Renovation Overview: Radisson Hotel New Rochelle

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. March 25, 2012

Ms. Colby Brock

By Colby Brock, Interior Designer, Project Manager and Food & Beverage Director, Radisson Hotel New Rochelle

The hospitality industry is in constant flux; the ebbs and flows of our guests' needs are dependent on the ever changing world we live in. Acoustical, thermal, visual comforts, and technology ease in communications, amongst other things, are all factors when considering how best to accommodate the contemporary traveler, regardless of the purpose of their trip. Guests demand more because they know that modern advances have provided our industry with the tools we need to give them what they want. Whether that is a sound proofed room, flat screen LCD televisions, marble bathrooms, state of the art conference facilities, accent pillows, the best fitness equipment or a New York City dining experience, they are right; we do have the resources to provide our guests with the very best. However, keeping up with the world of modern amenities within the confines of the four walls of your property, is far more difficult and costly than those who are not in our industry can appreciate.

A renovation is a grueling process for anyone, but most especially while operating a 24/7-365 business that is focused around exceeding people's expectations. Of course, the end result is what we all hope will make it worth our while. Yet, guests are less than pleased when listening to jack hammers during breakfast or power saws as they check out, complaining about the disruption during their stay. It is frustrating when all you want to do is shout in the middle of your lobby “we're doing this for you!”

The transformation time becomes a property's most critical time to give guests sensational service paired with unwavering empathy. In addition, exploiting the future aesthetic ideals of your property to your guests, making them feel involved, can be incredibly advantageous. The benefit, of course, serves our patrons, but we have found that, in conjunction with demanding a higher level of service, this process can create a jovial feeling that is pandemic; filtering down from our staff to the guests and even beyond into the local community. People get excited about what's to come and what will be.

Of course, ahead of all other factors, the financial obligations that arise out of a hospitality renovation are tremendous. Not only are you budgeting for the physical renovation, but also for the cost to your operating business. For any hotelier, the paramount question is: do we believe we will make a return on our investment? The key is to examine your market. Who is your guest? Who COULD be your guest? Can you change your customers? Or will your existing customers appreciate your efforts enough to pay more money to stay with you? Property owners will often forget to meet their specific markets. A Holiday Inn guest will more than likely not appreciate a Four Seasons renovation in their wallet. However, an increased rate that is a reflection of an upgraded, more comfortable property is usually not met with reluctance from existing guests and often will attract a new, more discerning group of travelers.

Marketing a newly renovated property is as important as the renovation itself. Getting the word out through local media can exert a pull on potential new guests, corporations, social events, even new employees. However, getting new people to come to your property is the easier part; getting them to come back is more difficult.

How do you keep your new clients and guests? As aesthetically pleasing as your new hotel may be, a higher level of service must always be incorporated in to the cost of your renovation, as well as help drive a higher ADR. Whether through extensive training, language classes, motivational tools, hiring skilled people at higher rates of pay, expanding departments, etc…these measures are an important way to ensure that you have staffed your property with people who care, and will rise to the occasion.

The hotel lobby before the renovation...

The hotel lobby after the renovation...

That being said, it is also important to consider how your upgrades can help a property's functionality. When properly devised, a remodel can often afford property owners with improved labor costs, more efficient time management, less waste, lower energy & water costs, amongst other things. Yet, despite these savings, owners frequently avoid renovations even when needed due to the financial investment. The long term amortization is what owners need to evaluate the most beneficial outcome; the cost of a renovation or the cost of NOT doing a renovation.

Incorporating the latest innovations in hospitality comfort, juxtaposed with stellar staffing can make for an award winning combination. We recently received the 2012 Renovation Excellence award from Carlson Hotels because of our determination to utilize the aforementioned elements regardless of the cost.

We began our renovation journey in 2009. We believed that the most immediate impact on our guests would be in their rooms; so the guest rooms were our first phase, and the least disruptive. In two and half years we renovated all 130 of our guest rooms and suites during our quietest months. We tried to anticipate our guests' needs, combined with a modern aesthetic and Radisson standards. Each space is afforded with 36” flat screens, refrigerators, modern espresso wood furnishings, upholstered head boards, plush carpet, new draperies, improved lighting, HVAC & sound attenuation, luxe linens and towels, and a warm inviting color palate. We wanted our rooms to inspire people. We were successful. Our existing guests were ecstatic and we exceeded the expectations of a new, more demanding market. Our ADR has grown, our occupancy has jumped over hurdles and our Carlson guest service scores have risen dramatically.

Off the heels of our completed guest rooms, we moved forward with a complete overhaul of our lobby space and meeting rooms; a bit more cumbersome of an endeavor. From the first day of the lobby demolition, we were knee deep in guest dissatisfaction. It was dusty, loud and unsightly. The disruption extended beyond our property lines. Potential guests couldn't hear our GSA's on the phone, brides with upcoming weddings were hysterical, local restaurant customers were put off to eat with us. However, we completed the work on time and flawlessly. Guests have been thrilled with the changes. Despite the unparalleled success of our lobby renovations, it was a difficult 10 weeks for all of our employees, managers and guests. The owner of the property, Peter Brock, certainly kept the wind in our sails through the whole process, maintaining an upbeat and positive energy throughout the property. Even as he saw profits put down in grout and mortar, he was never wavering in the business motto he learned from his father, Herbert Brock, “be good to your business, and it will be good to you.”

