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HOTEL DESIGN Hotel design is a discipline pertaining to the generation of an ambient environment in which guests can be welcomed and provided with amenities for rest, relaxation and respite from their travels or daily cares in return for payment to their host. Hence the hotel designer is providing the hotelier with tools to do his job satisfactorily. In monetary value Hotel Design may only cost 15% of the budget for creating an hotel, but it can fetch up to 70% of the revenue by providing an attractive interior experience. Hotel Design today is a complex discipline involving specialist architects, environmental and structural engineers, interior designers and skilled contractors and suppliers. Locatio n Suitable Materia l

Attractive appearance

Efficien t Plan

Workmanship

All these concepts engage the hotel designers mind Sound Financin g OWNER Competent Managemen t

Foundations & Structure

Inspection & Testing

Electrical Subcontract

Curtainwall Masonry Etc.

A TYPICAL HOTEL DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT FLOW CHART This diagram shows the essential disciplines required to create a successful hotel from concept to commissioning. The interior of an hotel may be the refurbishment of an existing building already used for the purpose, the conversion of a building previously used for another purpose or the construction of specialist buildings as an hotel but all need careful design to function effectively. Also important is a good location for the property to give ample Narendra Varma

Ma nag eme nt
Contractor Purchasing Agent Interior Designer Furniture and Finishing Structural Engineering Mechanical Subcontract Mech Elect Engineering Sitework & Landscaping Civil Engineering Audio/ Video Consultant

Architect

D e v el o p m e nt

Regulatory restrictions

Site Design

Cost Estimator

Landscape Architect Food Service Consultant

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return on investment. Hotel design is essentially a marriage between the client brief and the designer vision. Hotel buildings have a clear specialist range of functions from restaurants to bedrooms, the operations of which must not interfere with each other through factors such as noise or the movement of people. Hotels are usually designed from the inside out to ensure the practical working and relationship of the parts in the most economical manner. Hotel designers have to face this complex challenge with skill and imagination in order to respond to operators' requirements and clients' expectations. They have to understand the changing market in order to meet the hotel owners and operator needs and to advise them on the best way to carry their programmes forward. They will be looking for practices offering experience, high quality, innovative design and strict budget control throughout all stages of a project. New ideas arise everyday bringing new viewpoints to design. For instance, sustainable and environmentally sensitive design is a growing criteria from customers that are concerned with earth's extinguishing resources. "Eco-resorts" and "eco-tourism" are new concepts that will involve design choices in harmony with environment, climate, comfort, and materials. Being environmentally friendly can also lead to lower operating costs, and provide new challenging ways of life and leisure. Hotel projects are multipurpose experiences, in which many different components need to be combined to provide a performing environment. Leisure, Business, Corporate and Convention facilities, Health and fitness, Shops, are all different activities, which need to be elegantly combined into one harmonious complex. Some of the factors that should be kept in mind while preparing a design for the hotel are as follows: Attractive appearance: Aesthetic beauty appeals to the eye and the design of the hotel should incorporate the local architectural trends. The design should also reflect the character of the services being provided in that hotel. An emphasis must also be placed on Green Architecture that is environmentally friendly. Efficient plan: The overall layout plan of the hotel should be user friendly and functionally effective. Concepts of project management, good layout planning and design should be adopted. Location: The hotel design should be guided by the geographical topography of the location. For example, if the hotel location is near the airport or railway station, then its reception area has to be large enough to cater to an influx of many guests at the same time and also be available round the clock for traveling visitors to check in. Designers should also be able to capture each locations atmosphere and character and incorporate them in their architecture. Suitable material: The design should make use of material available locally so that it becomes cost effective. Also materials used should offer environmentally beneficial effects. Workmanship: The hotel designer should take into consideration the expertise of locally available workmen so that it reduces the overall labour cost. Sound financing: The source of finance for the project should be tied up in a very sound manner so that while executing the project there are no budgetary constraints and the project flows smoothly. Competent management: As the hotel is a highly complex entity with sophisticated equipment and high-tech gadgets, it is imperative to have a very high quality, competent management to run the operations effectively. Planning and Project Management in Hotel design Feasibility report: The feasibility report is a document that is prepared taking into consideration all the factors that contribute to constructing a successful hotel property. Due evaluation is done of all parameters that include financial involvement, market survey, physical location, return on investment etc. The feasibility report must cover the following: 1. Local Area Evaluation: (LAE) This evaluates the suitability of the project site for the proposed hotel including the analysis of the economic vitality of the region. Narendra Varma

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Page 3 of 4 Local Market Analysis: (LMA) This gives an assessment of the existing market of the hotel industry in the area with a forecast of the future growth. Proposed facilities: (PF) This document will give a projection of the facilities proposed to be constructed like guest rooms, public restaurants, recreation areas etc. It will take into consideration the competitive position of the property. Financial Analysis: (FA) This analysis will bring out the investment required over a period , say five years, and the potential revenue generated and cost flow.

