Frequently Asked Questions
Hospitality Interior Design FAQs
How far in advance should an interior designer be hired for a hotel renovation project?
The ideal lead-time depends on the type and complexity of the project.
Renovation of Focused-Service Hotels: We recommend engaging an interior designer 9–12 months before the renovation start date. This allows adequate time for design development, brand and owner approvals, FF&E budgeting and procurement, and manufacturing of longer-lead-time items.
Renovation of Full-Service Hotels and More Complex Projects: We recommend engaging an interior designer at least 12 months before the renovation start date. These projects often involve additional design milestones, presentations and renderings, more extensive brand and stakeholder approvals, and highly customized FF&E that requires additional time for shop drawings and manufacturing.
How far in advance should an interior designer be hired for a new-construction hotel development?
For a new-construction hotel project, an interior designer’s insights can be especially valuable to the hotel development team. AKDG would suggest engaging the interior designer for early coordination and insights needed to mitigate the risk of architectural re-design expenses while keeping the project on schedule. This is often 12-18 months before the projected hotel ground-breaking.
Specific guidance by segment is as follows:
Full-Service, Lifestyle, and Boutique Hotels: For new-construction lifestyle-branded or boutique hotels, the interior designer is often engaged earlier and during the architectural schematic design phase.
Focused-Service Hotels: For new-construction hotels that are closely aligned with brand prototype architecture, the interior designer is engaged slightly later, commonly during the design documention phase of the architectural services.
What is hospitality interior design?
Hospitality interior design is the design of hotels, resorts, restaurants, bars, spas, clubs and other spaces built around the guest experience. It combines aesthetics with operations, durability, maintenance, safety and brand standards. Designers coordinate layouts, finishes, lighting, furniture, artwork and technical requirements so the environment supports both the guest journey and the staff who operate the property.
How long does hospitality interior design take?
What types of projects fall under hospitality interior design?
Is restaurant and bar design considered hospitality interior design?
How much does a hospitality interior designer charge to design a hotel?
How much does it cost to renovate a hotel?
How much does a hotel renovation cost per room?
How often do hotels renovate?
Can a hotel stay open during renovation?
Who is responsible for a hotel renovation?
Choosing a Hospitality Interior Design Partner: Questions Every Owner and Developer Should Ask
Why is hospitality-specific interior design experience important?
Hotels, resorts, restaurants, clubs, and other hospitality environments have requirements that differ significantly from residential and many other commercial projects. Designers must balance the guest experience with operational efficiency, durability, maintenance, life-safety requirements, accessibility requirements, brand standards, and the realities of high-use environments.
Hospitality experience also helps a design team anticipate issues involving guestrooms, food and beverage operations, back-of-house functions, FF&E, procurement, installation, and coordination with owners, operators, brands, architects, contractors, and other consultants.
Should I choose a design firm based on experience with my specific hotel brand or franchisor parent company?
Experience with the major hotel companies – such as Hilton, Marriott, and IHG- is generally more important than experience with a specific brand or flag. A firm that has worked extensively across a franchisor’s portfolio will typically understand its broader standards, review and approval processes, documentation requirements, and expectations, even if it has not worked with your exact brand.
However, brand experience should not be the only consideration. Owners should also evaluate the firm’s overall hospitality expertise, design capabilities, responsiveness, project-management approach, and ability to balance brand requirements with the owner’s budget and business objectives.
What should I ask to see in a hospitality interior design firm’s portfolio?
Look beyond attractive finished photography. Ask to see sample deliverables, concepts, schematics, drawings, and specifications for projects that are comparable to yours in property type, scale, scope, brand or market positioning.
It can also be helpful to understand the challenge behind each project: Was it a renovation of an operating hotel? Did it involve a Property Improvement Plan (PIP)? Were there significant budget constraints? Was the design highly customized? Seeing how a firm solved real project challenges can tell an owner more than finished photographs alone.
How should a hospitality interior designer approach the project budget?
Budget should be part of the design conversation from the beginning rather than addressed only after the design is complete. The designer should understand the owner’s overall objectives and available budget, then make selections and design decisions with those parameters in mind.
Ask prospective firms how they incorporate budget considerations during design development, coordinate with procurement and construction teams, and respond when pricing exceeds the established budget. Early communication can reduce redesign, substitutions, and schedule impacts later in the project.
How does the interior designer coordinate with the architect, contractor, brand, and other consultants?
Hospitality projects involve many stakeholders, making coordination an important part of the designer’s role. The interior designer typically works closely with ownership, architecture, mechanical/electrical/plumbing consultants, lighting designers, contractors, procurement teams, operators, and hotel brands.
Ask how the firm manages communication, document coordination, design reviews, approvals, and changes. A clearly defined coordination process can help identify conflicts earlier and keep decisions moving.
How can I evaluate whether a hospitality design firm will be a good long-term partner?
