For many hotels, the off-season is a time to prepare the hotel and staff for the busy periods ahead.
While this is a prime time for vacations, seasonal staff recruitment and training, hotels can have a tricky time with renovation or improvements that can affect a guest’s stay.
The San Diego Paradise Point Resort is under a multimillion-dollar renovation, but the project is planned to have a minimal impact on guests, according to Elizabeth Hamm, hotel director of public relations.
The renovations began in 1998 and are scheduled for completion by mid-2001. All 438 guest rooms will be renovated by April, she said.
“We’ve done this very carefully in phases so we’re not inconveniencing anyone.”
With this in mind, Paradise Point works on different portions of the facility at various times during the year. The guest rooms are worked on during the first part of the year when occupancy is not as high, she said.
During the summer, when vacationers fill the hotel and there are fewer business travelers, the resort works on the meeting and convention facilities.
The La Jolla Torrey Pines Hilton is also looking out for their guests’ best interests. The 400-room hotel will conduct about $5 million worth of renovations this year, said Dan Schmitzer, the hotel’s director of sales and marketing.
“Because we’re open 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, you have to pick the times that are going to be least impactful,” Schmitzer said.
This can sometimes result in a time crunch. For example, in December the Hilton had 14 days to renovate its ballroom. Workers replaced wallpaper, carpeting and lights and even did some sanding, staining and painting, he said.
Finding the time has also made improvements interesting for Loews Coronado Bay Resort, which has a fairly steady rate of occupancy throughout the year, said Kathleen Cochran, the resort’s general manager.
The 438-room hotel has become very creative in finding time to get things done. Loews often has work done at night, especially in the public areas, she said.
The resort makes sure that noise does not become an issue and alerts guests of the projects, she said.