Preliminary Plans: Site Survey: Showing property boundaries, adjoining streets, grade elevations (contours), utilities, building setbacks, existing conditions, etc. Plot Plan: Show walks, drives and parking facilities adequate for the total number of guest rooms (showing direction of vehicular traffic), and number of vehicles to be accommodated in each parking area. Indicate function of all buildingsexisting, proposed and future. Include all significant dimensions, location of sign(s), all exterior lighting and location of swimming pool. The plot plan shall also show the landscaping. Amenities: Preliminary plans shall show the location of all recreational facilities, such as pool, tennis courts, sauna / steam room, exercise room or whirlpool. The pool shall be shown, whether indoors or outdoors, with a minimum surface area as required by the guidelines, with a spa and sauna if required. Lobby: The minimum guideline required square foot area for public use shall be provided. Public restrooms should be conveniently located for access from the lobby in accordance with prevailing codes and laws. Where applicable, an adjacent continental breakfast area shall be shown with seating as required. Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge: If they are a part of the property, the location of dining facilities and lounges shall be properly indicated. Meeting Rooms: Meeting, conference or banquet rooms shall be shown in properly if they are included in the hotel. Building Floor Plans: Floor Plans shall show all floors and the mix of unit types in the overall layouts. Unit Type Plans will show accurate size, furniture layout, equipment placement, door swings, all floor, wall and ceiling materials, all significant dimensions (exclusive of walls) and all other information necessary to illustrate the intent of the plan. Building Elevations: Showing architectural style, materials, etc. Section: A fully detailed, dimensioned section taken through each building shall be made to illustrate the physical construction of floors, ceilings and walls. Special Conditions: Details of special conditions are required when necessary to better illustrate the intent of a particular drawing. Outline Specifications: Stating all materials, types of heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems, interior finishes, etc. Guest rooms shall have the minimum clear wall-to-wall measurements excluding the bath, entry and dressing areas, as required by the guidelines. Complete furniture placement is to be shown on plans along with the total number of each room type. Public Areas like Continental Breakfast Area, Elevators, Interior Guest Room Corridors, Public Restrooms, Interior Stairways, Interior Vending Areas shall be properly earmarked in the plans. Supplemental Facilities like Fitness Room, Guest Laundry, Meeting Room, Pre-function Area, Other Facilities, Restaurant/Coffee Shop/Lounge, Swimming Pool to be shown in the plans. Design Phase: This phase involves the preparation of schematic design (set of alternate plans) and establish the design directions considering the space allocation program. The allocation of space among the principal functions in a hotel varies from property to property. The most obvious difference among properties is the ratio of guest room space to public space and support area space. This varies from 90% in budget hotels to about 50% - 60% in large commercial hotels. In the design phase it is important to consider the following: 1. Site Benefit: Potential layout schemes with a view that influences placement of areas like garden view, recreational focuses for disadvantaged rooms to make them attractive. 2. Traffic Analysis: An in-depth analysis of traffic flow in the vicinity of the property is essential to identify the a) Counter flows of traffic b) Restrictions on highway traffic c) Conditions relating to signage on highway. 3. Density and Height: Local regulations and land cost considerations dictate the density of buildings. 4. Circulations: The movement of guests, non-resident visitors, staff and supplies in a hotel tend to form a distinct pattern. Where practical, guest, supply and staff circulation should be kept separate. Narendra Varma

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Guest Room Plans: Guest rooms may be arranged in rows or on one or both sides of the corridor forming a slab plan or stacked around the circulation core as mentioned below: a) Slab Plan: Can be double loaded slab or a single loaded slab. In double loaded slab the rooms are laid out on both sides of the corridor whereas in single loaded slab, the rooms are laid out on one side of the corridor. Double loaded slabs are most efficient so far as space utilization is concerned and work out to be more cost effective. b) Atrium design: These are internal corridors overlooking the central space which may be open or sub-divided by mezzanine extensions to increase utilization. Elevators extending through the atrium are invariably transparent. c) Tower structure: The rooms are arranged around a central core which enable the guest rooms to be cantilevered, propped or suspended around the sides. The proportion of space taken up in circulation including corridors on each floor, is high and tower structures are generally used for high rise buildings where the advantages of view justify the higher costs.

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