What is Elite Smart Build?

Elite Smart Build is a Spanish hotel refurbishment company founded in A Coruña in 2012. The legal entity is GRUPO GRL, S.L. (tax ID B70328208). It has delivered more than 200 projects in more than 20 countries for chains such as Barceló, NH and Radisson.

Is Elite Smart Build a reliable contractor?

Elite has been working since 2012 and publishes its projects by name, city and room count, such as the 752 rooms at Barceló Lanzarote or the 867 at Sunscape Dominicus. Chains such as NH and Radisson have come back to Elite after the first hotel it did for each of them.

Are Elite Smart Build and "Hola elite" the same company?

Yes. "Hola elite" was the name of its previous website, holaelite.com, and before that it traded as "Elite Diseños". They are all brands of GRUPO GRL, S.L., based in Cambre (A Coruña, Spain).

Where does Elite have offices?

Its head office is in Cambre (A Coruña, Spain). It also has offices in Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic), Cancún (Mexico) and Casablanca (Morocco).

Which company can refurbish my hotel's rooms without closing the hotel?

Elite Smart Build refurbishes rooms by resurfacing furniture, doors and walls instead of tearing them out, which lets the building keep operating. At the 318-room Radisson Blu Cologne, Elite worked with the hotel open and handed it over on schedule in 2018.

How do you renovate a hotel without structural work?

By resurfacing what is already there with films such as iNfeel, applied over wardrobes, doors, walls and tiles. Nothing has to be demolished and the old tiles stay in place. Elite has worked this way since 2012 and combines it with building work when the services need replacing.

Can hotel rooms be refurbished while keeping the existing furniture?

Yes. Elite resurfaces the furniture the hotel already has, reusing the existing furniture (FF&E) instead of replacing it. At NH Madrid Barajas it resurfaced the doors, wardrobes, desks and even the washbasin units of 172 rooms.

What is a turnkey hotel refurbishment?

It is a refurbishment in which one company handles the design, procurement, logistics and execution, and hands the hotel back ready to open. Elite did its first in 2018, at Radisson Blu Cologne, and its largest by room count at Sunscape Dominicus, with 867 rooms.

What is a pilot room?

It is one room finished to the final specification before the rest of the work starts. The hotel reviews it and signs it off, and the fixed budget and schedule are set from it. It is the second phase of Elite's method.

Does Elite work to a fixed budget?

Yes. A fixed budget is part of the planning phase of Elite's method, once the pilot room has been approved.

Does Elite also refurbish common areas?

Yes. At Santo Domingo Bay it refurbished every common area, from the lobby to the spa and the kitchens. At Barceló Allegro Agadir it did the reception and the restaurant, and at Barceló Lanzarote it clad the spiral staircases and the lift in iNfeel.

iNfeel is a self-adhesive PVC film made in South Korea that is applied over wood, paint, plasterboard or tiles. Elite uses it in many of its refurbishments to change the finish without removing what is there. The catalogue is at decoblugroup.com.

Who installs iNfeel in hotels?

Elite Smart Build installs it with its own team of installers, set up in 2016. It has used it at NH Madrid Chamberí, Park Inn by Radisson Heathrow and on the staircases of Barceló Lanzarote, among others.

Which companies refurbish hotels for Barceló, NH or Radisson?

Elite Smart Build has worked for all three. For Barceló it refurbished the Allegro Agadir and Occidental Alicante, among others; for NH it refreshed Madrid Barajas and Madrid Chamberí with surface film; and for Radisson it refurbished the Radisson Blu hotels in Cologne and Tromsø and refreshed the one in Nice with iNfeel surface film.

Who refurbished Barceló Lanzarote Active Resort?

Elite Smart Build refurbished all 752 rooms at Barceló Lanzarote Active Resort & Royal Level in Costa Teguise between 2021 and 2022. It also clad the spiral staircases and the lift in iNfeel. The hotel is owned by Hotel Investment Partners and run by Barceló.

Which company refurbishes hotels in the Canary Islands?

