Renovating to drive revenue

Over the last year, we all rediscovered our passion and appreciation for outdoor space. And savvy developers are rethinking and repositioning their assets with strategic design interventions that capitalize on evolving consumer preferences.

In any context – especially urban and leisure hotels – landscape architecture has a huge impact on people’s overall experience. When applied strategically, it has the potential to add considerable value to property – maximizing existing revenue streams and creating new ones, including:

• Creative food and beverage programming;
• Leisure activities and events, especially while indoor options are limited;
• Improved mental health and wellbeing;
• Greater flexibility and mix of use;
• An evolving, ever-changing canvas that grows and gets better over time.

Consider the example of Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point, California. With WATG and Wimberly Interiors working together on architecture, landscape architecture, and interior design for the pool deck, the new owners of this iconic Pacific Coast resort renovated the outdoor spaces and dramatically improved the guest experience while increasing the property’s value. The adult and family pool environments were completely reimagined and include a new bar and grill, luxury cabanas and renovated pool environments. These improvements significantly increased cabana revenue by more the three times. The event lawn was also renovated to create more expansive ocean views and allow for greater functionality and flexibility. This has proven to drive demand for outdoor events. Altogether, as the outdoor amenities draw more guests to stay on the property, these enhancements have driven an increase in average daily room rates.

If spaces don’t run smoothly, and the people who work within them don’t feel supported and valued, the whole property suffers.

WATG’s decades of hospitality design experience give us a deep understanding of the operational challenges our clients face on a day to day basis, not only in the public guest spaces but – often more critically – in the back of house spaces where employees are working hard to fulfill guest needs. Operational details are especially critical to consider when government mandates and/or corporate standards for health and safety impose capacity limits, spacing requirements, and other new protocols. If spaces don’t run smoothly, and the people who work within them don’t feel supported and valued, the whole property suffers. Through this experience and understanding we help our clients activate spaces, indoors and out, and optimize each space’s functionality to maximize revenue.

Through landscape design we can unlock the value of the land over time as trends evolve.

At the Park Hyatt Aviara in Carlsbad, California, our architecture, interiors and landscape teams are again working together to update an existing property according to current trends and guest expectations. In addition to updating the pool and outdoor entertainment spaces, we are creating larger outdoor spaces to increase opportunity for group events. As a key part of the design process, we have provided the client with diagrams to illustrate how each space can function from an operational perspective – mapping out wedding logistics, for example, and proposing ideal locations for tents and seating arrangements. These details ensure that each space is functional and individually profitable.

Landscape design interventions are especially impactful when owners and operators seek to improve a hotel or resort’s value without modifying architectural landmarks.

Through landscape design we can unlock the value of the land over time as trends evolve, but these design interventions are not exclusive to sprawling resorts or hotels with expansive lawns. Smaller properties in urban areas can benefit from improved outdoor spaces as well, especially when indoor F&B spaces are restricted in many regions. At the Waterloo Hotel in Austin, Texas, which is currently being designed, we’re helping to make an urban space beautiful and functional in order to improve guest experience and to generate value for owners and operators. On the ground level, the interior space connects to the exterior at the bar to draw guests in. On the seventh floor is the main outdoor space, which faces the Texas Capitol building and becomes a prime event space. Further up, on the twenty-sixth floor the pool deck with integrated F&B creates new daytime recreation and revenue and transforms in the evening into the destination for nightlife in Austin.

Our primary objectives in recommending design solutions to our hospitality clients have always been to drive revenue for owners and operators through improved guest experiences that stand out against their competitors.

At the Mitsis Summer Palace in Kos, Greece, led by our London team, a similar renovation incorporated new terraced infinity swimming pools, as well as an outdoor restaurant and beachside den area with a bar – creating a sense of openness, even on a dense island coast. The hillside situation of the hotel, with expansive views across the Aegean, was the inspiration for creating an outdoor space that seamlessly connects the guest with the sea’s horizon and celebrates the Kos sunset. Through strategic renovations and landscape enhancements, we’ve created a space where people want to be, morning, noon and night. Whether the guest is a local diner or a global tourist, in these improved outdoor spaces they can linger and relax, feeling a sense of safety and serenity.

Our primary objectives in recommending design solutions to our hospitality clients have always been to drive revenue for owners and operators through improved guest experiences that stand out against their competitors. Creating spaces where memories are made, and where people feel inspired to linger and return. These quiet days present an opportunity to elevate the arrival experience and boost your curb appeal so when they walk onto your property, they immediately feel relaxed and restored – ready to reconnect and stay a while.

About Lance Walker

Born in Hawaii and having lived in Southern California ever since, Lance grew up beside the ocean and has surfed his entire life. His father was a coastal engineer whose PhD analysed the perfect wave – something that Lance searches for through his projects in North, Central and South America. Lance’s passion for the ocean and understanding of the environmental, social, psychological and cultural impact of landscapes has been applied to high-profile projects at the intersection of ecotones and artistry, including Nobu Hotel Los Cabos, Hard Rock Hotel Los Cabos, the renovation of the Monarch Beach Resort and Spa, Unico Riviera Maya and more.