Small hotels & B&B terraces

Retain the character of the terrace

The conversion of former homes into hotel accommodation is recorded in Camden's appraisal. A change of use can leave the original window openings, entrance and room proportions in place. Assess those surviving elements before specifying a repaint, and check the building's listing and conservation position before altering an established finish.

Sources: Camden: Bloomsbury appraisal and management strategy; Camden: listed buildings

Work from the booking diary to the room schedule

Identify the bedrooms that can be released together and the next date each is required. Plan decoration between bookings, allowing for the actual preparation, drying and return of furnishings. The operator should confirm housekeeping and inspection stages separately, so a proposed handback does not rest only on the last coat being applied.

Give common areas their own working window

Reception spaces, breakfast rooms and landings cannot always follow the bedroom sequence. Discuss guest arrival, luggage movements and the route to occupied rooms. Agree a suitable storage area inside the instructed premises and a clear contact for changes. Noisy work must fit the relevant restrictions as well as the hotel's operating pattern.

Sources: Camden: noisy building works

Keep the specification consistent without making every room identical

Retain a schedule of colours, coatings and sheen levels, recording where light, furnishings or historic detail justify a different treatment. Review the entrance and exterior as a separate package if they are included. A phased scheme works best when each return visit has an identifiable scope and the same approved references.