Finishing a project on time has become something of a challenge for the region's hotel developers.

It is understandable; with the rising cost of construction materials and skilled labour, it's easy for new builds to fall behind in the initial stages.

The trouble comes when owners or designers try to make up that time by cutting corners at the fit-out stages.

Nowadays, the Middle East is the proud home to a multitude of flourishing interiors supply companies. From fabrics and furniture to table lamps and tapestries, every hotel is searching for the perfect interior accoutrements to set the perfect tone.

But not all products on the market are entirely perfect, it seems. Hotelier has heard whispers of recently-opened hotels that have had to carry out hasty refurbishments after only a couple of months of operation, due to problems with low-quality products. With costs rising and pressure to fulfil time constraints, it is understandable that hotels might search for a cheap, quick fix.

But this is the kind of choice that comes back to haunt. Having to shell out to replace rusting taps or fraying carpets within the first few years of operation will most probably work out more expensive than simply paying for decent quality products in the first place.

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Chief executive and owner of flooring company Rohmix International Kristin Scheffer says that the region's hotels have made "too many wrong decisions".

"These choices then came back to haunt them, had to be done again, and in the long run cost much more money and time," she adds.

Happily, the industry seems to be learning from previous mistakes. As export sales manager for fabric company Winter Creation Javier Pineda puts it, the "Cheap China effect" is gradually dying out. "Hoteliers have seen that, in the end, you get what you pay for," Pineda comments.

So when it comes to creating that perfect interior, you have been warned: avoid the cowboy companies at all costs.

Do not give in to pressure to finish a project more quickly at the expense of the interior fittings. Stick to your guns and go for quality, and you'll end up with a product that will continue to impress guests for many years to come.

Lucy Taylor is the Assistant Editor of Hotelier Middle East.