, suprises will be encountered and some adjustments will need to be made.

Have you heard the phrase “even in the best of families” or “how did they not think of this” – this has often been evident when doing a hotel site inspection – in particular purpose built properties. How can we avoid this or at the very least minimize these “costly” situations of oversight.

First though we need to understand who are involved in bringing this project to reality. Each with their own vision, interpretation and understanding.

1. The owner/visionary – who has the dream, the vision, the concept of how they want the hotel, what they will offer and to who they want as their guest.
2. The architect – who will be entrusted with bringing physically to life this dream and vision.
3. The contractor – who will execute the owners vision and the architects interpretation.
4. The management team – this being the General Manager and staff or depending on property, the management company who will be responsible for giving life to the hotel; welcoming and serving the guest above and beyond expectations and optimizing profitability for the owner.

Just here we have at least four mindsets to coordinate and direct in one direction.

Designing and opening a hotel, boutique or full service, that aligns all key stakeholders requires a well-structured, collaborative approach. Here are the basic steps needed to ensure the owner’s vision, architect’s design, contractor’s execution, and management team’s operational needs are in harmony:

1. Define the Vision: owner’s vision and projected guest experience.

2. Develop a Collaborative Design Framework: architect’s role and management team’s input to meet with project vision.

3. Align Key Stakeholders Through Regular Meetings: design coordination and on-site collaboration – regular meetings and walk throughs to review progress.

4. Focus on Functional Details Early: Guest comfort – prioritize room distribution and accessories. Operational functionality – clearly defined areas, efficient workflows and appropriate use of technology.

5. Create a Construction and Timeline Strategy: Collaborative execution – establish timelines. Mockup Room – build a prototype guest room for testing.

6. Conduct Pre-Opening Reviews: do trial runs to test all services to identify and resolve issues.

7. Maintain a Shared Vision Post-Opening: Operational handover to ensure clear communication between the construction team and management for warranty or follow-up issues.

By fostering transparency, involving stakeholders early, and focusing on both design and functionality, the boutique hotel will not only meet expectations but also achieve a smooth and successful launch.

Retaining a firm, like theHOTELIST, provides access to hospitality veteran experts, who will offer advisory services for hotel development, renovation or repositioning.