Hotel Design- Architectural Breviary

Srishti Dokras
B. Arch. (IDEAS, India) Architect, BASE 4, Nagpur, India
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hotel/həʊnoun
Dictionary result for hotel
1. An establishment providing accommodation, meals, and other services for travelers and tourists.
2. A code word representing the letter H, used in radio communication.
**
"Architecture should speak of its time and place, but yearn for timelessness-
FRANK GEHRY

ABSTRACT

Hotel Design is an enormous realm.

To write about it would mean addressing 1000s of issues because each item of design craves a
book of its own let alone a paper. For instance wardrobes, Linen in Hotels, showers, Atrium,
passages each part of the hotel can demand a million words and that is why to start with Hotel
Design fundamentals need a scope overview which is what this article offers. The contemporary
hotel is, however, a current design development since the beginning of the 21st century, which
considers the needs and demands of today’s customers.

The paper illustrates the modern hotel architectural definition, purposes, impacts,
developments, design strategies and future trends. Furthermore, it will be elaborated how hotel
managers and interior designers apply strategies and methods to make the hotel a comfortable,
attractive, and focal area for all hotel guests and visitors. It will be illustrated how the needs,
wishes, and desires of the contemporary hotel guest are implemented in the hotel design. The
aim of this study is to define the design criteria in general for hotels based on national and
international trends.

1
 Key words

Keywords: Hotel, Hotel Tourism, Design Criteria, history of hotels National and International
Markets, types of hotels, hospitality management, hospitality industry, hotel planning,
Ownership and Affiliation, Design elements, Classification of Hotels,planning, Remodeling

CONTENTS

• INTRODUCTION..2
• Growth of Hotel Industry Worldwide..3
• Some statistics…4
• Hospitality ..6
• Types of hotels..6
• Professional design..9
• Planning of Hotel design involves..7
• Cultural influences..7
• Remodeling..8
• Design Assertions..8
• Vernacular exteriors..8
• Definitions ..9
• Feaseability Study..12
• Programming ..14
• Selection of Designers..15
• Concept Design..15
• Detailed Design..17
• Production info..19
• Ongoing design development ..19
• Additional Design elements 21
• Types of Classifications of Hotels 22..23

INTRODUCTION
_____________________________________________________________________________

The word hotel is derived from the French hôtel (coming from hôte meaning host), which
referred to a French version of a townhouse or any other building seeing frequent visitors,
rather than a place offering accommodation. In contemporary French usage, hôtel now has the
same meaning as the English term, and hôtel particular is used for the old meaning. The French
spelling, with the circumflex, was also used in English, but is now rare. The circumflex replaces

2
the 's' found in the earlier hostel spelling, which over time took on a new, but closely related
meaning. Grammatically, hotels usually take the definite article – hence "The Astoria Hotel" or
simply "The Astoria". The hotel industry is any type or form of business which relates to
providing accommodations in lodging, food and beverage and a vast variety of services that are
for the public. Hotels offer enormous range of such guests’ services- banqueting, conference
and fitness, sport and facilities, beauty spas, bars, sophisticated restaurant and others. The
hotel sector consists of more than 15% of all the people who worked in the hospitality sector.
Hotels falls into a number of different categories which includes the glamorous five-star resort
international luxury chains, trendy boutiques, country house, conference, leisure or guest
houses. This very dynamic sector offers good quality accommodation, great variety of food and
beverage, together with other services for all types of customers. Consequently, it needs
dramatic architecture and ambiance to attract the customer. Today, hotel industry and the
hospitality sector in general, is one of the world’s fastest-growing divisions of industry in the
world. Travel and tourism have helped to ensure that this industry remains afloat despite the
tough economic times that have made it impossible for many sectors to survive.

The history of hotels is intimately connected to that of civilizations and runs hand in hand with
prevailing architectural design of that era. Or rather, it is a part of that history of man and
dwellings. Facilities offering guests hospitality have been in evidence since early biblical times.
The Greeks developed thermal baths in villages designed for rest and recuperation. Later, the
Romans built mansions to provide accommodation for travelers on emperors’ business. The
Romans were the first to develop thermal baths in England, Switzerland and the Middle East.
Later still, caravanserais appeared, providing a resting place for caravans along Middle Eastern
routes. In the middle ages, monasteries and abbeys were the first establishments to offer
refuge to travelers on a regular basis. Religious orders built inns, hospices and hospitals to cater
for those on the move.

