Ask anyone who has done it, renovating or refurbishing a hotel isn’t easy. But, it is also unavoidable to keep your property in top shape and selling well. Here are some handy tips to keep your property’s makeover hassle-free.
Plan ahead
Your busiest time is really not when you should be pulling down walls or changing curtains. Review the property’s occupancy trends of the prior years to determine its off-season—this is the ideal window for the renovation. Your channel manager and booking engine insights are a good place to get this information.
Make sure you allow a buffer at the end of the project. Constructions and refurbishments hardly ever go as per plan. It’s also a good idea to let everyone know your deadline at the start of the project.
Clearly define your objective and budget
Be as specific as you can with your project manager, designer or builder on what you want; write it if necessary. Changing your vision midway can result in serious cost overruns and time delays that your business can ill afford.
Refurbishments come in all shapes and costs; make sure you know how much you can afford before you can get into it.
Do a full-scale survey before you define the project scope
Look around your property with a microscope; what needs updating or fixing? Then segregate these into essential and nice-to-haves. At the end of this exercise, you’ll have a scope for your refurbishment project. Combined with your budget and timeline, it will help define what you can carry out and what you need to leave for another time.
Opt for classic and durable styles
Renovations and refurbishments cannot be done often, especially if you’re a smaller property. Become smarter with your choices when doing one by choosing styles that are classic and outlive the short-lived currently trending styles.
Switch the patterned linen for more neutral and solid colors. Choose textiles made from more natural fibers such as cotton and down feathers. It won’t break the bank, yet give your guests a sense of modern comfort. Get rid of dated pictures and memorabilia on walls. Perhaps you can acquire local art for less or give space to an upcoming artist to showcase their work.
Hire a project manager, but stay involved
You can’t run a property and a construction site. Hiring a project manager who will manage the works and be your point of contact can take a lot of the hassle out of a renovation job, which is challenging and stressful at the best of times. This could even be a trusted employee.
Equally important is to stay involved. Get the project manager to give you regular updates and report if the project scope, budget, or timeline are changing.
Take lots of photos
Refurbishments make a great story on your social channels. Build anticipation with lots of behind-the-scenes clicks. Ask your loyal guests and followers for inputs when making choices; it’s a great way to keep them involved. Also, nothing like a good before and after story on your blog.
Create buffer zones and enforce quiet hours
If you’re making major changes, keep the rooms surrounding the construction site empty. Or, at least inform the guests that they should expect some disturbance. Offer discounted rates to compensate. Remember to add barricades as required to ensure the safety of guests around the construction site at all times.
Schedule the noisiest construction or disturbance elements of your refurbishment at check-in and check-out times. Have a quiet time, say between 11am and 3pm. Definitely during night time. If you have late check-outs by guests planning to sleep in, allot them a room furthest from the ones being refurbished.
Engage staff
Keep all of your staff informed and updated on the renovation plans, including your housekeeping staff. Make it a vital part of the weekly staff updates. Not only are your staff members ambassadors of the change, but also the contact point for guests wanting more information.
Do you have a refurbishment story you’d like to share? Send it to us (with pictures) at marketing@staah.com.