Refurbishment

Taking a Strategic Approach

Competition is tough, budgets are lean and customer expectations unrelenting.

Increasingly you need to reap maximum return from your hotel refurbishment or new build project. Executed well, the furniture, fittings and equipment component is an avenue for making a big impression. But often, the skill of delivering a winning FF&E package is closely linked to your choice of design consultant.

Having recently completed the Mercure Melbourne Treasury Gardens room refurbishment project, John Andreas, director of WMK Architecture shares five key tips which maximise the value FF&E can add to every hotel project, both refurbishment and new.

1. Strategy – think about the big picture
It’s important that every detail adds to the design as well as the ultimate business drivers behind the project. This is nowhere more true than with the FF&E. Every item should have a clear purpose beyond the purely decorative. Every refurbishment or new fitout project is an opportunity to align brand standards and business goals, right down to the smallest FF&E item. Know what you want to get out of it. And work with an architect, designer and procurement consultant who understands how to apply FF&E strategically to underpin your business needs.

2. Briefing & Engagement – the critical first steps
The value of a comprehensive project briefing process cannot be underestimated. FF&E impacts all of the operational efficiencies and the day-to-day effectiveness of multiple stakeholders. It’s imperative to capture this information at the start of the project so that the FF&E requirements are considered from a 360° perspective.

Your architect or design consultant should know how to ask the right questions of the right people and drill down to the details of what’s required. Canvassing owner, operator, food and beverage, housekeeping and engineering departments along with sales and marketing personnel will dramatically enrich the outcome. An added bonus of a thorough briefing process is the engagement and project buy-in by the parties involved. Not to mention the resultant boost to morale this enlists.

ANG39-3-Refurb-FFE-2Of course, guest feedback is vital. Provide guest surveys and feedback as part of the briefing process for a better end result. Expect the design team to quiz you about the business drivers of the hotel brand and the particular property, your aspirations and market goals. Then it’s down to the nuts and bolts – what’s needed in every room. Insist on a written return brief. That way everyone is on the same page from the outset.

3. Design – make a point of difference
Well conceived and well resolved FF&E enables your project to stand out in a crowded market and truly make a point of difference which guests will notice. Good design is the key. Collaboration with an architect, designer and procurement consultant gives you access to the widest range of products and suppliers both in Australia and internationally.

But often the challenge in today’s competitive market is not availability of product choice but rather finding the right look for each project. Knowing where to look can save time, money and disappointment. A good designer will be able to pull together the overall look and feel. They’ll liaise closely with suppliers and procurement consultants to ensure that lead times and budget targets are maintained.

For some items, identifying, selecting and procuring quality off-the-shelf items is simplest and most effective. For example, WMK specified Artemide’s Meltemo wall lamp for the Mercure Melbourne Treasury Gardens. A high quality, commercially-rated fitting, this light fixture will provide years of service compared to the lower priced, lower quality ‘equivalent’.

But custom design is also readily achievable and affordable. Again collaboration between WMK Architecture and Accor’s internal procurement manager culminated in a stylish guest room armchair of exceptional durability that captures local flavour while meeting brand standard and budget requirements.

New can sit comfortably with existing furniture. In the same project desks were re-used as well as photography and art, which was reframed and re-hung in eye catching arrangements.

4. Pick your targets – know where to focus your dollar
To spend budget wisely, a good designer will use effective FF&E to keep guest attention focused on a few prime areas. In this way, FF&E is often the solution to achieving a room that’s fresh but light on “surgery”.

With bathrooms regularly soaking up the most money in a typical room refurbishment and commanding the most attention from guests, careful FF&E selection here is a must. Meeting the accessibility and slip resistance requirements of the Building Code of Australia and the Disability Discrimination Act demands understanding of the compliance regulations and skill to incorporate the seamlessly into the design. The current trend towards separate showers in place of baths and embellishing an awareness of cultural sensitivity in bathroom design are other key factors.

ANG39-3-Refurb-FFE-3The considered application of lighting and other built elements are strategic ways to transform a room and enhance FF&E. Changes to lamp type or colour and well selected loose soft furnishings can be enough to impart a facelift in some instances, while window coverings offer a key opportunity to add visual impact to the room.

Working with the location of existing infrastructure for fire, air-conditioning and lighting is another dollar saver that minimises disruption to hotel business operations. And the careful integration of technology and communications services as part of an FF&E upgrade is paramount.

5. Brand – build it into every detail
Deployed strategically, FF&E is a sophisticated and cost-effective tool for building the hotel’s brand identity into the built environment. A good designer works from the big picture down to the detail of integrating FF&E selections with operational start-up equipment and sales and marketing collateral. The result is a seamless brand story that delivers value to the business.

The opportunity to meld good function with a unique aesthetic was embraced by Mercure Melbourne Treasury Gardens. Here the purple specified for the carpet reinforced the brand standard while images of Melbourne’s CBD speak of the location.

Working with a good consultant can unleash the often-untapped potential of FF&E to connect to the bigger picture and deliver business benefits. First and foremost, FF&E must function well and enable operational effectiveness. Then it’s about creating a unique and exciting guest experience that reinforces the brand message. Ensure you collaborate with a talented consultant who will design an FF&E scheme which forms part of the bigger picture, providing a bold and distinctive aesthetic that will be immediately attention grabbing while giving a look which will last the distance. At the end of the day it’s about getting FF&E to work harder and ultimately, add value to your bottom line.

John Andreas
WMK Architecture
John Andreas is a director of WMK Architecture and an award-winning design architect with over 25 years’ experience. His work includes numerous hotel and hospitality projects as well as innovative commercial office buildings, multi-unit residential, retail and lifestyle developments around Australia and in Asia. John’s ability to distil clear and unique solutions to complex design challenges, together with a craftsman-like attention to every detail is nowhere more apparent than in the work he delivers for WMK’s hotel clients.

Related Articles

0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Back to top button
WP Tumblr Auto Publish Powered By : XYZScripts.com
AccomNews
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x