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Designing for long-term value: How can hotel refurbishment deliver lasting returns?
For independent hotels, refurbishment is about much more than refreshing interiors. The right investment can strengthen a property’s identity, improve the guest experience, make day-to-day operations more efficient and support its long-term commercial performance.
At the Independent Hotel Show, in partnership with James Hallam Insurance Brokers, on 5-6 October, the session ‘From refurbishment to return: Designing for long-term value’ will bring together experts from across hotel design, development, operations and marketing to explore how hoteliers can ensure refurbishment projects deliver meaningful and lasting results.
The discussion will feature Jan Janecek, Director at Office for Contemporary Design; Lesley Annison, Development Project Director at RBH Hospitality; Scot Turner, Founder & Managing Director of Auden Hospitality; and Miroslava McDermott, Director of Brand & Marketing at Foxhills Club & Resort.
Together, the panellists will examine refurbishment from several angles, looking beyond aesthetics to consider the guest journey, operational requirements, brand positioning and return on investment.
For Janecek, who is currently working on the redesign of The Athenaeum Hotel, the starting point is a clear understanding of the property itself. He believes boutique hotels should invest selectively, concentrating on the areas that have the greatest influence on the guest experience and commercial performance rather than automatically refurbishing every space.
“The underlying principle is not to spend more, but to spend more intelligently,” he says. “For a boutique hotel, relatively focused interventions can have a disproportionate effect when they are aligned with the property’s identity and commercial objectives.”
Annison will bring lessons from RBH Hospitality’s recent portfolio of capital projects, including the extensive renovation and repositioning of The Met Hotel Leeds. The project drew on the building’s Victorian architecture and the city’s industrial heritage while transforming the property into a contemporary lifestyle destination.
She says: “We are constantly working with our owners around investment within their hotels, ensuring that the briefs and designs we are developing for them are not just aligned with current trends, but are something that will survive shifts in the latest ‘fad’.”
Turner will explore the range of perspectives that need to come together for a successful project, from the General Manager and Marketing Director to owners, designers and other stakeholders.
“We want to show the many hats that a refurbishment project needs to wear,” he says. “How does a General Manager look at it versus a Marketing Director, and how do other key stakeholders bring it together to add long-term value for the spend?”
McDermott will offer insight from Foxhills Club & Resort, where recent investment has included the refurbishment of the Manor House and the launch of Indian restaurant Lomri. She will examine how design decisions influence much more than the physical appearance of a property, shaping the way guests experience the hotel, understand its brand and perceive its position in the market.
“The decisions you make around how you want your hotel to look and feel can influence how guests experience a space, how they perceive the brand and, ultimately, how you position it in the market,” she says. “I am looking forward to discussing how brand, design and commercial objectives can work together to make investment meaningful for the guest, the team and the business.”
From deciding where investment will have the greatest impact to balancing immediate appeal with durability, the session will offer practical perspectives for hoteliers considering their next refurbishment. It will also examine how independent properties can use their freedom and individuality to create spaces that feel distinctive today while remaining relevant in the years ahead.
The Independent Hotel Show, in partnership with James Hallam Insurance Brokers, takes place on 5–6 October at Olympia London. Register for your free trade ticket at independenthotelshow.co.uk.
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