What we catch, and what it's worth.
The cheapest place to save money on a hotel is in the drawings, before bidding. Here's what that looked like on real projects.
Case study 1
About $1.9 Million Saved: Auger Cast Piles Eliminated on Two Hotels
* Led by Chris Foutz before he founded Foutz Brothers.
Challenge
The first round of drawings on both hotels called for auger cast piles under the building. Deep foundations add major cost before a single wall goes up. Once piles are in the bid set, they get priced, contracted and built. The owner rarely learns whether they were needed at all.
What We Did
Chris Foutz worked through the foundation options with the geotechnical engineer, structural engineer and architect on each project. He did not accept the first design. Drawing on experience, he pressed the geotechnical engineer on the soil conditions and on what other foundation systems could carry the building. Each hotel got its own answer:
- Georgia National Fairgrounds, Perry: piles removed outright. No replacement system needed.
- Courtyard/Residence Inn, Jekyll Island: slightly wider footings and one small area of aggregate piles replaced the auger cast piles.
Result
- Auger cast piles eliminated on both hotels.
- $1.1 million saved at Georgia National Fairgrounds, Perry.
- $800,000 saved at Courtyard/Residence Inn, Jekyll Island.
- About $1.9 million saved across the two hotels.
Every dollar was found while the design was still on paper, so none of it ever appeared on a change order log. That is exactly why owners need someone at the table before bidding: savings you never see are savings you never get.
Case study 2
About $260,000 Lost: Why We Push for a Second Opinion
Challenge
The electrical engineer sizes the service and switchgear early in design, and the gear is one of the largest single cost items in a hotel. Size it too large, and the owner pays for capacity the building will never use. On this project, the electrical design was finished before we came on board.
What Happened
During bidding, we noticed the gear was about twice the size of the gear on a comparable hotel we were building at the same time. We raised it before contracts were signed, so it never became a change order, and we recommended an independent review of the electrical design. The project went ahead on the original design, and the gear was installed as drawn.
Result
- About $260,000 went into electrical capacity the building did not need.
- After installation, the utility, the electrical inspector, and the electrical contractor all agreed the equipment was at least double what the building required.
What a Plan Review Would Have Done
Electrical service and gear sizing is a standard item in our Plan Review. We check the service and gear against the actual connected load, the lighting matrix, and the notes on who furnishes what. Caught before bidding, a finding like this goes back to the electrical engineer, the design is right-sized, and the bid reflects the smaller gear. The lesson: settle load and capacity questions with the electrical engineer before equipment is ordered.
The lesson is simple. A review costs a fraction of one oversized system. Once the gear is ordered, the money is gone.
Proof of scale
22 Stories Over an Open Entertainment Complex: AC Hotel and Residence Inn Charlotte City Center
Challenge
A 22 story dual brand hotel with a rooftop bar and an owner's suite, built over the Charlotte Epicentre, an existing 4 story multi function building that stayed open throughout construction. Building a tower over and around an occupied structure brings structural, sequencing, access and safety challenges that a typical suburban select service hotel never faces.
What We Did
Chris directed the project on the owner's behalf, coordinating the owner, design team, contractor, operations and both brands from design through construction. He kept the open stores and restaurants below informed on progress and on every needed shutdown, so everyone could plan ahead.
Result
- 300 room dual brand hotel (184 AC Hotel, 116 Residence Inn) delivered in downtown Charlotte.
- About $100 million project value.
- High end rooftop bar with indoor and outdoor space.
- High end contemporary owner's suite on the 22nd floor.
- The 2019 Charlotte CRE Heavy Hitters Award Winner.
Most of our clients build 80 to 200 key hotels, not 22 story towers. The point is this: the team that delivered this level of complexity is the team reviewing your drawings.
