Delivering certainty in uncertain times: Holiday Inn Express, Düsseldorf

The project ran from 2018 to 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic. This brought challenges. Higher costs. Supply shortages. Fewer workers.

Thanks to early planning, clear leadership and strong teamwork, the project stayed on track. We used flexible risk plans that helped us react early and avoid delays.

We took early action to reduce risks and stay in control:

• More flexibility: We moved from using one general contractor to hiring separate trades. This gave us more control, giving our client flexibility while maintaining cost and programme certainty.
• Controlling costs: We stayed focused on the budget. When the funding changed from equity to debt, our careful planning helped keep the project on course and gave the client peace of mind.
• Dealing with shortages: We changed the tender process to stay competitive and keep things moving, even with supply and labour problems. We kept tenders competitive and timelines stable, even as uncertainty rose across the industry.

The hotel is part of the Intercontinental Hotel Group (IHG) and includes:

• 455 guest rooms
• A breakfast restaurant
• Meeting rooms
• Two underground parking levels for 122 cars

The building covers 22,000 square metres, with six floors above ground and two basement levels. A metal exterior and energy-saving systems helped the project meet DGNB Gold standards.

We supported the entire process, from planning to reporting:

• Budget planning: We gave clear cost estimates and kept spending under control.
• Monitoring and reporting: We made sure financial processes were efficient and met project goals.
• Design support: We helped meet IHG brand standards while following local building rules.
• Site management: We stuck to the schedule and carried out regular checks to prevent problems.
• Investor reporting: We gave detailed monthly updates and forecasts to investors, helping build trust and giving investors continued certainty throughout delivery.

This hotel adds much-needed rooms to a growing city. It also shows the value of managing complexity with certainty. Even during a global crisis, we helped our client stay in control. By planning ahead and acting quickly, we helped deliver the project on time and within budget, even during a crisis.