Rebuilding with the door open

Greater returns thanks to phased renovation approach

What do you do when your hotel undergoes a complete transformation? Close for peace and speed? Or stay open for continuity and profitability? In the repositioning to TRIBE in the heart of The Hague, that choice was explicitly in the hands of the property owner and hotel operator. Their ambition was clear: the hotel had to stay open! Construction partner Bulsink acted as general contractor to make this ambition technically, logistically and operationally possible.

“We do not determine, but enable,” stresses John Bressers, account manager at Bulsink. “In doing so, we listen very carefully to the client's strategic objective. In TRIBE's case, this meant continuous operation, retention of the team, faster payback time and transformation without any sales stoppage. Objectives that did not call for a standard construction schedule, but for customised direction.”

From wishful thinking to workable reality

In December 2025, TRIBE opened its second hotel in the Netherlands, in the former Mercure hotel on Spuiplein in The Hague. The reason for the major conversion was the purchase of the property by an investor. “The conversion to our TRIBE concept creates value for this investor,” explains General Manager Robert Jan Buitehuis. “Moreover, by remaining open during the conversion, the investment is recouped faster.”

Complete closure was also a possibility, he stresses: “Together with Bulsink, we worked out different scenarios. With closure, you might finish the renovation a few weeks earlier, at lower costs. But on the other hand, staying open offers opportunities to generate income.” Expressing these additional or rather lost revenues in monetary terms, Buitehuis says the amounts involved are considerable. “But that is not the only thing. Your fixed costs continue during a renovation anyway, with payroll being the biggest cost item. When you temporarily close your doors, you have to continue paying your staff while you have no work for them. By staying open, you actually give employees the opportunity to continue working. You also make everyone part of the transformation to the new concept.”

From plan to executable structure

TRIBE Den Haag Centraal features 159 rooms, three suites, nine meeting rooms, a restaurant, a cocktail bar and a 24-hour gym and is the Dutch flagship of the ambitious Australian hotel brand, which opened its first hotel in Europe in 2021. To enable successful operation, all 10 hotel floors were renovated between 25 August and 18 December 2025. An immense job, in which Bulsink did not rush. “Staying open during renovation sounds attractive, until the logistics start,” says project manager Dennis Verachtert. “Together with the hotel management, we translated the plan into an executable structure, working floor by floor and from top to bottom. In doing so, we always kept a buffer floor between our work and the floors where the guests stayed.”

But Bulsink took more measures to keep the guest experience high and minimise inconvenience. For instance, no drilling work took place before nine o'clock in the morning. Also, all workmen used their own routing through the building and a separate lift. ’But at one point, everything and everyone suddenly had to go through that one lift,“ says Verachtert. ”From tilers to painters, plasterers, installers and interior builders: at its peak, there were as many as 100 tradesmen on the project site. Then you have a day's work on logistics coordination alone.“

Clarity in the preliminary process

A phased renovation is not an architectural choice, but a strategic choice of the property owner and hotel operator. “Our responsibility starts after that,” stresses Bressers. “We ensure that planning and operations do not conflict with each other, hospitality remains central, complexity is managed rather than passed on, and discussions are resolved upstream rather than on the construction site. Even well before the project became concrete, we had intensive contact with all stakeholders. From property owner to hotel operator and external consultants.” In such a preliminary process, it is above all listening and asking a lot of questions. “For instance, to clarify the feasibility of certain choices. I am convinced that the key to the success of successful hotel renovations lies in the open way in which we conduct these talks. Because everything you leave in the middle is going to cause discussion during implementation.”

Thinking along and moving with us

“It is important to keep each other's interests in mind,” agrees Buitehuis. “For instance, we felt it was important to be able to keep running the breakfast. Bulsink then thought very well about how we could organise such a thing in a workable way. Conversely, we benefited from completing the renovation on schedule. If that came at the expense of slightly more inconvenience at some point, we naturally moved with it.”

The result in The Hague are 159 renovated rooms and completely transformed public spaces. And all in just three months. Without closure and completely in accordance with the wishes of the property owner and hotel operator.

Hospitality requires partnership

“In hospitality, transformation is about much more than building quality alone,” Bressers believes. “It touches on operations, brand perception, returns and continuity. Every intervention has a direct impact on guests, employees and cash flow. This is precisely why hospitality requires a partner who understands and controls the process.” Bulsink therefore deliberately works in a construction team. “From the first phase, we work together with the client, operator and advisors. This creates a grip on planning, risks and investment choices. No reactive adjustments, but strategic considerations in advance. This way, we don't just build a hotel, but value.”

Operating and execution in balance

At TRIBE, design, brand experience and technical feasibility came together in one integral plan. As general contractor, Bulsink translated the concept design into a feasible, cost-efficient and logistically feasible construction plan, in which operation and execution were perfectly aligned. “Already in the engineering phase, there was a sharp focus on feasibility, affordability and lead time, so that choices were not only aesthetically right, but also technically and operationally workable,” says Bressers. “With a single point of contact, a clear phased action plan and full risk-bearing responsibility, we realised the transformation turnkey, within planning and budget. This made TRIBE's vision a reality, without the hotel having to close its doors.”  

Building Hospitality Around Your Ambition

Whether a hotel chooses complete closure or phased renovation: Bulsink organises implementation around that strategy. “During the Independent Hotel Show on 22 and 23 April in Amsterdam, we will be happy to discuss with you how your ambition can be translated into a workable, profitable and manageable reality,” Bulsink informs. You will find Bulsink in hall 5, stand C21.