Your Assignment
You’ve received the following early project brief. The project team wants to move quickly into concept design.
Use AI to review the brief before design begins. Your goal is to identify missing information, questionable assumptions, stakeholder concerns, and decisions that should be made before the project advances.
Property Profile
| Attribute | Information |
| Property identifier | H-214 |
| Location | Southeastern United States |
| Property type | Full-service urban hotel |
| Guestrooms | 245 |
| Original opening | 2007 |
| Renovation history | Limited public-space finish updates |
| Operating status | Must remain operational throughout renovation |
| Primary demand | Weekday business, group, and seasonal leisure |
Business Context
Recent guest feedback indicates that the arrival sequence, front desk, lobby atmosphere, and food-and-beverage experience no longer meet guest expectations.
The lobby experiences high traffic during arrival periods but remains underused for much of the day. Ownership believes the space could produce more revenue, support a broader mix of guest activities, and operate with greater efficiency.
Nearby hotels have recently updated their public spaces, creating concern that H-214 could lose market position if the property does not modernize.
Stated Project Objectives
The project should:
- Improve the arrival experience.
- increase lobby utilization throughout the day.
- Encourage informal gathering and social interaction.
- Expand food-and-beverage revenue opportunities.
- Introduce digital self-service capabilities.
- Reduce operating costs where feasible.
- Maintain applicable brand requirements.
- Minimize disruption to guests and team members.
Proposed Scope
The preliminary scope includes:
- Lobby and entry sequence
- Front desk and guest service area
- Lobby seating
- Food-and-beverage area
- Public-space lighting
- Technology supporting arrival and guest service
- Selected public restrooms
- Associated back-of-house support areas
Preliminary Budget
Total project budget: $4.8 million
The amount is expected to include:
- Design fees
- Permitting
- Construction
- Furniture, fixtures, and equipment
- Technology
- Contingency
No detailed cost model has been completed.
Preliminary Schedule
- Design begins in February.
- Construction begins in September.
- Completion is requested before the following Memorial Day.
- Ownership considers the completion date important because summer is a peak occupancy period.
The permitting authority has not reviewed the proposed project.
Known Constraints
- The hotel must remain operational.
- Front desk service cannot be suspended.
- No more than 20 percent of existing lobby seating should be unavailable at one time.
- The existing electrical infrastructure has not been fully assessed.
- Existing point-of-sale equipment is approaching replacement.
- Historic utility documentation may be incomplete.
- Material selections have not been made.
- Construction phasing has not been developed.
- A temporary arrival experience has not been defined.
Stakeholder Priorities
Ownership
- Return on investment
- Increased food-and-beverage revenue
- Schedule certainty
- Cost control
Hotel Leadership
- Operational continuity
- Guest satisfaction
- Team-member workflow
- Manageable training and transition
Brand
- Experience consistency
- Compliance with applicable requirements
- Quality of execution
- Long-term relevance
Architecture and Design
- Coherent arrival experience
- Functional planning
- A distinctive sense of place
- Integration of physical and digital touchpoints
Procurement
- Material availability
- Reliable vendors
- Competitive pricing
- Sufficient decision lead time
Construction
- Constructability
- Site access
- Utility coordination
- Safe separation of guests and construction
Decisions Already Assumed
The working team has informally assumed that:
- Digital check-in will permit a smaller front desk.
- Expanded food and beverage will improve revenue.
- Guests will accept temporary arrival arrangements.
- The project can be delivered within the stated budget and schedule.
- Existing infrastructure can support the proposed technology.
- Construction can proceed without a noticeable decline in guest satisfaction.
None of these assumptions has been validated.
Starting Prompt:
You’re assisting an architecture, design, and construction team that is reviewing an early hotel public-space renovation brief. Identify missing requirements, hidden assumptions, potential conflicts, and risks that should be addressed before concept design proceeds. Organize your response under business, guest experience, operations, design, construction, technology, financial, and schedule concerns. Do not make final decisions. Identify questions that require human judgment.
Second-Round Prompt:
Review the brief from the perspectives of the hotel general manager, owner representative, guest, architect, procurement lead, and construction manager. For each perspective, identify the three most important questions that remain unanswered.