Services
Pre-Opening and Handover
Is the building ready to deliver what buyers were promised?
Where the promises made in sales become a running building.
Why it matters
The months before handover set the first owners' charges, the staffing and the service level. They also decide the first impression owners form of the brand. Once owners move in, each of these is harder to change.
Pre-opening for residences is not hotel pre-opening. There is no revenue line to absorb a gap between what was promised and what the budget can pay for. Every cost lands with the owners.
What the work covers
Promises against reality
We compare what the sales materials and agreements promised with what the operation will deliver and what the budget will pay for. Gaps are closed before keys are handed over.
Operating readiness
Residential operating manual, service scope, front-of-house and amenity hours, and the service standards the team will work to.
Staffing and employment
Who employs the team, within local rules, and the recruitment and training of the residence team.
First-year service charge budget
Built before handover, because it sets what owners pay from day one and what they expect in return.
Systems
Property management, owner communication, access control and maintenance.
Common areas and amenities
Operating equipment and readiness for each amenity to open on time.
Owner onboarding
Unit handover, defects process, owner manual, and rental programme enrolment where there is one.
Handover to the long-term operator
Contracts, warranties, as-built documents, maintenance agreements and how defects are handled during the liability period.
How we work
Readiness review
We assess where the project stands against opening.
Plan
We set the critical path and responsibilities across developer, brand, operator and contractors.
Delivery
We manage or support the pre-opening programme through to handover.
First months
We stay involved through the first months of operation where needed.
Is this for you?
Who it is for
Developers, including projects with a non-hospitality brand and no hotel operator, and hotel companies opening branded residences.
When to bring us in
As early as possible, ideally from the very first moment, so we can guide every element.
What you receive
- A pre-opening plan with critical path and responsibilities.
- The first-year service charge budget.
- The residential operating manual.
- The owner handover process and checklist.
In a mixed-use scheme
In a mixed-use scheme, residences often open alongside a hotel. We plan both so shared services, staff and spaces are ready together. Opening a hotel as well? See Hotel Pre-Opening.
Questions we are often asked
The brand has a pre-opening team. Why do we need you?
The brand's team delivers the brand's obligations. We work for you, across everything else that has to be ready, and make sure the pieces fit.
Do you work for hotel companies on pre-opening?
Yes. Pre-opening work is operational delivery, not representation on a transaction.
Why us
We have opened and run hospitality and residential operations. We know what has to be ready on day one.
Plan the handover before the building is finished.
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