A successful hospitality project can extend over many months or even several years, so the working relationship matters. Beyond design talent, evaluate the firm’s communication, responsiveness, organization, transparency, and ability to collaborate with different stakeholders.
References from previous owners and developers can be particularly useful. Ask about the firm’s ability to meet deadlines, manage challenges, communicate changes, coordinate with the broader project team, and remain engaged through construction and installation.
What professional credentials and qualifications does your design team hold?
AK Design Group combines professional design credentials with decades of hands-on hospitality experience. Our interior design team includes multiple NCIDQ-certified designers, including our Founder & Owner Andrea Gillespie, NCIDQ, who has been certified since 2005 and has led the design of hundreds of hospitality projects across more than 25 hotel brands.
Our leadership team brings experience well beyond interior design alone. Andrea previously worked with Hilton Worldwide’s Architecture & Construction department, developing design programs for hotel brands, while our Owner & Managing Principal David Gillespie brings more than 25 years of experience across hotel operations, hospitality investment and asset strategy, brand development, business intelligence, and FF&E procurement.
Across the firm, our team includes senior hospitality designers, technical and construction implementation specialists, and dedicated FF&E procurement professionals. This combination of design expertise, brand knowledge, operational experience, and procurement capability allows us to evaluate projects from both the creative and practical perspectives that matter to hotel owners and developers.
Can you provide both interior design and FF&E procurement?
Yes. Having interior design and FF&E procurement coordinated through the same team can provide continuity from the initial design concept through purchasing, delivery, and installation.
Our design team develops the specifications and selections, while procurement manages activities such as vendor coordination, pricing, purchase orders, production tracking, freight, delivery, and installation coordination. This helps maintain the design intent while giving ownership greater visibility into the FF&E process.
If you handle both design and procurement, how does that benefit the project?
Integrating design and procurement can reduce gaps between what is designed and what is ultimately purchased and installed. Our procurement team understands the design intent from the beginning, while the designers have greater visibility into pricing, availability, lead times, and vendor requirements.
This collaboration can help identify potential issues earlier, streamline communication, reduce substitutions and rework, and provide greater continuity from design development through installation.
How do you account for FF&E lead times and product availability during design?
Lead times and availability should be considered throughout the design process, not after selections have been finalized. The design and procurement teams can communicate with manufacturers and vendors regarding expected production schedules, availability, minimum quantities, and other purchasing considerations as selections are developed.
For items with particularly long lead times, early identification can help the project team make purchasing decisions sooner and reduce the risk of delays affecting installation or opening dates.
What happens when a specified product is discontinued, delayed, or over budget?
Changes are common on hospitality projects, particularly when projects have long design and construction schedules. When a specified item becomes unavailable, significantly delayed, or exceeds the project budget, the team should evaluate appropriate alternatives.
Any substitution should be reviewed for more than appearance alone. Cost, dimensions, performance, durability, lead time, code requirements, warranty, and compatibility with the overall design should also be considered so that the replacement supports both the design intent and project requirements.
How detailed are your construction documents and specifications?
Construction documents should provide the information contractors, vendors, and other consultants need to understand and execute the interior design. Depending on the project scope, documentation may include plans, elevations, details, finish schedules, reflected ceiling information, millwork details, furniture layouts, and FF&E specifications.
The required level of documentation varies by project, so owners should confirm exactly what is included in a firm’s scope and ask prospective designers to show examples of their construction documents. Owners may also want to have a preferred contractor, installer, or other construction professional review those examples and provide feedback on whether the level of detail is clear, practical, and sufficient for execution.
How do you make sure the design works operationally once the hotel opens?
Hospitality interiors must work for both guests and the people who will operate the property every day. During design, considerations such as circulation, housekeeping, storage, food and beverage service, durability, maintenance, accessibility, guest flow, and back-of-house operations should be evaluated alongside aesthetics.
Input from the management company and hotel operations personnel is especially valuable. The people who will actually operate the hotel can provide practical insight into how spaces need to function day to day and help identify potential operational issues before construction begins.
Experienced hospitality teams should also apply lessons learned from previous projects to future work, using feedback from completed properties and operating teams to continually improve planning, functionality, durability, and efficiency.
How involved are you during construction and installation?
A hospitality interior designer should remain engaged after the construction documents are complete. Depending on the project scope, construction-phase services may include responding to contractor questions, reviewing submittals and shop drawings, participating in site visits, evaluating substitutions, and helping resolve design-related issues that arise in the field.
During FF&E installation, the design team may also coordinate with procurement, vendors, installers, and ownership to help confirm that furnishings, finishes, artwork, and accessories are installed in accordance with the design intent.
When should we bring an interior designer onto the project?
The earlier the interior designer is involved, the more opportunity there is to coordinate the guest experience, space planning, architecture, MEP requirements, lighting, finishes, FF&E, budget, and schedule before major decisions are locked in.