Its modern history can be traced back by the end of 1700s in the Colonial Period. This industry
has been the subject of important development over the years as it has faced many obstacles

3
such as the World Wars, the great depression, the industrial revolution and other social
changes. However, the hotel industry as seen today in its modern concept took place in the
1950s and 60s.The advent of new ways of transportations, hotels and resorts outside of major
cities was built in the countryside and began promoting their scenery and other attractions. The
concept of the vacation was developed and available to more and more of the population. In
the 1920’s, the construction of hotel took a boom phase where many well-known hotels were
opened. As from that period a flow of famous hotels flooded in America and the rest of the
world with prominent brand such as Radisson, Marriot, Hilton and more others.

Growth of Hotel Industry Worldwide

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The rise in levels of income and standard of living also coupled with an increase in leisure time
has been especially beneficial to the tourism industry. The advent of technological progress,
particularly through higher capacity cruise ships and aircrafts, computerized reservation
systems; better road transport facilities have played key roles in the global growth of hotel
industry. Moreover, improved productivity has been encouraging to the industry by aiding to
reduce costs and making travel and tourism products more accessible and affordable. As
competition in the industry increased worldwide, so did the struggle to enhance the design of
exteriors and interiors and improve the quality of services. All as a part of new strategies in
marketing and promotion.

New customer needs and attitudes have also driven the growth of specific segments, for
instance new tourism concept such as medical tourism and ecotourism and increased level of
economic activity has led to an upsurge in business travel and international movement of
people due to trade, commerce and leisure. In fact, developments of hotels design and
architecture keep progressing and can never stop.

4
Some statistics
_____________________________________________________________________________

The number of people travelling abroad hit record levels in 2017 with a total of 1,323 million international
tourist arrivals recorded in destinations around the world and expected to be 1.8 billion worldwide by

2020. International tourist arrivals grew 6% in the first six months of 2018 compared to the same period
last year, reflecting a continuation of the strong results of 2017 (+7%).

The upward graph.

5
Hospitality
______________________________________________________________________________

In essence, hospitality is made up of two services: the provision of overnight accommodation

for people travelling away from home, and options for people dining outside their home. We
refer to the accommodation and food and beverage services sectors together as the hospitality
industry. This paper explores the accommodation sector,

Types of hotels

Historically, the development of lodging areas and facilities was sometimes driven by their
physical locations, such as at river crossings, at major trading posts or in locations lending
themselves to defense, such as forts or castles. Property location continues to be a key
consideration in hotel design in contemporary times. Numerous types of hotel designs exist in
the world. Examples of hotel designs include guest palaces across Asia, English country inns,
hotel-casino resorts, designer and art hotels, hotel-spa resorts, boutique hotels, "no-frills"
hotels that offer very basic amenities at budget rates, basic rooming
houses, monasteries offering refuge and spare bedrooms rented out in ordinary homes also
capsule hotels, which are offered in Japan as an option for those who just need the basic
necessities during their stay.

Professional design

Specialist architects and designers, interior designers, environmental and structural engineers,
all contribute to make contemporary hotel design a success, sophisticated and functional.
Hotel design can involve the refurbishment of an existing building already used for lodging, the
conversion of a building previously used for another purpose or the construction of new
buildings. USA based Newport Design Group is considered among the Top Design Firms

6
specializing in branded hotels for many of the top franchises. Other firms include HOK, Gensler
and WATG.

Planning of Hotel design involves

______________________________________________________________________________

If you are planning a hotel you must balance functional, layout, and aesthetic issues to develop
a property that simultaneously meets the needs of the guests, the staff, and the owner. In
general, five-star properties have public areas that are heavily design oriented, with the
functional aspects carefully integrated to enhance, yet not dominate the space. However,
budget properties tend to favor function and layout over design, for maximum utility.
Regardless of how the spaces are configured, the developer must consider and balance many
conflicting needs before a design is ready for the contractor's hand. The best examples provide
properties that inspire; are safe, efficient, and cost effective; and that maintain their utility and
charm through time.