With that in mind, we have recently started demolition in our restaurant and lounge area. Two weeks in to the remodel, we are already feeling the pressure from our guests. Our food and beverage department needs to be operational through the entire process. So, with plastic sheeting carving through the middle of our restaurant, we are serving guests breakfast, lunch, dinner and at our bar. Workmen are pounding away, tables shaking under plates, and guests are less than understanding. The restaurant staff has focused on maintaining liveliness and professionalism, easing the guest tensions by letting them see the wizard behind the curtain, so to speak, making them feel involved and generating enthusiasm about the chic space to come. There are approximately 8 weeks left to complete our primary F & B space, and as through all of the renovations we have done to date, we look to our co-workers in other departments to help get us through as seamlessly as possible. A whole is only as good as the sum of its parts; this could never be more applicable then in the hospitality business.

The guest suites before the renovation...

The guest suites after the renovation...

Utilizing alternate departmental resources in a hotel is something that not many other businesses can facilitate. Assuming you have managed your teams to be one cohesive unit for the greater good, each department benefits from another on a daily basis. During a renovation process, this solidarity reigns supreme. Communication between department heads is the only salvation your property has during these trying times. A few factors come in to play; keeping the guests informed can go a long way during their experience while at your property. If they are aware of each element and how it will affect them they are more prepared to deal with the situation and again, feel included in the process. This will certainly help to maintain your guest scores and ADR during the renovations. Giving money back to guests, who are enjoying your brand new guest suites because their breakfast was interrupted without warning by a nail gun, can be frustrating. The monies for the guest rooms have already been spent. As an owner, you want to see the average rate already up to cover the costs of what you have done. Again, the cost of business during the continued renovations is always an issue, but information can assist in keeping those costs down; as can a helping hand from other departments in sustaining cleanliness in all public spaces and rooms. The area being renovated will create debris, usually tracked throughout the rest of your hotel. Housekeeping and engineering employees need to stay in constant communication to preserve the integrity of the rest of your property so the guests don't feel that they are touched by construction anywhere save the immediate area that it is happening. Containment is crucial.

The front desk is the hub of the hotel, and conveying guest dissatisfaction in a timely manner so that it can be addressed before the guest leaves, is critical. The biggest opportunity you have to make it right with a guest is while they are still at your property. Once they leave, that window closes very quickly. Of course, typically, the best place in the building to utilize in trying to make it up to a guest is your restaurant and/or bar. A free cocktail or breakfast can go a long way. Again, communication and cohesion amongst the departments will prevail. A positive improvement that will roll out from the renovation process is a bond between departments; a clear understanding of how to work together to accomplish goals and maintain guest satisfaction. If the general manager propitiates this type of environment, it will create long term service success.

The guests that we encounter every day are seeking a better travel experience with each journey they take. Each stay is compared to the last, the bar constantly rising. The advances being made in our industry have made it easier for us to ensure guest satisfaction. At times, the changes we need to make to stay relevant in our market share can seem overwhelming or cost prohibitive. But using the proper tools, i.e., long-term amortization, service, communication, information, and cohesion, can make the renovation process more tenable. Each property has different needs, their guests have different needs. What a renovation means to your property is dependent on you, the owner; the manager; the employee and how you work together to accommodate your guests during your project. The formula is not guaranteed. There will be people you encounter along the way that will be unhappy, despite your most valiant efforts. That is the con. Team building, guest loyalty, improved product, higher ADR and market exposure are all the pros. Even at just a glance, the progress towards a being a part of the modern traveler's world is well worth the ride to get there.

This article was co-authored by Peter Brock. Mr. Brock has been developing commercial real estate since 1975, concentrating in the New York and Florida markets. One of the first projects that he and his father, Herb Brock, built was the Radisson Hotel New Rochelle. For the past 10 years Mr. Brock and his brother Andrew Brock, as principals in Brock Development, have been developing major retail projects in the Florida area. In addition, Mr. Brock has founded two real estate funds which have invested in commercial real estate in Texas, Arizona, Tennessee, California, Colorado and New Mexico. He has served on the investment committee of those funds for the past four years. He is the founder of Brock Services Corporation, a hotel management company. Mr. Brock graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor's degree In Economics and received his MBA in Finance from Columbia University's Graduate School of Business.

Colby Brock is Interior Designer & Project Manager and Food & Beverage Director, Radisson Hotel New Rochelle. Ms. Brock attended the University of Hartford where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree with a double major in Psychology and English. She interned for the Radisson Hotel New Rochelle while attending college and began working there full-time in 1999 as restaurant manager. In 2008, while continuing to manage the City Lounge at the Radisson, she pursued a degree in Interior Design from Parsons School of Design in Manhattan. She then worked as an interior designer for Mojo Stumer Associates, an architectural design firm. One of the projects she worked on was the re-design of the Radisson's lobby. In 2011, Ms. Brock returned to the Radisson as the Food and Beverage Director and, as interior designer and project manager, has been overseeing the hotel's $2 million renovation program over the past year.