From Boutiques to Major Convention Hotels
Parkwest General Contractors Finds Niche in Hospitality Construction
Hotel construction has a unique set of challenges. Making renovations while a hotel is open means scheduling work around hotel guests and completing a major construction project fast and efficiently to meet the client’s revenue goals.
Parkwest General Contractors has developed a system for managing all the moving parts in hospitality construction to become one of the premier hotel and motel renovations experts in the western United States.
Based in Anaheim, California, Parkwest offers A-to-Z solutions for the hotel industry, including general contracting, value engineering, design review, feasibility analysis, project management, estimating and budgeting, and development services.
Although Parkwest has been in business for more than 30 years, Chris Hostert, founder and Principal, and Ed LaCivita, Principal, became company partners 15 years ago and quickly found their niche in the hospitality market. Parkwest has been named one of the top construction companies by Hotel Management and Hotel Business magazines for the past seven years.
“We have a true passion for what we do,” says Craig Sullivan, Executive Vice President. “We don’t just have one-time customers. We build long-lasting relationships with our clients.”
Rooted in Combined Expertise
Both Hostert and LaCivita are licensed general contractors with more than 30 years of industry experience each. Hostert began his career with a property management company, overseeing daily maintenance at various properties throughout Orange County, California. Before joining Parkwest, he owned and operated a successful subcontracting company. LaCivita got his start in the construction industry by installing ceiling T-bar systems. He soon expanded into residential renovations, before moving into commercial projects.
Together, their expertise in renovation and property management was a perfect combination for meeting the needs of the hospitality market, which must continually update properties to meet corporate brand standards and keep properties attractive and comfortable for guests.
Sullivan met the firm’s two principals five years ago while working at a hotel ownership and third-party management company. Parkwest had completed several hospitality and retail projects for Sullivan’s company on time, on schedule and within budget. “My contract with the hotel company was expiring, and Parkwest made me an offer I couldn’t refuse,” says Sullivan, who has 40 years of experience in the commercial real estate industry, closing more than $22 billion in hospitality transactions over the past 25 years.
Today, the firm is pursuing a market that is ripe for new business. “A hotel property with high occupancy will typically renovate and upgrade to new brand standards every five years,” Sullivan explains.
Parkwest takes the hotel’s property improvement plan (PIP) and develops a preliminary budget for determining project costs. With Hostert’s and LaCivita’s expertise, the company can create and enact a construction plan while adapting to the unforeseen. “Once you open up the walls at a property, you might run into things that could adversely affect the project. We work with structural engineers, architects and designers to make their new vision of the hotel come to life,” Sullivan says.
Adapting to Client Needs
Parkwest employs anywhere from 35 to 100 staff, depending on its project workload at the time, which can range from a few thousand dollars to multimillion-dollar deals. “Many times we do minor projects for hoteliers,” Sullivan says. “One time, a hotel engineer needed flat-screen TVs mounted on the walls as part of its new brand standards. We sent four guys over to get it done in two days.”
The company’s willingness to meet smaller needs often opens the door to larger contracts. “Our client might have a maintenance issue they need help with, and by the time they get a PIP for major renovation work, we have developed a solid relationship with them,” Sullivan notes.
The company handles projects throughout the western United States, adapting work schedules around client needs to be as unobtrusive as possible. “Because we’re so heavily entrenched in hospitality, we understand when we can make noise and when we need to adapt,” Sullivan says. “For example, if we’re renovating 30 rooms at a 150-room property, but a soccer tournament is coming into town that weekend, we work with the hotel’s general manager or director of sales to adapt our schedule to their needs in order to help their revenue management.”
That may mean doing demolition activities in the morning when guests have left for the day or painting and doing other “quiet” work at night so as not to disturb guests.
Strong Team, Strong Culture
Most of the Parkwest team has been together for 15 years. “The staff is treated with respect, and there is a lot of promotion from within,” Sullivan says. “Our management team understands that you need to constantly strive to be better and to produce a better product in order to improve client relationships.”
Many construction workers move from one area to another—especially with recent natural disasters in California, Florida, Texas and Puerto Rico—making it difficult for some companies to put together construction teams.
But Parkwest is an exception because of its focus on employee development and training. “We’ve built a culture that promotes employee education and development within the construction industry. If you want construction to be your career, Chris and Ed will guide and mentor you. You can have a career with us,” Sullivan says.
Parkwest is continually updating its technology systems, introducing electronic tools to help its employees provide daily and weekly reports and agendas. “These tools are a great way to keep our clients engaged and up to speed on everything that is happening on a project,” he says.
The Parkwest team is also committed to its community. The company supports Donate Life California, an organization dedicated to organ and tissue donation. Each year, Parkwest sponsors the organization’s annual fundraising run/walk, one of the largest of its kind in the country.
A Growing Portfolio
The company’s track record of success continues to grow. Parkwest completed a more than $8 million renovation of the Candlewood Suites in Anaheim in record time. The hotel, located near Disneyland, was vacated for the complete renovation of 156 rooms, with the addition of new kitchens, bathrooms, carpet, a grab-and-go store and a pool on the third-floor deck.
“If the hotel had stayed open, the project would have taken a minimum of 12 to 14 months to complete. We touched every square inch of the facility and gave them a gem in eight months, with one crew following another and going from one floor to the next. It was an incredible project to watch,” Sullivan says.
Parkwest also recently completed a lobby renovation for the Hilton San Diego/Del Mar. “It’s near the racetrack, and the county fair is across the street, so it gets a lot of wear and tear,” he notes. “We completely rebuilt the lobby bar and added an outdoor dining area.”
Sullivan says based on current economic trends, the future is looking very bright for the company.
“In the hospitality industry, it’s especially important for our clients to keep their focus on the business,” Sullivan says. “Our goal is to figure out the best way to complete the job with minimal impact on our customers and their bottom line.”