1. Estimated client needs for the facility and combining it the designers' vision.
2. Since hotel buildings serve various functions, including restaurants, outdoor facilities
and swimming pools, fitness centers and spas, hotel design involves effectively
integrating these various aspects of hotel operations within a location to minimize
interference with one another.
3. Hotel design includes considerations to avoid guests being inundated with excessive
noise and the movement of people.
4. And therefore Hotels are usually designed from the inside-out to ensure the practical
functionality and relationship of its parts.

Cultural influences

Hotel designers bring to their work their own cultural mores and need to understand the
culture in which the hotel will operate if working outside their native environment. Due to

7
travel becoming international in scope, links with local traditions in many hotel designs have
been weakened, and ‘International’ has become a style in its own right. Some hotels base their
operations with a theme of vernacular local traditional styles, while others have modernist
stylistic designs.
Hotel design ranges from basic variables, such as the appropriate height for bed head light
switches to the more specialized, such as the right layout for a kitchen or the sightlines from
reception areas to enable control and protection of entry to rooms. The pace of change in hotel
design has, as in most areas of modern life, increased with the development of innovative
technology. Despite cultural variations, hotels commonly function to provide a welcome
environment that supports the comfort of its guests for work, rest and relaxation.

Remodeling
Hotels are consistently being updated to maintain the “health” of the hotel. Remodeling or
renovation deals with the refurbishing interior of the hotel like furniture, maintenance, and
layout. The exterior of the hotel could need regular updates for roofing etc. Each year the
amount of money put in the update is increasing. The furniture in the hotel every few years
needs to be replaced. New areas to hotel like weight rooms, arcades or business rooms with
computers are added to hotels as part of remodels. Maintenance updates throughout the hotel
occur every 15–25 years. Hotels have been converting to be more eco-friendly. During such
remodels and renovations sections of the hotel are blocked off while they work on that current
part, then move on to the next section and continue this until all the work is finished. This way
the hotel can stay open while remodeling.

DESIGN ASSERTIONS
______________________________________________________________________________

“Hotels are one of the major essence of travel and the temporary and fleeting experience of
visiting a place that is not one’s own.”

Vernacular exteriors: Public houses, also called taverns and inns were generally private homes
or buildings that were converted to accommodate travelers. The condition of these spaces

8
lacked privacy and cleanliness. The vernacular exteriors were often indistinguishable as a public
house from its neighboring buildings. In short, these early accommodations were not purpose
built for their function. The first generation of hotels was built in the early 1800’s with Boston
Exchange Coffee House being the very first to be completed in 1809. Several earlier projects
had been proposed and partially constructed but were never completed. The first generation of
hotels was targeted towards the upper class with grand ballrooms, coffee/tea rooms and
meeting rooms. The overall goal was to vastly improve the condition of what its predecessors
had to offer. However, the emerging industry quickly came to a realization that people of
different social classes would occupy these public spaces and as such, hotel architecture began
to evolve to have multiple parlors, meeting halls, ballrooms, coffee rooms and bars for
compartmentalized public sociability. This in turn, led to the creation of a second generation of
hotels that aimed to serve the middle class and the common man. The gradual changes to hotel
design can be observed in the evolution of its floor plans. As mentioned earlier, the very early
public houses were shared spaces within a family home. Public houses then moved from the
basic bungalow type houses to multi-stories family dwellings. It was economically viable since
the family who lived there worked to serve their guests. The next development of these
household buildings led to a total reconfiguration in its design. Bedrooms were placed side-by-
side in the upper floor with much larger parlors, kitchen and dining rooms at the ground level to
better accommodate groups of people at a time.

