Every type of business has its own particular requirements. Designers must be able to create a plan that ticks all the boxes for their specific client. When it comes to hospitality design and construction, the stakes are incredibly high. Several millions will be spent to build a structure that will, first and foremost, accommodate people. The elements must come together to make it an experience to remember — for all the right reasons. Otherwise, it will be an expensive disaster which will be even more expensive to repair. Make sure that you pick a firm with excellent reputation in the industry. Check the following while you narrow down your list:
Portfolio
The first thing you should check is their portfolio. This should be available on their website. Anyone who is proud of his work will proudly display it. If you are having a hard time finding their previous projects, then ask them directly for links or pictures. They should be more than willing to talking about these things in detail. Compare these portfolios to see which of them are speaking your preferred design language. Perhaps you are thinking of a country-style resort but all you see are all modern upscale buildings, or vice versa. A few of them are sure to draw you in more than others. Those are what you need to pursue.
Rates
Since every project has a budget constraint, you will have to be upfront with your candidates from the beginning. They need to get a ballpark figure from which they could base their proposals. Make sure that you have a contingency fund because the quote will rarely be sufficient once construction starts. In most builds, unknown problems will bubble to the surface. These surprises can result in redesigns and other costly changes. Your project has to have a grand ambition to get you and other people excited, but this must be tempered with the reality of the available funds.
Rapport
Throughout your interactions with the potential designers, you will learn how they think, how true they are to their words, how much they want to work on your project, and how well you get along with them. All of these are important when the build is as expensive and difficult as what you have in mind. The construction can take many months. In the biggest ones, it could even exceed a year. Such a long-term relationship requires full trust between the parties. Communication should flow freely such that everyone is always on the same page. This could make or break a project.