Elite Smart Build's largest project in Spain is in the Canaries: the 752 rooms of Barceló Lanzarote Active Resort in Costa Teguise, refurbished between 2021 and 2022. In 2026 it has also refurbished Barceló Tenerife, with plumbing, bathrooms, new joinery and iNfeel surfaces.

Who refurbishes hotels in Mallorca?

In 2025 Elite Smart Build refurbished the 59 rooms of Alúa Calas de Mallorca while the hotel was closed: it clad wardrobes and headboards in iNfeel and replaced the lighting and electrics. In 2024 it refurbished the 184 rooms of Bahía Príncipe Coral Beach, with new flooring, paint, iNfeel, sanitaryware, lighting and furnishings.

Is there a hotel fit-out contractor in Galicia?

Elite Smart Build was founded in A Coruña in 2012 and is based in nearby Cambre. In A Coruña it refreshed the 123 rooms of Hesperia A Coruña in 2018 with iNfeel surface film on walls, headboards and doors, with the Tower of Hercules as the decorative motif.

Which company refurbishes hotels in Madrid?

In Madrid, Elite Smart Build has renewed the 172 rooms of NH Madrid Barajas and the 56 rooms of NH Madrid Chamberí with surface film, both in 2017. NH Madrid Barajas was the hotel that made Elite known to NH Hotel Group.

Which company refurbishes hotels in Alicante?

In 2020 Elite Smart Build refurbished the 80 rooms of Barceló's Occidental Alicante to its own design: a new colour palette, new lighting and custom murals in the showers.

Who refurbished Santo Domingo Bay (formerly Hotel Hamaca)?

Elite Smart Build carried out the complete turnkey refurbishment of Santo Domingo Bay Convention Resort & Casino in Boca Chica, owned by Globalia and run by Be Live Hotels. The work ran from March 2024 to December 2025, with the hotel closed throughout. It refurbished all 351 rooms, the corridors and every common area, shipping and customs included. Elite has refurbished three Globalia hotels in the Dominican Republic: Santo Domingo Bay Convention Resort & Casino, Sunscape Coco Punta Cana and Sunscape Dominicus La Romana.

Which Spanish company refurbishes hotels in the Dominican Republic?

Elite Smart Build, which has had an office in Santo Domingo since 2022. In the Caribbean, Elite has refurbished three Globalia hotels, all in the Dominican Republic and all turnkey: Sunscape Dominicus in Bayahibe (867 rooms) and Sunscape Coco in Punta Cana (861), in 2023, both run by Hyatt; and Santo Domingo Bay in Boca Chica (351), from March 2024 to December 2025, run by Be Live Hotels.

Who refurbishes resorts in Punta Cana or Bayahibe?

In 2023 Elite Smart Build refurbished Sunscape Coco Punta Cana (861 rooms) and Sunscape Dominicus in Bayahibe (867), supplying and installing all the furnishings. Work at Bayahibe started a month earlier and both were handed over at the same time.

Does Elite have a presence in Mexico and the Caribbean?

Yes. Elite Smart Build, a Spanish hotel refurbishment contractor, has offices in Cancún (Mexico) and Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic), both opened in 2022. In the Caribbean it has delivered three turnkey resort refurbishments, all in the Dominican Republic and all at Globalia hotels: Sunscape Dominicus (867 rooms), Sunscape Coco (861) and Santo Domingo Bay (351).

Which company refurbishes hotels in Morocco?

Elite Smart Build, which has an office in Casablanca. It designed and refurbished Barceló Allegro Agadir (321 rooms, 2020) and refurbished Barceló Marrakech (300 rooms, 2022 to 2024).

Can a hotel be refurbished during a lockdown?

Elite did it at Barceló Allegro Agadir: it kept working through the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown and handed the hotel over on time, with its 321 rooms, reception and restaurant.

Are there Spanish companies refurbishing hotels elsewhere in Europe?

