Updated on Renovation Updates Updates

Grand Summit Room Renovation FAQ

To: Grand Summit Hotel Owners

From:  Grand Summit Condo Owners Association Executive Board

Re:  Grand Summit Hotel Renovations

Date:  March 10, 2023

  1. What’s the buzz, tell me what’s happening…
    • We are excited to share that two long awaited renovation projects are officially underway at the Grand Summit Hotel – the renovation of the Crown Club and the construction of a Model Room that will guide a complete renovation of all 230 rooms in the hotel.
      • First, the Crown Club has received its first-ever upgrade since opening day in 1992. The renovated Crown Club features an updated kitchen and all new furnishings. It includes more diverse seating options, a family area, and a more open floor plan.  In owner surveys, these improvements were rated as “very important”, so the Summit Condominium Owners Association (HOA) Board prioritized this project for 2022. We are thrilled to have this new space being utilized and receiving overwhelming positive feedback. 
      • Second, the new Model Room, which will guide our long-awaited updates to kitchens, bathrooms, furniture, windows, doors, and flooring in all 230 rooms in the hotel. The Model Room will not only allow the ownership the opportunity to experience and provide feedback about a renovated room but allow the project team to understand functionality, quality, appropriate scope and any additional information relative to the larger renovation of all guest room. 
        • The Model Room is now complete and is available for viewing to owners on select dates in March – please join us if you haven’t already.  If you can’t join us in person, please visit the Model Room virtually.  For a full tour please visit our Matterport Tour. Drag your mouse up, down and around to view all angles of the room. Click on the white circles to navigate through the space.
        • The first phase of construction on rooms is expected to begin in Spring 2024, assuming case goods and furniture, fixtures and equipment can be procured and shipped in time.  The contractor states that total construction time to complete all three wings will take nine to 10 months. [UPDATED 5/31/23]
        • The goal is to limit disruption to the ski season, when many owners use their unit(s) or place them in the rental pool.
  2. How does it work in other hotels – are we on track or overdue for complete room renovations?
    • The short answer is that we are long overdue.
    • The industry standard for room renovation is 7-10 years, yet many of the elements in the Grand Summit rooms have not been updated in 30 years. That means we’ve gotten more than 3 times as much life out of our rooms as most homeowners’ associations.
    • Thanks to careful planning and targeted investments, we have been fortunate to get as many years as possible out of our rooms and common areas.
  3. Does the age of the room really impact popularity and reservations?
    • The #1 comment we receive from hotel guests (visitors, not owners) is that the rooms are outdated and tired. This impacts reviews as well as rates of guest returns.
    • We now have an opportunity to look ahead and plan for a future where owners can enjoy modern fixtures and furnishings while the stature and reputation of the Grand Summit can grow among guests and across ski resorts in our area, region, and around the country. 
    • We are looking forward to bringing the hotel back up to its full potential, with all the benefits to owners and guests that that will bring.
  4. Will these renovations impact how much the hotel can charge for rooms and therefore how much owners will receive in rental income?
    • Absolutely! In similar renovations at Boyne-managed properties, there have been increases in average daily room rate and price per available room. This translates to more rental income for owners after the renovations are complete.
  5. How much will this cost?
    • Completion of the Model Room was the first step in finalizing the design and calculating the total cost of the full renovation.
    • The Project Team is now assessing all of the elements of the model room and making adjustments based on their industry expertise and the results of surveys being completed by owners. 
    • As soon as the contractor and procurement company provide pricing, the HOA Executive Board will share information with all owners. 
  6. How will it be paid for?
    • The renovation will be paid for through a combination of bank financing and an out-of-pocket down payment. The down payment will require a one-time special assessment on all owners, likely to be 20 – 25% of total renovation cost. For example: If a 1-Bedroom Sleeps-6 renovation is $60,000, splitting that across four quarters would be $15,000 per owner/quarter, resulting in a special assessment of $3,000 – $3,750 (20% – 25%) per owner/quarter. PLEASE NOTE: this is just an example, as the Board does not have any final pricing!Once final costs are calculated, we’ll be able to calculate each owner’s portion based on their actual room and know how much the one-time special assessment will be.
