Hotel refurbishments will be a hot topic at Design Inn Symposium next week, with a dedicated masterclass, presented by Shape, on the subject.
In today’s high-pressure market, refurbishments are essential to stay competitive, sustainable, and commercially viable.
Guy Blunden from WMK Architecture will host a refurbishment masterclass featuring panel of experienced industry leaders who will unpack the refurb process from start to finish, sharing practical insights, cost-saving strategies and innovative approaches, all grounded in recent case studies.
“We’ll explore the process from start to finish,” says Blunden.
“Hotel refurbishment isn’t just about great design — it’s about vision, alignment, delivery, and real-world outcomes. This session strips it back and asks: what does it take to get it right?”
View the 2025 Design Inn Symposium Program
The session will explore budget realities, discussing where the money really goes including cost breakdowns and trade-offs; smart design moves that stretch the budget – where to save and where to splurge; as well as the real-world logistics of delivering on a live site without blowing the schedule.
What to expect:
- How to set up a refurbishment project for success — establishing the vision, getting stakeholder buy in & alignment, and project scoping
- What really happens during design, costing, procurement and on site construction — and how to deal with unexpected issues and budget blowouts
- The link between design decisions and operational outcomes — with real examples of what worked (and what didn’t)
- The true cost of a guestroom refurb — with per-key breakdowns and practical benchmarks
- How do you measure success – objective and subjective ROI – including guest experience, increased ADR and improvements in operational efficiencies
Panellists will include Andrew Pickering, Commercial Manager, Shape; Catherine Hart, Senior Design Manager, Toga; Grace Lei Guo,Director, Stack Studio; and Marie Colangelo, Project Director, Repositioning Projects, Salter Brothers.
The session will include an interactive audience activity to get delegates thinking, as well as lightning round on lessons learned.
“This is a working session, not a lecture — so come prepared to be seen, heard, and part of the conversation,” Blunden adds.
Register for Design Inn Symposium now.
Meet the speakers
GUY BLUNDEN, Director – Client Services, WMK Architecture
Guy is an Interior Designer with over 25 years’ experience delivering hotels, hospitality, lifestyle and commercial projects around Australia and overseas. In his role as Director-Client Services, Guy is responsible for nurturing existing client relationships, generating new business opportunities, and ensuring that WMK goes above and beyond in meeting our clients’ expectations in terms of design, responsiveness, and quality.
He has a particular focus on listening and responding to each client’s vision, aspirations and goals to ensure these are translated into dynamic built environments which deliver outstanding experiences for guests, operators and owners alike.
Guy has worked with leading hospitality organisations and brands for many years including Salter Brothers, Accor, IHG, Shangri-La, TFE Hotels and Frasers Hospitality.
ANDREW PICKERING, Commercial Manager, SHAPE
As Commercial Manager for SHAPE, Andrew’s focus is in the hotel and entertainment sector. Having delivered both large and small upscale and luxury hotel projects for a variety of hotel brands and owners, he’s become a trusted advisor to many hotel owners, operators and consultants.
Andrew’s objective is to provide a high quality result while facilitating exceptional service – ultimately allowing hotels to protect revenue and reputation. He understands the needs of hotel clients and works tirelessly with his teams to deliver a seamless project journey in challenging operational environments.
CATHERINE HART, Senior Design Manager, Toga
A Development and Design Manager with extensive experience in public and private sectors in hospitality, commercial and workplace, Catherine joined Toga in 2023. She is experienced in client-side design management including feasibilities, design development, construction contract management, financial management and reporting to ensure projects are delivered to the client’s requirements.
GRACE LEI GUO, Founder and Director, Stack Studio
Grace Lei Guo is the Founder and Director of Stack Studio, an award-winning interior and architectural design practice with offices in Sydney, Shanghai and Brisbane known for its work across the Asia-Pacific region. With a portfolio spanning luxury hospitality and high-end multi-residential projects, Grace brings a refined, strategic approach to every brief. Her design philosophy is grounded in creating exceptional experiences—balancing sophisticated aesthetics with functional strategy and a strong commitment to sustainability. Grace is a passionate advocate for design that enhances everyday living and reshapes how we interact with space.
MARIE COLANGELO, Project Director, Repositioning Projects, Salter Brothers
Marie is the Project Director overseeing Repositioning Projects at Salter Brothers, where she oversaw refurbishment and rebranding of the 11 assets in the Accor Portfolio previously Marie was Hotel Sector lead and Project Director with Jones Lang Lasalle working with owners such as ADIA, Bright Ruby, Landbridge and Pro-invest for whom she delivered the $60M refurbishment of the Voco and Indigo Brisbane and the Kimpton Sydney. Marie has a Bachelor of Arts from Macquarie University; studied Interior Design at Enmore Design Centre and a Batchelor of Construction Management.