A hurricane just hit and caused significant damage to your hotel property. You are frustrated and nervous because you know a lot of damage was caused by the hurricane, but you also don’t know how to find it all. Did water get somewhere you can’t see? Is there mold or mildew growing in your walls? What kind of wind damage did the structure of your property take on? What do you do to protect your investment?
A lot of detail goes into making sure your property is repaired properly and that you receive the most thorough and best insurance claim possible. KMI provides services that will help you from the moment the hurricane passes until you have heads on beds again.
Before the hurricane hits, there are some steps you can take to make the process a little bit easier and potentially save yourself money in the long run. Keep detailed documents of your property’s current condition. Make sure you have as-built drawings and photos on hand so anyone who works on the project knows what existed before the property obtained significant damage and thus can identify damage faster. Maintain a file of documentation of improvements completed. Drone flythroughs of your property, which KMI can provide, will also provide important documentation of your property.
The first step we take when we get a call for a disaster recovery project is to send a Property Condition Assessment team to the site. The Property Condition Assessment Team observes the site, documents thoroughly damage, and performs tests to identify the repair needs of the property. With boots on the ground, we can document every item that needs to be addressed for restoration. A Project Manager will also visit with the Property Condition Assessment team to ensure that the project is on the right track from the beginning. KMI will also call in Industrial Hygienists. They will test for any toxic substances that may exist and cause harm to anyone who enters the property. One of the most common findings after a hurricane includes mold and mildew where water may have seeped in.
After the property has been fully assessed, KMI provides a detailed scope of damage and develops an estimate for what it will cost to restore your property. This will help you understand what needs to be done to bring your property back to its quality before the hurricane and the budget needed to make it happen. KMI also coordinates with insurance companies and provides details to support the repair estimate to ensure you receive a fair return from your insurance company.
Our Dispute Resolution team has experience to testify on your behalf if disputes arise with the insurance company on the scope of the damage to your property and support the estimate of the cost to repair.
Once a scope and estimate are determined and agreed upon, KMI will manage the likely required design team, other possible required consultants, and construction contractors needed to complete the project. A Remediation Contractor will be the first to work on the site to stabilize the damaged property, complete cleaning and repair of the property contaminated with toxic substances such as mold. Then, KMI will manage the remediation work plus repairs to the structure and building envelope, and further interior reconstruction until the property is ready once again for operation and guests.
If you find yourself with damaged property this hurricane season, or are still recovering from last hurricane season, give us a call at 407-251-0085 or email us at jbecker@kmiintl.com. We will provide a proposal for a Property Condition Assessment, estimate, and Project Management to coordinate with your insurance company, and coordinate all parties needed to make sure your property is restored to the quality it was at before the hurricane, or better. KMI is your one-stop-shop to make sure your hotel property is restored the right way the first time.