Andy Sheehan
Senior Estimator, Hospitality
Senior Estimator, Hospitality
Hospitality, Reimagined: Guest Room Renovations as Covert Ops
Guest room renovations sound straightforward until construction starts and the hotel is still full.
In today’s market, most properties don’t have the luxury of a true offseason. Rooms still need to turn, guests still expect a seamless stay, and operations can’t slow down to accommodate construction. To accomplish this, @Haynes takes a different approach.
Successful renovations start with intentional phasing. Rather than taking large portions of the hotel offline, the Haynes team works floor by floor, or in some cases two floors at a time, depending on the size of the property and the owner’s appetite for downtime. Just as important is maintaining a buffer floor between occupied rooms and active construction whenever possible, which helps mitigate noise, vibration, and overall guest disruption. Haynes works with the hotel operations staff during the preconstruction phase to create an out-of-order schedule that allows the hotel to maintain occupancy while we create contained work zones that are easier to manage.
The same line of thinking extends beyond the guest rooms. Common areas need to be phased just as carefully. Work is often scheduled during off-peak hours, segmented into smaller scopes, or temporarily rerouted to keep spaces functional. The goal is to preserve the guest experience, even while work is actively underway.
Execution at this level requires tight coordination with hotel operations. Daily alignment with management and staff ensures room availability, housekeeping flow, and guest movement all stay in sync with construction progress.
When this isn’t done well, the issues show up quickly. Noise complaints, out-of-order rooms, disrupted staff workflows, and ultimately a guest experience that feels compromised. Those impacts don’t just affect reviews, they directly influence hotel revenue during the renovation window.
Material strategy and procurement schedules also play a key role. Selections need to be consistent and readily available across phases to avoid delays, rework, or visible differences between completed rooms. Phasing only works if the supply chain supports it.
Our experience working in occupied hotels and high-traffic environments reinforces a simple reality: the best renovation is the one guests don’t know is happening.
When planned and executed correctly, phased renovations don’t just protect the guest experience, they help owners maintain revenue, control schedule risk, and avoid the compounding costs that come with renovations.