As demand grew, public houses had to become institutionalized and new architecture had to be
invented. In the early nineteenth century, architects experimented with the hotel architecture,
discarding what isn't needed and expanding what functioned well. It later led to development
of the double loaded corridor system; it was a leap in design that functioned better than
opening one room onto another. Evidently, the design evolution of hotel was driven by cultural
shifts and changes to our social behaviors. As mentioned before, in the early days, each room
had a very specific function. Then design changes had to be made to accommodate multiple
rooms to deliberately separate different people of different social classes. However, in modern
society, people are willing to engage and interact with others without prejudice to background,

9
culture and education; even organizations have a trend towards working horizontally within
offices rather than vertically. There is a cultural shift towards a more transparent environment,
such as our desire for open concept interiors. The design of public spaces will need to stimulate
the minds of those who occupy it. In the case of private spaces, such as an individual’s hotel
room, it is critical to understand the needs of the traveler, especially one from the upper Class.
The following architectural design elements define the creation of successful hotel design, this
demands the understanding of different important elements by the hotel architect or hotel
designer.

The hotel is more than just a building; it is an environment, which will have a direct impact with
its guest’s feelings and experiences. Design approach includes unique and often highly
specialized requirements of the following:

Definition
__________________________________________________________________
Hotel design resolves client requirements into a set of instructions for the construction of
a building.This article provides a summary of a process that, while it varies from project to
project and the actual 'creative' part is very difficult to describe, nonetheless tends to follow a
series of well-established stages.

The growth of the design team

Whilst historically, Hotel buildings tended to follow set patterns that could be repeated without a
great deal of consideration or instruction, as buildings became more complex, so specialist
designers emerged, and increasingly, building design has proved too complex for any one
individual to undertake alone, other than on very straight-forward projects.
Today a project may sometimes begin with just one designer, but as the design develops and
the level of detail increases, so the design team will tend to grow. A full design team on a typical
commercial or residential building project will include a core team of; architect, structural
engineer and services engineer(mechanical and electrical engineers) along with

10
 other designers as necessary, such as landscape designers, interior designers,
and specialists such as acoustic designers, fire engineers, and so on.
Increasingly, contributions are also made by contractors and suppliers, and the design team is
supported by experts in health and safety cost, programme, planning, sustainability,
accessibility so on.

Partnering: Designing Hotels is partnering with clients -becoming a part of their development
team- to understand their vision, business objectives, and market opportunities. To consider
market, financial, political and historical conditions as a way to guide a project’s design.
Successful Hotel designers combine the broad experience and technical depth of a large
international firm with the kind of direct, active, personal service usually found only in smaller
firms and, to stay with a project from conceptualization to completion and beyond, while a new
environment develops and a new community takes shape.

Establishing the need

The most important question on any project is whether a building is needed at all. Building is an
expensive and disruptive undertaking. The client's needs may be met by different solutions
which may be less expensive and less risky. Establishing whether a building is needed, and if
so, what sort of building, Many Hotels come up on existing properties such as the great Palace
Hotels in India and abroad. What budget to set and what site to build is a significant piece
of work that should not be underestimated or under-resourced. In some cases it can take longer
than the design and construction processes, requiring detailed analysis of business needs, staff
requirements, client relationships and so on. Even where the question as to whether a
building(s) is needed or not can be easily answered (such in a house building project), effort will
need to go into clearly articulating the clients project objectives and success criteria, and
agreeing any client-set constraints.

In outline, establishing the need for a building involves:

 Identifying and describing the business need that might result in the requirement for building
works.

11
 Establishing whether there is a business case for setting up a 'project' to investigate the
possibility of undertaking building works.
 Preparing a strategic brief that describes the overall project requirements and
significant constraints, focusing on what the project needs to achieve rather than prescribing
potential solutions.

Establishing the client's requirements should focus on the functions they need to perform rather
than leaping to conclusions by looking at possible solutions. For example, whilst the need to
facilitate better communication within a Hotel could be addressed by creating new
common spaces where the guests can interact, it might be better achieved by regular Cafeterias
Building is not always the right answer, and even if it is, the type of building that best
satisfies client's needs might not be the one that initially springs to mind. Leaping to conclusions
results in missed opportunities and stifles innovation (see output-based specification for more
information).

