Question 1

What is a PIP and why is my brand requiring one?

Accepted Answer

A Property Improvement Plan is a formal scope of work issued by the flag (Marriott, Hilton, IHG, Hyatt, Choice, and so on) that lists exactly what has to be renovated, replaced, or upgraded to bring or keep the property in brand compliance. PIPs are triggered by franchise renewals, sales and refinancings, brand-wide prototype updates, and periodic guest-experience audits. The brand's leverage is the franchise agreement itself, so the PIP scope and deadline are effectively non-negotiable once issued.

Question 2

Can the hotel stay open during renovation?

Accepted Answer

Almost always, yes. We phase guestroom renovations by floor or by wing so a defined block of rooms is out of service at a time while the rest of the property continues to sell. Public-space work — lobbies, restaurants, meeting rooms — is scheduled around the property's demand pattern, often with temporary layouts so guests still get a lobby, a breakfast area, and a front desk while the permanent spaces are being rebuilt. Full closure is rare and only makes sense when the schedule and scope are large enough that displaced revenue costs less than the extended overhead of a phased job.

Question 3

What's the difference between FF&E and OS&E?

Accepted Answer

FF&E — Furniture, Fixtures & Equipment — is the durable stuff installed in the building: casegoods, seating, headboards, lighting, TVs, artwork, bathroom fixtures, and window treatments. OS&E — Operating Supplies & Equipment — is the operational inventory needed to run the hotel: linens, towels, glassware, minibar items, hangers, ice buckets, and back-of-house smallwares. FF&E is typically capitalized and coordinated through construction; OS&E is expensed and coordinated with the operator, but on a PIP the two arrive and get staged together and both have to be right on opening day.

Question 4

How do you keep a PIP renovation on schedule and budget?

Accepted Answer

By locking the schedule to the FF&E delivery dates before construction starts, not after. We work back from the brand's compliance deadline, build a floor-by-floor calendar, and drive procurement, submittals, and long-lead items to that calendar. On site, we run tight daily coordination between demo, MEP, drywall, casegood install, and final QA so each floor closes out before the next one opens. Budget discipline comes from clean pre-construction — realistic estimates, allowance items priced early, and change orders processed weekly instead of stockpiled to the end.

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