This year, several of our clients are undergoing major renovations to upgrade their facilities, amenities and guest experience. This is always a major investment and will define the hotel for the next few years – so we like to get involved in the process whenever possible. Hotels often hire designers based on a friends recommendation, photographs in a magazine or reputation for perfection. We have to consider what happens when the designer is long gone, but guests have started using – and abusing your newly upgraded rooms.

• Designers often don’t give priority to anything that touches the guest – linen, towels, extra pillows and the hotel’s approach to bedspreads (which are getting lots of press as germ depositories).
• Designers do often specify very high ‘count’ quality linens – which are not only expensive, but more difficult to wash, iron and keep from walking away. If you want us to advertise ‘500-count Egyptian Cotton Designer Linen’ – make sure you can maintain this over time.
• Beware of ‘pillow menus’ – unless you have concierge-level service and lots of space for storage. But nothing says luxury like a few extra pillows on a bed.
• Go ‘Green’ whenever possible – with amenities, solar panels, recycled materials, eco-sensitive cleaning supplies, water conservation, etc. Any extra expense almost always is returned in energy savings and gives us a marketing advantage at every level.
• Anticipate how clients will treat your renovations – is that 4-poster bed the only place in the room to hang that wet beach towel or dry out the SCUBA wetsuit?
• Hooks, shelf space and empty surfaces should be encouraged if you want us to attract an upscale vacation market. Only ‘road warriors’ know how to live out of their suitcase.
• Luggage racks are less expensive than dealing with dirty luggage on beds, chairs or sofas. By at least two for every room and have some extras on hand.
• Hangers, skirt hangers and iron/board – don’t expect us to find guests who fit the ‘casual elegance’ market spend a week without them.
• The ‘wow factor’ – can your staff maintain the designer’s look after a few bookings? Make sure that your room actually looks like the photos we put on Travelocity, Expedia, TripAdvisor and your website.
• Consider ‘complexity’ factors for everything – its hard for us to do anything about the complaints on TripAdvisor about rooms with 5 different remote controls that offer great amenities that are too confusing to figure out.
• If its not bolted down – guests will move anything. Its amazing how many guests are amateur interior decorators and want to help you improve what your designer has done.
• If you want wedding business – build a gazebo or wedding arch with view of the ocean.
• If you want honeymooners – do something to a few rooms to add ‘romance’. Jacuzzi’s are great, but not when water is more expensive than wine and your staff can’t handle the added cleaning that is necessary. There is nothing less romantic than a dry, dusty Jacuzzi that hasn’t been used for years.
• Romance Upgrades: Consider using ‘gingerbread’, candles, fabrics, lighting, privacy and creative ‘upgrade packages’ to convert regular rooms to Honeymoon suites.
• If you want business from young professionals who can afford your rates – put Wi-Fi Internet Access all over your hotel Its cheap and CRITICAL for this market.
• High-income professionals make their living looking for ‘a break’, ’special treatment’ and ‘the best deal possible’. If you want their business – don’t just expect to quote rack rate and get the booking. Renovations that plan for the market can ‘close the deal’ by offering upgrades instead of discounts.