Stage 1 of 12. See the full curriculum and choose your starting stage
The decision to make
Write down the intended stay before selecting a style: arrival, luggage, cooking, dining, gathering, individual retreat and departure. Identify fixed property conditions such as stairs, bathroom distribution, exterior access and owner storage. Distinguish verified facts from preferences and assumptions. Research comparable listings for their advertised features and layout, while keeping the observation date and source. A blocked calendar is not proof of a booking, and an advertised nightly price is not realized revenue.
How to carry it out
Convert the observations into room requirements. State the retained furniture, the maximum group you intend to accommodate, the practical dining plan and who will maintain every proposed amenity. For an operating rental, organize guest feedback by repeated functional issue instead of redesigning around a single comment. Give the designer a current floor plan, labeled wall photos and a list of decisions that require local verification. Keep legal occupancy and permitting questions with the appropriate local authority.
Worked planning example
Illustrative scenario; not a client case or performance result.
A hypothetical eight-person rental has comfortable beds but only four dining chairs. The brief does not immediately request a larger table: the host checks the dining room, circulation and patio use before choosing how meals will work. The result might be a revised indoor arrangement, a lower advertised capacity, or another practical plan supported by the site facts.
Decision gate: evidence before moving on
Approve the brief when every room has a stated function, known constraints and a person responsible for confirming open questions. Save the revision used to request proposals; later additions are scope changes.
Build the working record
Use one record per property and decision. Replace the prompts with verified information, retain the source documents and mark anything that still requires confirmation. Assign a person and a date to open questions instead of leaving them buried in conversation.
| Field | Your property evidence | Owner / next action |
|---|---|---|
| Property identifier and brief revision | [Record verified facts or mark unresolved] | [Name and date] |
| Intended guest activities | [Record verified facts or mark unresolved] | [Name and date] |
| Room functions and capacity assumptions | [Record verified facts or mark unresolved] | [Name and date] |
| Existing features and retained inventory | [Record verified facts or mark unresolved] | [Name and date] |
| Observed competitor feature and dated source | [Record verified facts or mark unresolved] | [Name and date] |
| Unresolved site question and verifier | [Record verified facts or mark unresolved] | [Name and date] |
| Owner approval and date | [Record verified facts or mark unresolved] | [Name and date] |
Download the blank CSV worksheet
Use the record with your project team
Start with the current approved revision. Send the same document to the owner, designer and local coordinator so each person can see which decisions are settled. Keep quotes and manufacturer information attached to the relevant line. When a decision changes, record what changed, why it changed and which downstream documents must be updated.
At the next review, compare the installed or contracted result with the recorded requirement. Close an item only when the required evidence exists. If the record describes a planned purchase, do not relabel it as installed inventory until receiving and site checks confirm it. If the property is already operating, schedule work around the actual calendar and communicate the affected rooms and amenities to the person responsible for listing accuracy.
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