Refurbishing without closing
How Elite refurbishes a hotel without structural work
Elite Smart Build can renew rooms by resurfacing what is already there, with no demolition and with materials such as iNfeel, so the building can keep operating while the work goes on. It is one of the methods Elite began using in 2012 and still relies on for many refurbishments.
- the year Elite started
- 2012
- phases, from design to handover
- 4
In Elite's words
Works done faster, with no demolition and no noise, so the building can keep running while Elite is on site.
Why it works
Resurfacing is the key. Instead of replacing wardrobes, doors or tiles, Elite resurfaces them with films such as iNfeel, applied inside the room itself. With nothing demolished, the old tiles stay and the furniture does not have to be taken out.
In a hotel, rooms can be renewed one at a time, without noise or waste, while the hotel goes on serving guests.
The project with the hotel open
At Radisson Blu Cologne (Germany, 318 rooms, 2018), Elite worked while the hotel was operating.
Despite working in an open hotel to a very ambitious programme, Elite handed the hotel over on time, on budget and to standard.
When building work is needed
Not every refurbishment can be done this way. At Santo Domingo Bay, Elite renewed the plumbing, electrics, floors, plasterboard and suspended ceilings of 351 rooms, and the hotel was closed throughout. At Alúa Calas de Mallorca it replaced the lighting and electrics as well as cladding wardrobes and headboards in iNfeel, and that hotel was closed too.
| Point | Resurfacing what is there | Building work on the services |
|---|---|---|
| What is done | Wardrobes, doors, walls and tiles are resurfaced with films such as iNfeel, inside the room itself. | Services or flooring are replaced: plumbing, electrics, floors, plasterboard or suspended ceilings. |
| What comes out | Nothing: the old tiles stay and the furniture never leaves the room. | Whatever is being replaced. |
| The hotel | The building can keep operating while the work goes on. | Closed during the work, as at Santo Domingo Bay, Barceló Lanzarote Active Resort or Sunscape Coco. |
| An example | Radisson Blu Cologne: 318 rooms with the hotel open, in 2018. | Santo Domingo Bay, with 351 rooms, and Alúa Calas de Mallorca, with 59. |
Projects with the hotel closed
Elite's projects where the hotel was closed while the work went on.
Santo Domingo Bay Convention Resort & Casino
351 rooms, the corridors and every common area, shipping and customs included. The hotel was closed.
Barceló Lanzarote Active Resort & Royal Level
All 752 rooms, Royal Level included, plus the spiral staircases and the lift clad in iNfeel.
Sunscape Coco Punta Cana
Execution plus supply and installation of all the furnishings, with a single point of contact.
Sunscape Dominicus La Romana
Its first turnkey project in the Dominican Republic, with all the furnishings.
Alúa Calas de Mallorca
iNfeel on wardrobes and headboards, plus lighting and electrics, with the hotel closed.
Step by step
The four phases of Elite's method, from first idea to handover.
- Design and development: Concept, technical design and choice of solutions.
- Validation: Pilot room, quality control and sign-off of standards.
- Planning and control: Room types defined, fixed budget and works schedule.
- Delivery and handover: Site management, procurement and logistics, execution and handover into service.
Questions
All questions- 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
- 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
- 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
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