The Next Chapter of Javier's Holiday Inn Buena Park Reno Blog

2/22/2012

It’s been a relatively quiet week in terms of renovation activity. We received a second framed mirror for out sample room, but that is not news since we already had one. We also received a piece of artwork that will go over the pull out sofa. I like the way it looks, but we will see what the creative minds think when they come to see it. The coolest thing related to that piece of artwork was our use of available technology in placing it. Our corporate team handling the renovation details is in Scottsdale, Arizona. Since we were dealing with a frame size that required a bit of finesse in placing, we thought of holding it up while somebody took a picture to send to them before we make any holes in the wall vinyl. Instead we had them join us via a video communication application. I held up my phone with the application running and they were able to see it on their computer. That way, they gave us at the property real-time direction as to the placement of the piece. It may be just me, but I really thought that was a good use of what some may term “gadgets”. I am including a photo of the artwork over the sofa. I hope you like it. It is not final yet, but I think we will use it.

We also made progress in a key component of our new rooms. We have been concerned about the feasibility of adding the refrigerator to the rooms since the electrical load would be too much for the circuit in that wall. We have resolved that problem and now have a plan. With limited re-routing of wiring, we will be able to proceed with the addition of refrigerators to all our rooms. This is very good news and I am sure our guests will appreciate the added amenity. Our wiring project is now slotted to begin the first week of March. That will mark the first ‘Renovation” action that will be visible to our guests.

As much as the pre-planning has been going on for a while, I confess that finally getting our hands on a property-wide project makes me feel like we are now making real progress.

Stay tuned in the coming weeks as we begin to see the long awaited transformation.

In keeping with Inn Keeping,

Javier O. Solis, CHA
General Manager

http://www.hibuenapark.com/

www.facebook.com/hibuenapark

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Happy Valentines Day - Renovation Update #3

2/14/2012

Happy Valentine’s Day!

I know I am a day late for this entry, but Valentine’s Day keeps me soooo busy! Renovation wise, it was relatively quiet last week. We did have a major event that I have to tell you about.

In keeping with the “green” initiative, we have intentionally sought audits, which are provided free by the utilities. They send inspectors over and evaluate our energy use in their respective utilities. The electric company had some suggestions, one of which has been on our radar-screen for awhile; the double-pane windows. As you know, we are proceeding with that. The gas company has suggested that we replace some not-so-efficient water heaters so we made the move this year. We are replacing two water heaters; actually, one was done last week.

Replacing a water heater in a hotel is not so simple because we can’t have guests without hot water. Luckily, we have redundant systems whereas there are two heaters for the same area. One is there in case the other fails. Now, similar to your home water heater, changing it is a tedious job, but unlike the unit at home, this one requires a crane (see photo to the left) to lift it on to the roof of the hotel. I am attaching some photos so you can get a feel for the size of the project. We had to block some parking spaces the night before and the driveway for a few hours. The crane takes up a lot of space but it is fun to watch how it works. I had a few moments of anxiety as the expensive unit got airborne, but it got there safely and the engineering team had it installed by the end of the day. We have one more boiler to install, which will be a bit trickier since it replaces one that is inside one of the storage rooms in the hotel.

Other than that, I can only report that some of the furniture has been ordered so we have to sit and wait. We are also still waiting for some lighting options and we have to get a more detailed vision from the designers about the public spaces.

I’ll keep you posted and don’t forget your sweetie!

In keeping with Innkeeping,
Javier


Regards,

Javier O. Solis, CHA
General Manager

http://www.hibuenapark.com/

www.facebook.com/hibuenapark

www.twitter.com/hibuenapark

Holiday Inn Buena Park Renovation Post #2

Good Morning!

I said I would post a weekly update on what is happening with the renovation of the hotel. This week, though, I want to catch you up. As I said in the first entry, we have been doing some work behind the scenes in preparation for the work to be done.

We have contracted an interior design firm and we have had several meetings to figure out the direction we want to go with the design. Our décor has had a traditional feel with some Asian touches such as carved wood fireplace mantel and Balinese and Indonesian art. Initially, we were attempting to create a transitional feel by blending some of the favorite items with the new look. However in the public areas, we are now heading to a more contemporary décor while in the rooms, we have a very nice mix that gives the room a contemporary, yet homey feel.

Whenever possible, we are incorporating Green initiatives as part of the project. As I said before, we will be changing the window in all the rooms from a single pane, to a double pane window. This should have the effect of reducing noise and saving energy. So far, we have installed one sample window and we like the way it looks and the relative quietness of the room.

As far as progress in the sample rooms is concerned we have made good strides and are already placing some orders; we have finalized our room carpet, accent wall vinyl, bathroom wall vinyl, drape fabric, sofa sleepers, lounge chair style and fabric, desk chair, and the drawer pulls. We are still working on some of the lighting, such as the desk lamp (yes…still), the wall sconce in the entry and the bathroom mirror/light.

That’s it for this week! Stay tuned next week as I share with you a bit of the decoration taste that is coming into conference facility.


Regards,

Javier O. Solis, CHA
General Manager
www.facebook.com/hibuenapark
http://www.hibuenapark.com/

1st Renovation Blog: by Javier Solis

Javier Solis here – GM of the Holiday Inn Buena Park with news of exciting things happening here at your favorite Anaheim area hotel. We have been hard at work planning a MAJOR renovation. We’ve already started on this multi-million dollar project. Most of the work thus far has been in advance design and strategic planning and not yet visible to our guests, but stay tuned as I share the action. I’ll be updating this ‘Renovation Blog’ weekly to share all of the changes and progress as we move forward to transform the Holiday Inn Buena Park…

Want some specifics?!....

Renovation:
The renovation will encompass all the guest rooms, windows, guest room corridors, lobby, meeting rooms, bar and restaurant. In some cases, the extent of the renovation will be more in-depth, and in others it will be merely cosmetic. The end result should be a much needed face lift for our hotel without loosing the ‘home away from home’ feel that our loyal guests count on.

Sample Rooms
At this time we have two sample rooms in progress where we have installed some of the elements that will make up the new décor. A sample room is a good way to see in real life, items that might otherwise be ordered out a catalogue using just a picture. Typically for instance, we would order a sample of a lamp and then decide whether we like it by visualizing it in the room where the existing décor is. But since most of the décor of the room is about to change, then one can never really ‘see’ how the lamp will fit in with everything else.

Here you see the progression of our existing lamp in photo 1, through the various options until we reached our final lamp choice in photo 4.

With a sample room we can place items in the room to see how they fit and feel. As an example, we have looked at four different lamps for the desk. The first one looked great on paper but did not ‘fit the space’. That’s Interior Designer lingo for ‘its ugly there’. We experimented with different shapes and sizes until we found one that achieved the look we were seeking. By using a sample room, we avoid ordering 250 lamps that we may end up having to live with or return, which means wasted time and money. Some details of the guest room décor include drapes, valances, carpet, wall vinyl, artwork, mirrors, case goods and drawer pulls, etc; there are many different items that have to play well together (more designer lingo).

This is our current room....



And this is our 'sample room.'

That should give you a quick peek at what is to come… check here each week to get an update of what is happening with the project…and feel free to let me know if you have questions, concerns or contributions. Oh and be gentle with the other “C” - criticisms.

Safe Travels Until we Blog again!

Javier Solis
General Manager
Holiday Inn Buena Park
http://www.hibuenapark.com/
www.facebook.com/hibuenapark
www.twitter.com/hibuenapark