Erlenbad Suites · Sasbach
A building site became a hospitality concept.
The contact came through an investor who had originally pursued a different concept of use for parts of the historic building complex. From that came the idea of high-quality suites and apartments, whose later use is already considered during the development.
When we came in, the relevant areas were still under renovation.
Property
A historic place, a clear role.
The former Franciscan sisters' convent in Sasbach was built from 1924 to 1926. Until 2022, sisters of the order lived there. Today the listed ensemble brings together living, gastronomy, hospitality, and culture and events.
Our involvement concerns the hospitality. We neither developed the other areas nor operate them.
47 units
Operations begin before the opening.
The hospitality area comprises 47 units. That is the project scope, not a statement of how many apartments are bookable at a given time.
Floor plans, fit-out and building services later shape processes, the guest experience and commercial viability. That is why, during the development, we were involved in the later use.
Architecture, specialist planning and construction lay with the respective specialist disciplines. Our role was the operator and hospitality perspective.
What was considered early on.
- Units and basic structureHow spaces would later be used, and which layouts work for hospitality. The architectural planning lay with the project's specialist disciplines.
- Fit-outFurnishing from the guest's and the operator's perspective. We were substantially involved in the design and furnishing of the accommodation.
- Guest journey and processesCheck-in, communication, housekeeping and recurring service processes, before the first guest arrives.
- Systems and operationsFrom setting up the business, through systems, to the actual hospitality operation.
Operations
Operations while the project was still going on.
After the first eight suites, operations began while further areas were still being completed. For around a year, development and operations ran in parallel.
Not every requirement can be anticipated at a desk. Cooling in a larger share of the suites had to be solved differently than originally planned. During operations, 32 air-conditioning units were retrofitted.
In parallel, the hospitality operation itself took shape: pricing and distribution, booking portals, guest communication, check-in, housekeeping, technical processes, systems and quality standards.
A property should not have to fit the operation only after completion.
The earlier an operator's perspective enters a development, the more decisions are taken before they have to be corrected at great effort in day-to-day work. Erlenbad made this connection especially clear to me.