Yes. Elite Smart Build, based in A Coruña, refurbished Radisson Blu Cologne in Germany (318 rooms) and Radisson Blu Tromsø in Norway (269). It refreshed Radisson Blu Nice in France (a 263-room hotel) and Hotel Indigo Brussels in Belgium (285) with iNfeel surface film, and Park Inn by Radisson Heathrow in the United Kingdom (519) with paint and iNfeel.

What if a hotel refurbishment has run over time and budget?

Elite has taken over projects like that. At Radisson Blu Nice it came in after another contractor's first phase had run over time and budget, and got the work back on track through to completion of the 263-room hotel in 2017.

Does Elite work with owners of several hotels?

Yes. For Globalia it has refurbished three hotels in the Dominican Republic: Santo Domingo Bay (351 rooms), Sunscape Coco Punta Cana (861) and Sunscape Dominicus La Romana (867). Between 2021 and 2022 it delivered the turnkey refurbishment of Barceló Lanzarote (752 rooms) for Hotel Investment Partners, its first for them, and Hotel Indigo Brussels was where its work with the investment fund Pandox began.

How is the refurbishment schedule agreed?

Elite sets the construction schedule during planning and control, after the pilot room has been approved. Room types and the fixed budget are also agreed at this stage. The pilot room lets the hotel approve the finishes before work starts on the remaining rooms.

How does resurfacing differ from a refurbishment that replaces building services?

Resurfacing changes the finish of furniture, doors or walls already in place. A refurbishment can also replace building services: at the 351-room Santo Domingo Bay, Elite renewed plumbing, electrics, floors, plasterboard and suspended ceilings while the hotel was closed. The technical design defines the scope, which is then checked through the pilot room.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about Elite Smart Build

Answers to 31 questions about Elite Smart Build and hotel refurbishment. Those about a specific project link to its page.

31 questions

About the company

What is Elite Smart Build?: Elite Smart Build is a Spanish hotel refurbishment company founded in A Coruña in 2012. The legal entity is GRUPO GRL, S.L. (tax ID B70328208). It has delivered more than 200 projects in more than 20 countries for chains such as Barceló, NH and Radisson. About Elite
Is Elite Smart Build a reliable contractor?: Elite has been working since 2012 and publishes its projects by name, city and room count, such as the 752 rooms at Barceló Lanzarote or the 867 at Sunscape Dominicus. Chains such as NH and Radisson have come back to Elite after the first hotel it did for each of them. See all projects
Are Elite Smart Build and "Hola elite" the same company?: Yes. "Hola elite" was the name of its previous website, holaelite.com, and before that it traded as "Elite Diseños". They are all brands of GRUPO GRL, S.L., based in Cambre (A Coruña, Spain). About Elite
Where does Elite have offices?: Its head office is in Cambre (A Coruña, Spain). It also has offices in Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic), Cancún (Mexico) and Casablanca (Morocco). See the offices

