A Fresh New Look at The Holiday Inn

When a global chain like Holiday Inn decides to debut a modernized look for their in-house restaurants, precision is key.

“One other Holiday Inn already had this style, but it was a much smaller location,” explains Aptitude Design and Build President Matt Mierek, so achieving the architect and designer’s plans for the space meant taking this larger footprint into account.

And as Mierek and the Aptitude team know, restaurant remodels mean one thing: When it comes to the schedule, there’s no room for error. “When we say the job’s going to be done in three months, the job has to be done in three months. There’s no extending the project date,” Mierek says. “We’re taking the architect’s vision and making it a reality, and doing that within a pretty short time period—because they’re closing their entire restaurant down as we go in and remodel the whole thing.”

Fittingly, Aptitude is well respected in the industry for its ability to offer truly turnkey solutions for corporate clients like this one. In fact, their commercial construction experience is such that clients can feel free to be as hands off as they like—an uncommon sight in the usually stressful world of major remodels. “We like to take over the project and just give them updates,” says Mierek. “That’s what companies like this like. Going into it, we know we’re going to be working closely with the hotel manager or the development company, the architect, and the designer, so having staff in the office that can handle that type of interaction with people and the amount of paperwork that’s involved is one of the biggest assets for a midsized construction company.”

Mierek makes a point to bring on staff members who are well-versed in commercial remodels for just this reason. “This development company owns 15 or 20 Holiday Inns, so they have enough on their plate. Just having peace of mind knowing that we’re going to meet our deadlines, that speaks volumes to us and goes a long way to making them feel comfortable,” he explains.

The remodel itself is also, as it turns out, designed to make people feel comfortable. Holiday Inn took a modern approach for this new dining concept, creating a look that’s undeniably on-trend but also warm and welcoming to any generation. Key style elements carried over from the smaller location—such as “the shiplap on the posts, the black ceiling, the floor tile, and the way the tables and booths are set up,” according to Mierek—are translated beautifully into the larger space.

Warm wood tones create a cozy feel and offer a nod to the restaurant’s “new American” fare, while statement lighting fixtures—by turns urban and modern art-esque—add an exciting touch. In fact, they’re one of Mierek’s favorite elements in the finished space. “I really like the lights hanging down over the center table,” he says, “and I think the bar area is super cool—that back bar with the cabinets.”

The finished space is a bold and memorable new style for Holiday Inn, but for Aptitude, it’s just another in a long list of successful restaurant remodels delivered on schedule.

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