There can also be conflicting needs, and different stakeholders in the project may have different
requirements or expectations. In order to run a successful project it is important to address the
needs of the projects stakeholders, effectively predicting how the project will affect them and
how they can affect the project.
The concept hotel development is often used generically to refer to either hotel property development
or hotel business development, even to both simultaneously. However, the two concepts should not be
confused, as there is a clear distinction between them. Hotel business development applies to the full
spectrum of hotel business, from strategic or day-to-day operations to expanding the organization’s
market exposure. Hotel business expansion could be achieved by means of a wide variety of
possibilities, such as organizational mergers, existing hotel property purchases, marketing, hotel facility
renovations, hotel extensions and new-builds, marketing, branding and business repositioning. It must
be noted, however, that, when a hotel business is expanded by means of facilities renovation,
extensions or new-builds, organizations venture into hotel property development. A framework for
successful hotel developments I Venter and CE Cloete ,Department of Construction Economics, University of
Pretoria, SAJEMS NS 10 (2007) No 2
223https://repository.up.ac.za/bitstream/handle/2263/5588/Venter_Framework(2007).pdf

Feasibility Study

12
 A feasibility study involves researching the physical and legal condition of the land or property
being considered for development in order to identify constraints, risks and opportunities, and to
obtain a more detailed understanding of the nature and characteristics of the property in
question. Typical investigations will include:
1. structural surveys of existing buildings (if they are expected to be retained and used)
2. site topography
3. looking for evidence of underground chambers, voids, tunnels, pipes, watercourses etc
4. checking with statutory utilities whether any of their infrastructure passes under or over
the site
5. checking with statutory utilities about the capacity of the services supplying the site
6. a ground investigations report looking at the ground's
a. bearing capacity,
b. mineral composition
c. chemical composition
d. presence of flora & fauna (esp. protected species / invasive species)
7. a review of planning policy requirements and their potential impact on site capacity
8. a review of the surrounding neighborhood (the site context)

Gathering this information means the project team can come to a much more accurate
understanding of the site capacity on the likely acceptable amount and scale of new buildingthat
could be constructed, and the estimates of cost and time required will be much more accurate
than without this research.

Once the feasibility study has been concluded, the project team can:
 Identify options, and the preferred option.
 produce an updated (and more accurate) financial viability assessment
 produce an updated (and more accurate) schedule
 gain an improved understanding of the skills needed to successfully deliver the project(and
whether the project team can procure)
 Have an improved understanding of the risks and opportunities that the client will face if they
pursue the scheme.
The output of this work will either be a decision that the scheme does not look do-able, and it
should therefore be aborted, or a Business Case that outlines the justification for pursuing the
scheme. If the Business Case is approved by the client the Project Manager will prepare a

13
 project execution plan for the preferred option
 an initial project design brief
It is very important to stress that none of this involves any design work. Feasibility
studies and options appraisals may include diagrams used to assess whether a
potential site or building type is possible, but they are not designs. This stage is about
identifying the client's requirements, establishing that these requirements are feasible agreeing
that the project should proceed in a particular direction.

Depending on the complexity of the project and how experienced the client is, they may need
the advice of consultants during this process. A very experienced client, such as a retailer
developing a new outlet may have all the expertise they need in-house, whereas a an
inexperienced client developing a complex project for the first time may need independent client
advisers to help them from the outset and may need progressively to appoint
more consultants as it becomes certain that the project will progress.
Designers may be appointed to help assess options for feasibility studies, and to develop
the project brief, but no actual design work is involved.