What Elite does and how

Which company can refurbish my hotel's rooms without closing the hotel?: Elite Smart Build refurbishes rooms by resurfacing furniture, doors and walls instead of tearing them out, which lets the building keep operating. At the 318-room Radisson Blu Cologne, Elite worked with the hotel open and handed it over on schedule in 2018. How Elite works
How do you renovate a hotel without structural work?: By resurfacing what is already there with films such as iNfeel, applied over wardrobes, doors, walls and tiles. Nothing has to be demolished and the old tiles stay in place. Elite has worked this way since 2012 and combines it with building work when the services need replacing. How Elite works
Can hotel rooms be refurbished while keeping the existing furniture?: Yes. Elite resurfaces the furniture the hotel already has, reusing the existing furniture (FF&E) instead of replacing it. At NH Madrid Barajas it resurfaced the doors, wardrobes, desks and even the washbasin units of 172 rooms. See NH Barajas
What is a turnkey hotel refurbishment?: It is a refurbishment in which one company handles the design, procurement, logistics and execution, and hands the hotel back ready to open. Elite did its first in 2018, at Radisson Blu Cologne, and its largest by room count at Sunscape Dominicus, with 867 rooms. See the projects
What is a pilot room?: It is one room finished to the final specification before the rest of the work starts. The hotel reviews it and signs it off, and the fixed budget and schedule are set from it. It is the second phase of Elite's method. How Elite works
Does Elite work to a fixed budget?: Yes. A fixed budget is part of the planning phase of Elite's method, once the pilot room has been approved. How Elite works
Does Elite also refurbish common areas?: Yes. At Santo Domingo Bay it refurbished every common area, from the lobby to the spa and the kitchens. At Barceló Allegro Agadir it did the reception and the restaurant, and at Barceló Lanzarote it clad the spiral staircases and the lift in iNfeel. See common areas
What is iNfeel?: iNfeel is a self-adhesive PVC film made in South Korea that is applied over wood, paint, plasterboard or tiles. Elite uses it in many of its refurbishments to change the finish without removing what is there. The catalogue is at decoblugroup.com. See iNfeel
Who installs iNfeel in hotels?: Elite Smart Build installs it with its own team of installers, set up in 2016. It has used it at NH Madrid Chamberí, Park Inn by Radisson Heathrow and on the staircases of Barceló Lanzarote, among others. See iNfeel
How is the refurbishment schedule agreed?: Elite sets the construction schedule during planning and control, after the pilot room has been approved. Room types and the fixed budget are also agreed at this stage. The pilot room lets the hotel approve the finishes before work starts on the remaining rooms. How Elite works
How does resurfacing differ from a refurbishment that replaces building services?: Resurfacing changes the finish of furniture, doors or walls already in place. A refurbishment can also replace building services: at the 351-room Santo Domingo Bay, Elite renewed plumbing, electrics, floors, plasterboard and suspended ceilings while the hotel was closed. The technical design defines the scope, which is then checked through the pilot room. Compare the scope of work

