Investigation of communication betweenstakeholders in the hotel buildings designprocessfromthe perspective of building operations withcaseanalysis

The primary objective of all constructed and utilized buildings is to meet the intended purpose and satisfy user needs and expectations. In contemporary practice, design-related issues often arise following the initial use of buildings, leading to mandatory revisions and modifications due to problems between the design team, the employer, and the site manager. The aim of this research is to emphasize the design problems resulting from communication or coordination deficiencies between the design team, the operator, and the employer, while also contributing to the reduction of such issues. This thesis focuses on identifying the causes of errors arising from the lack of information exchange during the design process, proposing solutions, and offering recommendations. The study highlights the importance of coordinated collaboration among stakeholders during the project preparation phase to prevent potential time and cost losses. Furthermore, it aims to emphasize the significance of effective communication between the project team, the operator, and the employer in future projects. Based on this perspective, the research investigates the reasons behind communication failures in architectural design processes and their negative impacts on both the employer and the user. The first chapter of the study presents the purpose, scope, method, and existing studies related to the thesis topic. The literature review explores building design processes, inter-stakeholder communication, architectural design processes in hotels, and related challenges. The second chapter is divided into four sections, covering project development and operational issues, roles of the design team and operators, coordinated communication strategies, risks arising from communication gaps, and successful examples resulting from effective collaboration. The importance of communication and stakeholder roles in the design process are emphasized. The third chapter focuses on hotel buildings, discussing their typologies, characteristics, and requirements. The fourth chapter includes a case study, presenting observations, interviews, and matrix analyses conducted in three different hotels belonging to a prominent hotel group. The hotels studied include Hemera Hotel, constructed in 1990; Lara Barut Collection-Bayou Villas, built in 2005; and Barut Goia Hotel, which has been operating under a different name and concept since 2012. All three hotels are located in Antalya, Turkey. The shared characteristic that led to the selection of these hotels is that they were built approximately a decade apart by the same employer and architectural team.The identified design evaluation criteria include spatial positioning, missing spaces, spatial inadequacies, design elements, and variations in communication over time in hospitality structures. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with hotel staff, and surveys were prepared to collect qualitative data. Additionally, interviews were conducted not only with the operational staff (employer and employees) but also with the site architects of the selected hotels. The study aimed to identify recurring issues that necessitate frequent renovations, compelling the employer to undertake periodic modifications. A structured observation-diagnosis diagram was developed for this purpose. The results obtained through the interview technique were analyzed and interpreted. The findings were further examined by comparing the communication and structural developments of buildings constructed by the same team for the same hotel group at different times. Ultimately, this research highlights the critical importance of coordinated communication between the employer, the design team, and the site manager in architectural design processes. Further details regarding the methods, results, and recommendations are presented in the conclusion section.