Programming
______________________________________________________________________________

Programming is the process of defining the activities that will be conducted within a hotel,
allocating the requisite space, and establishing relationships between the spaces. This is one of
the first steps in the development process. While the developer may work with an architect in
developing the program, the developer is responsible for creating the program and for ensuring
that the building is designed to accomplish the goals set out in the program. In addition to
detailing the activities, space allocations, and relationships within the building, a successful
program helps to establish the way the building or buildings are situated on a site, the onsite
automobile and pedestrian flows, and connections to the external world. In almost all cases,
the activities are the starting point. Once the activities are defined, relationships among them
are established. Early in the programming process, you can use schematic bubble diagrams to
convey both activities and relationships. Figure 1.1 shows a schematic bubble diagram for a
hotel with the basic functional relationships. Note the role of the lobby as a central gathering
Point serving both.
14
 Selection of designers

Once the nature of the project has been defined, it is possible to appoint designers. These may
be different to the consultants appointed to assist the client in the preparation of feasibility
studies, options appraisals or brief development.
Designers may be selected on the basis of:
 Recommendation, for example, one consultant may recommend others, which can save time
for the client and make it easier to establish collaborative practices.
 Reputation.
 Research and interview.
 Open competition (with or without design).
 Selective competition (with or without design).
 An existing relationship or framework agreement.

Concept design

Concept design is the first true design stage. It is the creative response to the project brief for
the preferred option. Whilst concept design may begin with the creative ideas of a single
individual, it is an increasingly collaborative process that involves a team of designers and
advisers coming together, discussing options, opportunities and constraints, and then

15
 separating to carry out more detailed assessment. Input from other members of the team will be
required on cost, safety, build ability, program, health and safety and so on, as well
as consultation with third parties such as the local planning authority. Specialist input may be
needed as the concept develops and and so the design team may grow.
During the concept design stage, the consultant team will develop:
 The design concept.
 Outline specifications.
 Schedules of accommodation.
 A planning strategy.
 The cost plan.
 Procurement options.
 Programme and phasing strategy.
 Buildability and construction logistics.
 Constraints and opportunities

The design will tend to be led by the architect (see lead designer), although there are
occasionally specialist projects where it may be more appropriate for the design team to be led
by another consultant, for example the services engineer on a highly-serviced building.
The creative process itself is an elusive one, and despite attempts to systematise it, it tends not
to follow fixed rules. A very broad description of the design process is one of divergence,
assessment and then convergence. A single thought expands into a myriad of possibilities that
are developed, assessed and compared, before they are progressively rejected leaving only the
optimal solution remaining. This means that much of the work that is undertaken is aborted and
it can sometimes seem to clients as if there has been little result for significant expenditure
of fees. This feeling can be exacerbated by the fact that creative design tends to be an internal
thought process that designers find difficult to express.

Design involves attempting to solve problems that may be only loosely understood at the outset,
and solutions are not necessarily been reached by a purely logical process. This can make it
difficult for clients to assess proposals objectively, other than by comparing them to the
requirements set out in the brief, verifying that designers have considered appropriate issues
(see concept architectural design checklist and design quality) and assessing value for money.

16
 To avoid surprises, it is important that the client is fully involved in the concept design process,
and that whilst developing the concept, the project brief also evolves as the both the client and
the design team come to understand requirements and preferences better. On large projects
this may involve identifying a number client 'champions' given responsibility for monitoring the
brief and design quality within a specific area of the project. Value management exercises may
be necessary where the cost of the evolving design begins to exceed the budget.
At the end of the stage, the consultant team will prepare a concept design report for the client
which records the basic design concepts for the preferred option. The concept design report will
also identify any instructions required from the client. The project brief should be frozen
on approval of the concept design and change control procedures introduced.
An application for planning permission might be made during the concept design stage. This is
likely to be an outline planning application if made at the beginning of the stage or a detailed
planning application if made once the concept design is complete.

Detailed design

Detailed design (sometimes referred to as design development or detailed design and technical
design) takes on and develops the approved concept design.
By the end of this stage the design should describe all the main components of the buildingand
how they fit together, but the design will not have been packaged
for tender (obtaining prices from contractors). A detailed design should provide sufficient
information for applications for statutory approvals, such as building regulations approval, and
may include an application for detailed planning permission if this has not already been done.
This is likely to require a process of consultation and negotiation with the local authority and
other stakeholders and third parties (see third part dependencies).
The completed detailed design should include:
 Overall layout.
 Road layouts and landscape.
 Operational flows.
 Horizontal and vertical circulation routes.
 Schedules of accommodation.
 Identification of standard and non-standard room layouts.
 If appropriate, room data sheets.

