Why Hotel Design Can Curb Competition

Bill Wilhelm is the president of R.D. Olson Construction.

In general, design has become the cornerstone of every asset class, from live-work-play mixed-use housing complexes to creative office. In the hotel market, R.D. Olson Construction in known for looking to the local community to inspire its hotel design. On its newest project, the AC Hotel by Marriott in El Segundo, an emerging hotel market, the firm was especially thoughtful about the property’s design. Proximity to the Lakers’ training facility inspired expanded the door and ceiling heights of individual rooms and bed sizes to attract athletes, on the other hand, the limited entertainment activities in the still emerging El Segundo market was the impetus for a rooftop bar. These design details are a way to curb competition in a market with ample hotel options.

“We are taking into consideration details as small as door heights, size of the beds and ceiling heights,” Bill Wilhelm, president of R.D. Olson Construction, tells GlobeSt.com. “We know that we are going to have a number of professional athletes and basketball players because we are so close to the Laker’s Complex. It is the little things that will enhance the overall guest experience based on the community needs. We are really looking at those types of details.”