For new construction, the interior designer is often most effective when engaged during early planning or schematic design. For renovations, engaging the designer before the scope and budget are finalized can help ownership identify priorities, phasing considerations, and potential design or operational challenges.
When should we bring an interior designer onto the project?
The earlier the interior designer is involved, the more opportunity there is to coordinate the guest experience, space planning, architecture, MEP requirements, lighting, finishes, FF&E, budget, and schedule before major decisions are locked in.
For new construction, the interior designer is often most effective when engaged during early planning or schematic design. For renovations, engaging the designer before the scope and budget are finalized can help ownership identify priorities, phasing considerations, and potential design or operational challenges.
Can we speak with owners or developers you have worked with before?
Yes, and references can be an important part of evaluating a hospitality design partner. Speaking with previous clients can provide insight into how the firm communicates, manages deadlines, responds to challenges, coordinates with the broader project team, and supports the project through construction and installation.
When checking references, ask about the firm’s performance throughout the entire project, not only the final design. The working relationship and ability to solve problems are often just as important as the finished result.
What systems and technology do you use to manage projects and procurement?
Ask prospective firms what systems they use for project documentation, specifications, scheduling, communication, procurement tracking, budgeting, and reporting. The specific software matters less than whether the team has an organized, consistent process that gives stakeholders clear and timely information.
Owners should also ask how the firm protects project information and work product. Confirm that appropriate cybersecurity measures are in place and that construction documentation, specifications, procurement records, and other critical project files are routinely backed up and can be recovered if a system, device, or platform fails.
How do you maintain project continuity if a key team member is unavailable?
A well-structured firm should not rely on one person having all of the project knowledge. Project information, decisions, specifications, schedules, and correspondence should be documented and accessible to the broader team.
Ask how responsibilities are shared, who provides backup coverage, and how senior leadership remains informed about the project. A clear team structure helps maintain continuity when someone is unavailable and reduces the risk of delays or lost information.
What is your current project capacity, and how do you ensure my project will receive the attention it needs?
It is reasonable to ask a prospective design firm about current workload and staffing before making a selection. The firm should be able to explain who will be assigned to your project, how resources are planned around key milestones, and how the team manages competing deadlines.
Look for a clear staffing plan rather than simply a promise of availability. Understanding the proposed team, communication structure, and senior-level involvement can help you evaluate whether the firm has the capacity to support the project throughout its full schedule.
What professional and business insurance coverage do you carry?
Owners and developers should confirm that their design partners carry appropriate professional and business insurance for the services being provided. Coverage commonly requested may include professional liability, general liability, workers’ compensation, and other policies required by the owner, lender, contractor, or project agreement.
Insurance requirements vary by project, so the appropriate limits and certificates should be reviewed as part of the contracting process. A firm’s insurance broker or project representative should be able to provide current documentation when requested.
How should I compare design fees between firms?
Design fees should be evaluated in the context of scope, deliverables, experience, staffing, and level of service rather than by the bottom-line number alone. Two proposals with very different fees may also include very different levels of documentation, meetings, site involvement, brand coordination, FF&E specifications, or construction administration.
Ask each firm to clearly define what is included, what is excluded, how additional services are billed, and what assumptions were used to prepare the fee. Comparing proposals on an equivalent scope provides a much more useful picture of value.
For a hotel renovation, do I need to hire an architect?
Often, no, but it depends on the scope of the renovation and local requirements. Projects involving structural changes, life-safety systems, accessibility, building-code compliance, major MEP modifications, exterior work, or permit drawings may require a licensed architect and other consultants.
Interior designers and architects frequently work together on hotel renovations. The project scope, jurisdiction, brand requirements, and permitting authority should be reviewed early so ownership understands which professionals are required.
Should we use our architectural firm for interior design, or hire a separate interior design firm?
Either approach can work, but the decision should be based on the specific team’s hospitality interior design experience rather than the firm’s overall size or architectural capabilities. Hospitality interiors require specialized knowledge of guest experience, FF&E, finishes, durability, operations, brand standards, and procurement.
If an architectural firm has a strong hospitality interiors team with relevant experience, an integrated approach may be effective. If not, a specialized interior design firm can work closely with the architect while bringing deeper focus to the guest-facing spaces and FF&E.
Who is actually leading the interior design work, and how much hospitality interior design experience does that team have?
Ask to meet the people who will actually lead and execute the project, not only the individuals involved in the proposal or interview. Understand who will make design decisions, manage day-to-day coordination, prepare documentation, attend meetings, and remain involved through construction and installation.
Relevant hospitality experience at the project-team level is important. Ask about each key team member’s experience with similar property types, brands, renovations or new construction, project scale, and scope so you know the proposed team has successfully addressed comparable challenges.