17
 Building dimensions and gridlines.
 Architectural plans sections and elevations of buildings, parts of buildings and components.
 Outline specification including schedules of components, defining the performance
and/or material standards required (including colors).
 Elements of design that require specialist input or early choice of manufacturer.
 Requirements for mock-ups, testing, samples or models necessary to satisfy performance
or public relations requirements (including computer generated images).
 Key assemblies, component drawings and schedules.
 Initial schedules of finishes, doors and ironmongery, sanitary fittings, room numbers and
signage.
 Structural plans sections, elevations and specifications.
 Building services plans, sections and elevations.
 Definition of phases if the project is to be phased.
 Safety strategy.
 Fire strategy.
 Acoustic separation and acoustic conditions.
 The use of materials and the potential for re-use, recycling and waste handling.
 Detailed cost plan showing the capital and lifecycle costs for all the components.
 Risk assessment including operational issues such as lifts, cleaning of atrium roofs and
facade etc.

Increasingly, detailed design involves input from specialist designers. These may;
be contractors or suppliers appointed in the first instance to carry out design and subsequently
to carry out the works on site or to supply goods or services, or appointed by the client to carry
out design and then perhaps to monitor works on site, or sub-consultants to a member of
the consultant team.

A design co-coordinator might be appointed to ensure proper integration and co-ordination

of specialist designs into the overall design. As with the concept design stage, value
management exercises may be necessary where the cost of the evolving design begins to
exceed the budget. A detailed design report should be prepared for approval by the client before
proceeding to the next stage.

18
 Production information

The production information stage is concerned with preparing the information that the
contractor(s) will need to construct the project. It should also include the completion of
applications for statutory approvals such as building regulations approval.
The quality of production information is extremely important. Unless it is prepared and co-
ordinate properly, there will be disputes and delays on site, and unnecessary costs will be
incurred.

Production information may include:

 Drawings (location drawings, component drawings and dimensioned diagrams).
 Specifications, design criteria and calculations.
 Bills of quantities or schedules of work.
Increasingly software is used to prepare elements of production information such as computer
aided design (CAD) to prepare drawings and proprietary systems for the preparation
of specifications. Recently, building information modeling (BIM) has begun to allow the
automatic generation of all elements of production information from a single co-ordinate model,
resulting in a reduction in errors and so costs.
At the end of this stage, a production information report should be prepared for the client's
approval. This is the last opportunity for the client to consider issues to do with the design of
the development before the tender process begins. It may also be the first time that the client
has seen drawings describing key components such as door handles assemblies and
specialist items. As a result, the client may wish to issue the production information report (or
parts of it) for consideration to key users and perhaps to their lawyer or other independent client
advisers. Once the main contractor has been appointed, subsequent changes can become very
expensive.

Ongoing design development

When production information is complete, the project can be tendered and a contractor
appointed to complete the works. Design may still be necessary, for example, if it had not been
possible to complete the design of every aspect of the building before appointing the contractor,

19
or if the project is constructed in phases. There may also need to be solutions developed to
problems that emerge on site. On different procurement routes, such as construction
management, the construction of below ground works such as foundations may begin before
the design of the above ground works is complete. However this are inherently risky and may
leave the client exposed to additional costs. Design work also be carried out by the contractor
, suppliers and sub-contractors, but this should fall outside of the responsibility of the
main design team, unless co-ordination or approval is required.

Although there are similarities between hotel and other commercial property developments,
hotel development has unique characteristics and requires specific management expertise.
Hotels are usually ’single-use’ properties, whose primary revenue is generated from a service-
based industry. They have a market value directly related to their ability to generate future net
income by means of their operations. The essence of successful hotel property development
lies in understanding these unique characteristics.

In summary, Hotel design tends to follow a relatively consistent process of project definition
followed by the development of an increasingly detailed solution. Throughout this process, it is
vital to be clear who the stakeholders for the new building are and what it is they need, and then
to keep focused on satisfying that need. Design itself is then a complex balance of maintaining
close control whilst not closing off options too early.

