F&FI Sponsors Hospitality Discussion at Heimtextil Americas
September 21, 2000
Miami, FL (USA) - Can a designer, purchasing agent and supplier work together as a team on a new hospitality project? This was the focus of the seminar sponsored by Fabrics & Furnishings International held 24 May at Heimtextil Americas.
The multi-threaded discussion featured three hospitality industry players: Dennis Reedy, Director of Design for DRDC-Division of Euro-Asian Design, LTD; Jay Dash, president of JDI; and Paul Jones, purchasing-design consultant for J2 Purchasing Corporation in Las Vegas.
While the question posed by the seminar title was never directly answered, panel members addressed it in a roundabout way. The following points surfaced during the discussion. Paul Jones: Jones said that some budgets are unrealistic from the start. When constructing a hotel, occasionally ownership gives the designer a budget seven to ten years before the project is complete, he said. This leaves the project more vulnerable to market fluctuations - up to 30 percent - which can wreak havoc with the original budget.
lLarge chain hotels follow design standards, but some owners are less efficient. For example, Jones said that an owner may involve too many people in the design process, thus wasting "a lot of time just picking out fabric." lJones said that hotel owners should hire specialized decision makers, as construction management companies do. "If you bring in people who understand construction as well as those who understand the niceties in the hotel, everyone is working for the same goal without repeating jobs and wasting time."
Designers are left out of the decision-making process, often, Jones said. "With construction companies evaluating the cost of changes, design teams don't have a chance anymore. You end up in compromises all the time. Having to put yourself in the position of the construction contractor, you have to make quick decisions and not take a lot of time on detail."
Dennis Reedy: Because the hospitality market has expanded beyond the domestic U.S., Reedy suggested seeking re-sources in respective local markets. The Sheraton Hotel in Taiwan, for instance, has access to all the resources in Southeast Asia, he said. "By virtue, we have been introduced to many companies in Asia."
He noted, however, that the U.S. still has the market in terms of fabric in hospitality and design because of the quality offered.
*While Jones addressed the inefficient processes of some smaller hotels, Reedy noted that a lack of process can give the hotel owner's whim free reign over a project. "It comes down to what the owner likes and dislikes, leaving the design and construction teams scrambling. Domestic hotel projects have corporate guidelines to follow, which causes less chaos."
*Reedy stressed the importance of proper textile maintenance. "Carpeting is an investment, especially in a casino with wear and tear 24 hours a day. If a porter isn't cleaning it correctly the carpets will be destroyed." *Jones also shared the hospitality horror story of the day - about his work on the Mandalay Bay project in Vegas. When engineers tested the soil (a preliminary step in the construction of a hotel), they failed to take into consideration the size and weight of 3,700-room hotel, Jones said. As a result, the hotel began to sink shortly after construction was completed. The floorboards cracked and the crown molding was splitting. Specialists had to be brought in to shore up the building. The structural damage took three months to repair.
The multi-threaded discussion featured three hospitality industry players: Dennis Reedy, Director of Design for DRDC-Division of Euro-Asian Design, LTD; Jay Dash, president of JDI; and Paul Jones, purchasing-design consultant for J2 Purchasing Corporation in Las Vegas.
While the question posed by the seminar title was never directly answered, panel members addressed it in a roundabout way. The following points surfaced during the discussion. Paul Jones: Jones said that some budgets are unrealistic from the start. When constructing a hotel, occasionally ownership gives the designer a budget seven to ten years before the project is complete, he said. This leaves the project more vulnerable to market fluctuations - up to 30 percent - which can wreak havoc with the original budget.
lLarge chain hotels follow design standards, but some owners are less efficient. For example, Jones said that an owner may involve too many people in the design process, thus wasting "a lot of time just picking out fabric." lJones said that hotel owners should hire specialized decision makers, as construction management companies do. "If you bring in people who understand construction as well as those who understand the niceties in the hotel, everyone is working for the same goal without repeating jobs and wasting time."
Designers are left out of the decision-making process, often, Jones said. "With construction companies evaluating the cost of changes, design teams don't have a chance anymore. You end up in compromises all the time. Having to put yourself in the position of the construction contractor, you have to make quick decisions and not take a lot of time on detail."
Dennis Reedy: Because the hospitality market has expanded beyond the domestic U.S., Reedy suggested seeking re-sources in respective local markets. The Sheraton Hotel in Taiwan, for instance, has access to all the resources in Southeast Asia, he said. "By virtue, we have been introduced to many companies in Asia."
He noted, however, that the U.S. still has the market in terms of fabric in hospitality and design because of the quality offered.
*While Jones addressed the inefficient processes of some smaller hotels, Reedy noted that a lack of process can give the hotel owner's whim free reign over a project. "It comes down to what the owner likes and dislikes, leaving the design and construction teams scrambling. Domestic hotel projects have corporate guidelines to follow, which causes less chaos."
*Reedy stressed the importance of proper textile maintenance. "Carpeting is an investment, especially in a casino with wear and tear 24 hours a day. If a porter isn't cleaning it correctly the carpets will be destroyed." *Jones also shared the hospitality horror story of the day - about his work on the Mandalay Bay project in Vegas. When engineers tested the soil (a preliminary step in the construction of a hotel), they failed to take into consideration the size and weight of 3,700-room hotel, Jones said. As a result, the hotel began to sink shortly after construction was completed. The floorboards cracked and the crown molding was splitting. Specialists had to be brought in to shore up the building. The structural damage took three months to repair.
