An enduring trend, reveals Hitch, is that multiple F&B venues within a hotel with vastly different design concepts is still a frequent brief — with a majority of new five-star hotels across the UAE requiring at least one signature restaurant.
“But the additional three to four F&B outlets at each location poses a challenge in design,” Hitch says.
Hitch comments further on challenges faced: “Within the UAE we have a significant amount of issues with the processes involved in getting started on site following design completion, many of which are unnecessary and time consuming.
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“Currently there are huge delays within relevant departments, which means getting a pre-opening inspection (date) confirmed can take weeks, which can significantly delay handing over projects.
“We counter delays by starting as early as possible on permissions — as soon as the ink is dry on a contract, we’ll start making noise on the client’s behalf.”
Architects and fit-out companies have also needed to take sustainable building practices into account. Strict government directives have also been issued to incorporate green building practices. In fact the Emirates Green Building Council (EGBC), has a dedicated hospitality programme and hotel benchmarking system in place.
Nathan Cartright, a partner with Chambers in GAJ Architects, says: “Sustainability is a key consideration within hotel design and this is now being backed up with statutory minimum requirements from various government entities such as Estidama in Abu Dhabi, Dubai Green Building regulations. We’ve seen a significant shift with lifecycle cost analysis playing an important role now whereas previously the focus was very much on capital expenditure only.”
He adds: “Designing something to last the lifetime of a building is not always an option depending on the expected life of the equipment; however, it is important that systems are maintainable and replaceable to prevent significant downtime, loss of rooms or anything that is detrimental to the guest experience.”
“With the current rate of change related to AV/IT systems — for everything from hotel operating systems to guest connectivity within the hotel — it is critical that the correct infrastructure is in place to support these. However, as more systems shift to wireless technology, the hotel of the future will undoubtedly have less copper/fibre installed than what we are seeing today,” Cartwright adds.
Grant concludes: “Sustainability is a topic that has recently swept unto the scene in a commanding manner. People are beginning to realise the importance of thinking ahead for future generations.”
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