To compete in the hotel industry, your property must remain in excellent condition from the top to bottom. Customers simply will not return if the property appears dated, dirty or dingy – and they won’t be afraid to share their negative feedback on social media either.

For most hotels, staying in good favor with guests means undergoing a continual process of renovation and upgrades.

Timelines vary, but a hotel that hasn’t undergone a significant renovation in 5-10 years is likely long overdue. More typical is for upgrades to be made at least every 3-5 years. Moreover, because you want to maintain operations and minimize disruptions during construction, it’s imperative to plan ahead so you can touch all areas of the hotel in a timely manner.

Understanding Hotel Renovation Timelines

Hotel upgrades can be categorized into three general areas:

1. A simple refurbishment of furniture, finishings and decor.
2. A basic renovation that extends beyond the above-mentioned soft goods upgrades and includes things like walls, flooring and other more extensive construction projects.
3. A complete renovation – this can include interior or exterior projects, upgrading technology, elevator service, entertainment areas and more.

Simple refurbishments should be made most frequently. Some hotels have staff members dedicated to making these ongoing updates by handling preventive maintenance projects, such as regrouting tile or painting rooms on a daily basis.

Basic renovations can be spaced a bit further, but not so far as to begin deterring guests. Depending on the size of your hotel, you can be working in sections so that one area of the property is always fresh and new.

Complete renovations are the most complex and expensive, so it’s not surprising when owners want to push these off as long as possible. The challenge is these projects also take the most time, and you want to do everything you can to minimize hotel disruptions during any renovation project. Some hotels choose to close operations for a period of time while work is completed. Others take advantage of the slower off-season to undertake the project.

To keep pace with customers’ expectations and ensure you are delivering a high-quality product, you must begin planning for renovation projects almost as soon as your hotel is built. Understanding timelines (and how quickly they can pass) is important for planning your budget and developing your construction schedule.

As you consider your hotel’s renovation needs, please contact us at Seacoast Construction for help planning and completing your project.