The hospitality design and construction industry has always had standards and guidelines, “rules of thumb” if you will, that one could utilize when completing a project.
The traditional ways of doing things are evolving due to advancements in technology and changes to guests’ needs. Realizing what has changed and learning how to adapt is the key to continuing to create successful projects.
Carpet vs. LVT
Carpet used to be a given in hotel guestrooms. Today, more brands are requiring the use of luxury vinyl tile (LVT) in guestrooms. However, there are hidden added costs to installing LVT instead of carpet.
Carpet, in addition to its low price, has great acoustical value. That acoustic value is due not only to the carpet but also the pad hidden below. LVT transmits sounds at a much higher level. The use an acoustical underlayment is a hidden additional cost.
The cost of LVT was supposed to be offset by its durability. In some locations, the scratches on the LVT are causing the need to replace it after just one renovation cycle.
Further, many owners and brands are adding an area rug over the LVT. The area rug cost is usually not accounted for the in cost of LVT.
Virtual MR vs. actual model room buildout
Virtual reality has transformed the way one can experience things. With the advancements of BIM software, people may be tempted to create a virtual Model Room instead of an actual Model Room buildout. In the virtual Model Room, you can walk through the space and experience the design of the room. It may appear to be more cost-effective than an actual buildout.
However, there are nuances in an actual Model Room that one might not experience in a virtual room such as cord management, plug placement, comfortability of furniture and light levels. These may seem minor but not uncovering them until the full rollout can add more money to the project’s bottom line.
Master switches
Hotel guestrooms can have between six and eight individual light sources throughout the room. As a code-related, energy-savings effort, master switches are being installed at the entry to each room. In a new-build project, there are a variety of ways to comply with this requirement. In a renovation, the options are either expensive or complex or even downright unachievable. Alternatives such as occupancy sensors, motion sensors and just using plug-in lighting may be your best bet to minimize costs.
Technology changes/plugs
With each passing year, there are more advances in technology that need to be taken into consideration when designing a hotel guestroom.
Guests require more strategically placed power outlets. The great idea of having USB outlets built into furniture that is designed to last multiple cycles now means that the USB-A plugs make the project look dated. Power at a nightstand, which years ago needed to power a clock radio, is now supporting the transformer for your cordless house phone, the radio — if you are still providing one — the headboard lighting, and still trying to provide outlets for your guest to use.
In addition, some upper-upscale and luxury properties provide Smart Room controls that allow you to change the lighting, temperature, and television. Those come with two added complications: (1) coordinating across multiple vendors to provide a sole source for your guest to use; (2) the need to hide the power control modules in electrical J-Boxes or other areas that are not currently designed to hold them.
Installation cost
Guestroom installation costs for furniture, fixtures and equipment used to be fairly consistent. Many FF&E pieces consist of multiple components now. A headboard, nightstand and dresser unit used to cost $400 to $500 per room to install. Now, because the headboard is also connected to a platform bed with integrated lighting and the desk/dresser has an integrated TV panel, it can cost up to $1,500 to $2,000 per room. Installation costs can also creep up on complex public space FF&E like ballroom light fixtures. A beautiful chandelier that is made up of 400 individual pieces can cost four times the cost of the actual fixture to install.
Data usage
Wi-Fi bandwidth used to be a small item, but with the advent of 5G and the ability to stream everything, guests’ usage has increased dramatically. The use of video meetings has also affected Wi-Fi demand.
Wi-Fi repeaters are now located to serve approximately four guestrooms. That means extra cabling, extra power loads and a lot of access points. In public areas, guests need even better Wi-Fi connections for meeting rooms, restaurants and bars. This means higher demands on your incoming service.
In addition to the guest demands, hotel operations are using Wi-Fi to adjust thermostats, monitor mini bar usage and operate POS systems. The combination of these demands is not likely to decrease as time progresses but rather to increase. Low voltage system design is now more important than ever.
The rules of thumb are ever changing to accommodate the hotel guest and the best final product. Staying on top of these changes and accounting for them in each project budget can lead to a successful hotel with happy guests.
Warren G. Feldman, AIA, ISHC is Chief Executive Officer of Nehmer, a leading architecture, interior design, and project management firm specializing in the hospitality industry.
This column is part of ISHC Global Insights, a partnership between CoStar News and the International Society of Hospitality Consultants.
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