Another type of noise disturbance can arise from a hotel renovation project or construction in the neighborhood where the property is located. One way that planners can deal with this is to ask when the hotel’s next renovation project is planned.
“You put language into the contract so that the hotel will notify you of the scope of any planned renovation ahead of time and give you the schedule for the completion of the project and the impact on the function space,” says negotiations expert and meeting planner Nancy Norman, president of The Norman Group in Hopkinton, Mass.
“If you’re a corporation and booking a year out and know that there will be renovations, you put the language in your addendum that if it’s not as the hotel said it would be, you would be compensated or have the right to cancel,” she continues. “A smart planner would be in touch with the hotel to see how the renovation project is going.”
If the meeting will be in an urban area—or even in a hotel that is part of a resort development—planners should find out if there are plans for any major construction projects nearby. These projects might not only be a noise nuisance, but could also affect traffic and transport or be a hazard for attendees who want to explore the area on foot.