Changes tend to cost more and cause more disruption as design progresses, and there is a
tendency for budgets and designs to diverge unless strong management is in place. The actual
‘creative’ part of the process remains remarkably illusive, and within the context of the
whole development of a building, may be relatively short.
1. Specific programming of the hotel includes the type of hotel design and the type of clients,
whether they are guests for business, pleasure, or both.
2. The size of the hotels also dependent on all of the above variables.
3. All of these hotel design elements and design planning have a major impact on how the
patrons will react and behave in the hotel.
4. The different parts of the hotel design will have different components. These will include
the following: Reception and waiting areas, dining room, bar, private dining, function areas,

20
 Meeting rooms, ballrooms, health club, swimming pool, guest rooms, guest suites, and in
some hotels casinos.

Additional Design Elements for a Successful Hotel Guestroom

______________________________________________________________________________

1: Redesigned Guestroom Configurations

The modern hospitality industry is ever changing with guests wanting to experience excitement
mixed with unrivaled comfort. Apart from color explosions and eclectic decor mixes, creative
offices for business travelers, interesting looking TV panels and an extra sofa next to the king-
sized bed are just some of the best ways to appeal to guests wanting a memorable
accommodation experience.
2: Home Away from Home
Above all, hotel rooms need to provide comfort akin to that of one’s home. Wood additions,
cozy decorative pieces, carpets, curtains, and perhaps even the guest's favorite music all play a
role in creating an inviting environment.
3: Technology
Guests like to have the capability of accomplishing as many tasks as possible from the privacy of
their own rooms. Interactive in-house television systems that let the guest review the bill, order
movies, check e-mail and check out are increasingly important.
Part 1: Are You Sitting Comfortably?
Part 2: What Are Professional Fees, And How Are They Paid?
Part 3: The Role of the Designer
Part 4: Choosing Your Designer
Part 5: The Bed
Part 6: Creating the Darkness
Part 7: Silence Is Golden
Part 8: With Drawer
Part 9: The Wardrobe
Part 10: Lighting
Part 11: Bedroom Standards
Part 12: Bathroom Layout
Part 14: Guest Access for the Less Able
Part 15: Corridor Design
Part 16: Reception – Make It Smiles Better

21
Part 17: Reception – Make It Function Better
Part 18: Reception – Make It a Profit Centre
Part 19: Using Color
Part 20: Color in Interiors
Part 21: Bar Design
Part 22: Spa Design 1
Part 23: Spa Design: The Treatment Room
Part 24: Spa Design: Fitness room
Part 26: Flooring and carpets
Part 27: Top 5 essential tips for procuring a client’s decorative lighting
Part 28: To combine planning, architecture, landscape architecture, and interior design into
single profession-Designing Complete Environments.

Hotel development success requirements could be summarized as a combination of marketing,

economics, location, enterprise, professional team, planning and design, and construction
factors. Design plays a key part in Hotel property development and is a critical success factors
for hotel development in practice and the establishment of an industry barometer for hotel
success.

4.Type of Classification Examples of Classifications

SIZE Number of Rooms

• Under 50 rooms
• 50 to 150 rooms
• 150 to 299 rooms
• 300 to 600 rooms
• More than 600 rooms

LOCATION

• City Central Hotel

• Airport Hotel
• Casino
• Resort

SERVICE

• Economy/limited service
• Luxury service

22
 Mid-level service
• Airport hotel
• All-inclusive resort
• Bed and breakfast
• Business hotel
• Boutique hotel
• Casino
• Conference centre
• Convention centre
• Extended-stay hotel
• Resort hotel
• Suite hotel
• Timeshare and condominium hotel
Ownership and Affiliation
• Chain with a brand affiliation
• Independent
• Airport
• Beach

• Casino
• City centre
• Childcare
• Fitness club
• Golf
• Pool
• Ski
• Spa
• Tennis
• Weddings
Hospitality and management are two of the most extremely important aspects of any genre of
hotel design. They determine the level of client comfort and management reliability, which in
turn, gets relegated to the customers. Architecture creates a balance between both and adds to
the viability of the project.

23