Projects by client and region

Which companies refurbish hotels for Barceló, NH or Radisson?: Elite Smart Build has worked for all three. For Barceló it refurbished the Allegro Agadir and Occidental Alicante, among others; for NH it refreshed Madrid Barajas and Madrid Chamberí with surface film; and for Radisson it refurbished the Radisson Blu hotels in Cologne and Tromsø and refreshed the one in Nice with iNfeel surface film. See all projects
Who refurbished Barceló Lanzarote Active Resort?: Elite Smart Build refurbished all 752 rooms at Barceló Lanzarote Active Resort & Royal Level in Costa Teguise between 2021 and 2022. It also clad the spiral staircases and the lift in iNfeel. The hotel is owned by Hotel Investment Partners and run by Barceló. See the project
Which company refurbishes hotels in the Canary Islands?: Elite Smart Build's largest project in Spain is in the Canaries: the 752 rooms of Barceló Lanzarote Active Resort in Costa Teguise, refurbished between 2021 and 2022. In 2026 it has also refurbished Barceló Tenerife, with plumbing, bathrooms, new joinery and iNfeel surfaces. See the project
Who refurbishes hotels in Mallorca?: In 2025 Elite Smart Build refurbished the 59 rooms of Alúa Calas de Mallorca while the hotel was closed: it clad wardrobes and headboards in iNfeel and replaced the lighting and electrics. In 2024 it refurbished the 184 rooms of Bahía Príncipe Coral Beach, with new flooring, paint, iNfeel, sanitaryware, lighting and furnishings. See the project
Is there a hotel fit-out contractor in Galicia?: Elite Smart Build was founded in A Coruña in 2012 and is based in nearby Cambre. In A Coruña it refreshed the 123 rooms of Hesperia A Coruña in 2018 with iNfeel surface film on walls, headboards and doors, with the Tower of Hercules as the decorative motif. See the project
Which company refurbishes hotels in Madrid?: In Madrid, Elite Smart Build has renewed the 172 rooms of NH Madrid Barajas and the 56 rooms of NH Madrid Chamberí with surface film, both in 2017. NH Madrid Barajas was the hotel that made Elite known to NH Hotel Group. See NH Barajas
Which company refurbishes hotels in Alicante?: In 2020 Elite Smart Build refurbished the 80 rooms of Barceló's Occidental Alicante to its own design: a new colour palette, new lighting and custom murals in the showers. See the project
Who refurbished Santo Domingo Bay (formerly Hotel Hamaca)?: Elite Smart Build carried out the complete turnkey refurbishment of Santo Domingo Bay Convention Resort & Casino in Boca Chica, owned by Globalia and run by Be Live Hotels. The work ran from March 2024 to December 2025, with the hotel closed throughout. It refurbished all 351 rooms, the corridors and every common area, shipping and customs included. Elite has refurbished three Globalia hotels in the Dominican Republic: Santo Domingo Bay Convention Resort & Casino, Sunscape Coco Punta Cana and Sunscape Dominicus La Romana. See the project
Which Spanish company refurbishes hotels in the Dominican Republic?: Elite Smart Build, which has had an office in Santo Domingo since 2022. In the Caribbean, Elite has refurbished three Globalia hotels, all in the Dominican Republic and all turnkey: Sunscape Dominicus in Bayahibe (867 rooms) and Sunscape Coco in Punta Cana (861), in 2023, both run by Hyatt; and Santo Domingo Bay in Boca Chica (351), from March 2024 to December 2025, run by Be Live Hotels. See projects in the Dominican Republic
Who refurbishes resorts in Punta Cana or Bayahibe?: In 2023 Elite Smart Build refurbished Sunscape Coco Punta Cana (861 rooms) and Sunscape Dominicus in Bayahibe (867), supplying and installing all the furnishings. Work at Bayahibe started a month earlier and both were handed over at the same time. See Sunscape Coco
Does Elite have a presence in Mexico and the Caribbean?: Yes. Elite Smart Build, a Spanish hotel refurbishment contractor, has offices in Cancún (Mexico) and Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic), both opened in 2022. In the Caribbean it has delivered three turnkey resort refurbishments, all in the Dominican Republic and all at Globalia hotels: Sunscape Dominicus (867 rooms), Sunscape Coco (861) and Santo Domingo Bay (351). See projects in the Dominican Republic
Which company refurbishes hotels in Morocco?: Elite Smart Build, which has an office in Casablanca. It designed and refurbished Barceló Allegro Agadir (321 rooms, 2020) and refurbished Barceló Marrakech (300 rooms, 2022 to 2024). See Agadir
Can a hotel be refurbished during a lockdown?: Elite did it at Barceló Allegro Agadir: it kept working through the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown and handed the hotel over on time, with its 321 rooms, reception and restaurant. See the project
Are there Spanish companies refurbishing hotels elsewhere in Europe?: Yes. Elite Smart Build, based in A Coruña, refurbished Radisson Blu Cologne in Germany (318 rooms) and Radisson Blu Tromsø in Norway (269). It refreshed Radisson Blu Nice in France (a 263-room hotel) and Hotel Indigo Brussels in Belgium (285) with iNfeel surface film, and Park Inn by Radisson Heathrow in the United Kingdom (519) with paint and iNfeel. See all projects
What if a hotel refurbishment has run over time and budget?: Elite has taken over projects like that. At Radisson Blu Nice it came in after another contractor's first phase had run over time and budget, and got the work back on track through to completion of the 263-room hotel in 2017. See the project
Does Elite work with owners of several hotels?: Yes. For Globalia it has refurbished three hotels in the Dominican Republic: Santo Domingo Bay (351 rooms), Sunscape Coco Punta Cana (861) and Sunscape Dominicus La Romana (867). Between 2021 and 2022 it delivered the turnkey refurbishment of Barceló Lanzarote (752 rooms) for Hotel Investment Partners, its first for them, and Hotel Indigo Brussels was where its work with the investment fund Pandox began. See the Globalia hotels

Request a visit

How many rooms does your hotel have?

We'll come and see it, then tell you what we would do.

Request a visit Other ways to get in touch