Partners in Panels: the super-fast renovation of Hotel Astoria

15/03/2021

10 July 2020. The completely renovated Hotel Astoria opens its doors in De Haan. Yet, back in early March, the Belle Epoque building still looked quite old-fashioned. How did the luxury hotel undergo such an impressive transformation in such a short time? We reconstructed the chain of events in Partners in Panels.

9 months earlier…

Tuesday, 19 October 2019. An autumn day like any other. But not for Colin Dearman. Himself and partner Klaas Van Laeren are having a bite to eat on the Leopoldlaan in De Haan. However, they don’t pay much attention to the food on their plates. Their entire focus is on the beautiful Belle Epoque building across the street: Hotel Astoria is looking for a buyer. Colin and Klaas see a great opportunity.

From then on, everything goes fast. Three days later, the two young entrepreneurs decide to embark on the adventure. Barely six days after that pivotal dinner date, they sign the contract. GCCF (Groep Caenen Capital Fund) brings funds to the project. The next challenge? Make sure the hotel can be fully renovated and reopen as soon as possible, preferably in the summer of 2020. And who’s the right man for the job? Danny Hoorelbeke of Project Vijf interior architects’ firm..

A race against time

Colin and Klaas know what they want. And Danny knows perfectly how to give shape to their ideas. To this end, he brings on board co-designer Marianne Scheyving of mINT architectuur. The quartet then work closely together on the designs in January and February, starting the demolition works already in early March. Their big plan: the renovation of a surface area of 3000 m², including 65 hotel rooms. Their target date – July 1st – is barely four months away.

What follows is a race against time. And, in practice, a complex jigsaw puzzle to get everyone and everything at the right time in De Haan. Danny and Marianne take care of the professionals. Some days, up to 40 people from three different contractors are working on the renovation of Hotel Astoria. And then there is the delivery of materials, which is no mean feat under lockdown. Fortunately, project consultant Ines Goeminne offers her support.

A logical choice

Colin had already been introduced to Clicwall at an interior design fair. An encounter that had left a lasting impression. It only took a subsequent visit with Danny to a recent renovation project using a Clicwall design for them to make the choice. Danny immediately calls Ines – with whom he has already successfully completed several projects – to seal the new collaboration deal. The three partners look at the options together; then Ines immediately starts calling and emailing to get all the materials delivered on time.

The material evidence

Clicwall is a modular wall system with a smart click profile which can be installed quickly and dust-free. With its impact-resistant and maintenance-friendly melamine top layer, the wall is ready for immediate and worry-free use.

Colin: “We clicked immediately. The ease of installation, the clever design, the fast delivery… It was a perfect fit. Thanks to the efforts of Danny and Ines, we completed this – let’s be honest – very ambitious project quickly and successfully.”
Danny: “Clicwall is unique on the market: the system is cleverly constructed, can be installed quickly and is also very affordable. The supplied corner profiles in the same colour as the wall are also a great discovery. The stylish designs also give me, as an interior architect, plenty of opportunities to express my creativity.”
Ines: “Clicwall is ideal for renovations, especially when the deadine is tight. In the designs, which we develop ourselves incidentally, we emphasize authenticity. Clicwall has been around for almost ten years, but we continue to invest to keep improving the product and expand its scope of application.”

Danny and Ines also worked with Juunoo, an innovative support structure for light interior walls that fits perfectly with Clicwall.

An immediate hit

On 10 July 2020, only one week later than planned, Hotel Astoria opens its doors to the general public. Of course, a grand opening is out of the question due to the COVID-19 restrictions, but this won’t rain on Colin’s parade. The hotel will be fully booked all summer. Mission accomplished. The icing on the cake? Hotel guests are not the only ones enjoying the renovation: the hotel is also very popular for conferences and photo shoots. Whatever their reasons for coming, Colin is there to welcome visitors with a smile.


Colin Dearman Entrepreneur and owner of Hotel Astoria		Danny Van Hoorelbeke Manager of Project Vijf		Marianne Scheyving Manager of mINT Architectuur		Ines Goeminne Project consultant at UNILIN Panels

Wondering what Clicwall can do for your renovation? Discover the possibilities here.

Discover more pictures of this fantastic renovation on the Hotel Astoria project page.