September October 2017

6 CALIFORNIA LODGING NEWS www.calodging.com Hotel Construction —What You Need to Know By Gary Huff and Brad Ardis, Huff Construction Company, Inc. HOSPITALITY CONSTRUCTION INVOLVES A COMPLEX PROCESS with many considerations to be made throughout the project. Hospitality can be a volatile business that is dependent upon many outside factors. Of course, the economy and travel trends have a huge effect on this industry, driving and diminishing growth. In addition, sports team locations and retail growth can drive the construction of adjacent hospitality sites. Change in consumer demand for the type of hospitality whether it be extended stay versus short term stay and the consolidation of chains can also drive the demand for hospitality construction. In recent years, several of these trends have lined up perfectly and the hotel industry has been booming. For clients who are looking to build a hotel or remodel an existing hotel, it’s critical to work with a qualified general contractor. The contractor must understand the unique challenges and opportunities that are part of construction in the hotel industry. Prominent factors when choosing a contractor are their history of building hotels and positive testimonials from past clients. It’s important to form a diverse team to make the decision of choosing a contractor. Having a diverse team means that members will have different goals and priorities which creates a group that focuses on facts rather than perception. Hotel owners face unique requirements as they try to offer their guests the best experience possible. Hotels often face the challenge of having to minimize the outside noise from freeways or airports and the inside noise between rooms and public areas. In the case of franchise or chain hotels, owners are attempting to offer a consistent experience from location to location to satisfy their guests’ expectations and to ultimately avoid having to offer refunds. This idea of guest comfort and consistency must be addressed during pre-construction and design. It is critical that this information is included in the up- front planning prior to commencement of construction. It’s important to work closely with each hotel’s design team and the owner to address any issues or challenges up front. Bringing real-world experience to the table prior to starting construction ensures the best guest experience possible. In addition to spending time on the pre- construction design of a hotel, finding the right team for the job is necessary. When selecting sub-contractors, considerations must be made relative to the size of the hotel and their experience. This is an important step to make sure that they are a good fit for the job and that their standards match that of the owner and contractor. When a contractor is building your hotel, an important goal is always to exceed the industry standard. Building the right team is critical to getting a job done right. Your contractor should see their clients as partners while also understanding the importance of maintaining their timelines and budgets. Delivering a hotel on time and on budget to the owner means that they can close out their construction loan and to open their hotel and start earning revenue. A qualified contractor’s experience will not only ensure that your project is on time, but that your hotel is inviting and functional. Choose the right contractor for your next hospitality project so you and your guests will sleep easy at night.  Huff Construction has been a leading commercial contractor since 1971, building quality commercial buildings that add value to the communities we serve. We bring a passion for innovation and a commitment to quality to every job we do. Our company has an unwavering dedication to personal and professional integrity and has become a premier general contractor by delivering outstanding quality and value to all of our clients.