Pre-construction planning, working through changes lead to success at San Jose Hyatt House
In a luxury hotel environment, details are important. The discerning traveler is accustomed to the best of the best in all aspects of the hotel they are staying in, and that includes the doors and finish hardware. Whether wood veneer, plastic laminate or hollow metal doors and frames, the products are classy — and classy is exactly what guests staying at Hyatt House in Silicon Valley get.
When LodgeWorks, L.P., a privately held hotel development and management company, set out to build the seven-story, 164-room hotel, they utilized the pre-bid consulting services of American Direct. This service provides contractors and architects with product recommendations, budget assistance, and in-depth review and interpretation of specifications — all with the objective of achieving a project’s distinct design, budget, and timeline objectives.
“We provide this as a service along with budget pricing, then we reevaluate our recommendations with the client to assure we have the right hardware, the right color, for the right function,” said American Direct Vice President Jerry Pennington. “This is definitely a value-add to the client and differentiates us from our competitors.”
Prior to construction of Hyatt House, American Direct guided Lodgeworks as to design and technical decisions that affected product door by door, floor by floor. This up-front guidance supports superior design, identifies cost savings, and ensures project efficiency.
Even with best of class pre-planning, with every construction job surprises are anticipated.
American Direct and S.D. Deacon Corp. stayed level-headed and focused when a design change emerged well after construction began on the hotel. The swinging guest bathroom doors, which offered just a 30 inch clearance, had to be changed to pocket doors in order to offer a 32 inch clearance and accommodate Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) guidelines.
American Direct got to work to evaluate what openings were involved and remedy the last minute design change. A solution was found that met the door clearance requirements while managing the additional cost.
The finished product met and exceeded expectations. When Hyatt House San Jose opened its doors, it ushered in a new level of hospitality to Silicon Valley’s “Golden Triangle”.
