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Should I do it myself or pay somebody else? What’s cheaper? What’s faster? These are the important questions to ask when deciding on a design process for your next hotel renovation or new build. It’s important to choose carefully and plan ahead because mistakes can be very expensive when it comes to hotel design.
There are three options for design processes: Do It Yourself (DIY), Design Firm, and a new hybrid (Hotelfurniture.com). We will share all of them with you and explain the pros and cons of each.
When you run the project yourself, you are in charge of producing the design, whether through your own work or a design firm, getting brand approval in the case of a franchise, finding a vendor, manufacturer, and contractor, and keeping everybody on task and on time. Choosing each of these players comes along with a substantial research process. Choosing an inexperienced hospitality furniture manufacturer can cost you a fortune in missed deadlines and mis-produced goods. After you’ve done your research, you’ll enter the negotiation phase with each actor and work out the best price you can get. Finally, when each role is filled, you’ll act as a project manager and stay on top of all the moving parts until the project is done.
This sounds like a whole lot of work, so why bother? Managing the project yourself can save you big design firm fees and because your time belongs to you, it’s technically free. If you’re willing to put in the extra hours or pay to delegate to your staff, this can be a good budget option. Most advice you’ll see about saving money on your renovation or new build will stress the importance of staying on top of all moving parts, keeping everyone in communication with each other, and following up on everything.
If you hire a design firm for your project, they will work with the vendors, manufacturers, and contractors that they know. This cuts out three obstacles for you. You will work with the firm to finalize a design, you will get brand approval, you will order your items through their contacts and coordinate with the contractor. A design firm is less work for you, but can be very expensive and doesn’t typically expedite the process by very much.
Traditionally, DIY and Design Firm have been the only two options. Now, HotelFurniture.com (HF) offers a hybrid solution. HF is an all-in-one, brand-approved platform that streamlines room renovations and new builds. Our digital platform provides an end-to-end experience, from design to procurement to delivery of furniture, fixtures, and equipment. The way it works is you will choose from a number of pre-approved brand packages created by our designers, customize the design by choosing elements within the package, and view it all through a 3D rendering or your guest room. Once you’ve found something you like, our designers will work through the logistics of making that design work in your hotel and ensuring you meet the PIP and brand requirements. The entire project from this point forward is our responsibility. You can return to running your hotel while we manage procurement, brand-approval, and shipment.
With Hotelfurniture.com, you can take a months-long, complicated, and stressful project and turn it into a simple, easy 15 step process:
Now that you know the pros and cons of each option, think about what will work best for you and your next project.
Check out a free demo of our design process or contact us at hello@hotenfurniture.com.