    • The HOA Board is committed to making this much-needed renovation as affordable and financially sound as possible.  We also understand not everyone’s finances are the same.  All residential owners will have a vote!
  7. How will the final decision be made? (updated 3/17 following legal cross-check)
    • The HOA Board will prepare a final design, project timeline, and financing plan, which they will recommend to the ownership at large.
    • Each owner will have a chance to vote on the plan, and the plan requires approval by a majority of unit owners.Each deeded unit will get one vote. 
      • If you own one deeded unit, you get one vote. If you own three deeded units, you get three votes, etc.
      • Sunday River owns four residential deeded units, and Unit 1, which is the commercial space, giving them five votes.
    • Convenient voting mechanisms will be created and are likely to include mail and web-based options. Proxy votes will be part of this, so if you are not available on the day of the vote (tentatively expected in May or June), you can participate in advance by proxy vote. 
  8. Who is overseeing this project?
    • Before all of this work began, the HOA Executive Board researched, interviewed, and assembled a room renovation project team with the experience to successfully complete the full-scale project. 
    • The project team, consisting of a professional construction project manager, lead construction company, interior design team, Board members, and Sunday River staff have been meeting weekly for over 6 months and will continue to do so throughout the duration of the construction.
  9. Do we have a professional project manager?
    • Yes. To lead the Model Room process as the Project Manager representing the Summit Condo Owners Assn., the board  hired Christine Kendall. Christine is the owner of HEC+A and HE Callahan, based in Auburn, Maine, and has over 20 years of commercial Project Management experience.
    • Christine is also an avid skier and has been an integral part of the model room planning. She will be on-site weekly during the construction phase of the project.  In addition, she has been working to determine best practices and efficiencies for the larger room renovation project. Christine’s role on the project team is to coordinate all parties and advocate for the best interests of the Summit Condo Owners Assn.
  10. Who is the contractor for the renovation?
    • DEW Construction has been hired to complete the construction work on the Model Room. DEW is a New England based commercial firm specializing in construction management and general contracting services.  They have decades of experience in the hotel industry and ski industry. 
    • The team the Board has hired has over 100 years of combined experience in renovation and has been working hard to make progress towards renovating all 230 rooms of the hotel. It is an exciting time at the Grand Summit Hotel! We look forward to sharing additional details about the production phase of room renovations soon and having you be a part of the future of the Grand Summit Hotel!
  11. Who is designing the room renovations?
    1. The design work for the Model Room has been completed by Christine Burdick Design. CBD is a New England based commercial design firm that pulls inspiration from the natural landscape. The Burdick team is very familiar with the Grand Summit Hotel. Recently Burdick designed and executed the renovation of the common areas including guest hallways, lobbies and the Owners Lounge.  They also completed Sunday River’s renovation of the Grand Ballroom. 
  12. What are some of the biggest changes?
    • This renovation is going to make each room more modern and functional. For example, every room will have:
      • A brand-new kitchen.  All units will have a 4-burner stovetop, an oven, and a full-sized refrigerator, making food preparation and longer stays easier.
      • New modern furniture and wall mounted TVs, and new lighting. 
      • New Murphy Beds that will include built-in shelf space, lighting, and electrical outlets and will fold up more seamlessly. 
      • All new sleeper sofas.
      • New mattresses on all beds.
      • All new light-filtering and room-darkening shades.    
      • New bathroom vanities, including storage cabinets and shelves, new mirrors, and new lighting.
      • Doors to decks replaced. 
      • Solid deck chairs, replacing the white plastic chairs, and a small deck table.
    • We do not yet know if the scope of work will include HVAC upgrades or replacements.  We certainly understand the critical importance of this and are still researching options and costs and thus do not have a final scope of work.  A final scope will accompany the recommendation that will come from the Board later in the Spring. 
  13. How can we provide additional suggestions and input on room renovation design?
  14. Where can I get updates on plans and progress?

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