As high construction costs, financing pressure, and longer development timelines make ground-up projects more challenging, hotel conversions are becoming an increasingly attractive path for owners and brands.

In 2026, Lodging Econometrics reported 1,461 hotel conversion projects representing 141,971 rooms in the U.S., up 3% by projects and 4% by rooms year over year. Combined renovation and conversion activity reached 2,041 projects and 258,665 rooms.

With ground-up hotel development facing higher construction costs and tighter financing, owners and brands are looking more closely at what can be done with existing properties. JLL has identified conversions as a more cost- and time-effective alternative to new construction in many situations. Conversions can offer another path to growth, which is one reason major hotel companies continue to make them an important part of their development strategies.

For owners, that offers an attractive development opportunity. For the teams responsible for furnishing the hotel, it creates a different kind of project.

A conversion does not begin with a blank slate. The windows, columns, corridors, elevators, loading access, and guestroom dimensions are already in place. Furniture has to work within those conditions while meeting the new design vision, brand requirements, budget, and schedule.

That makes creativity, early coordination, and collaboration especially important. The sooner the design, procurement, general contractor, engineering, manufacturing, logistics, and installation teams understand the realities of the building, the more options they have for developing solutions that work within those conditions.

LCM has seen those realities firsthand on conversion projects including the historic Hotel Fort Des Moines, now part of Hilton’s Curio Collection, and Merriweather Lakehouse in Columbia, Maryland, an Autograph Collection property converted from a former Sheraton.

Key Furniture Considerations for Hotel Conversions

Because every conversion starts with an existing building, the furniture team has to plan around conditions that may not be present on a ground-up project. Room configurations, architectural features, access limitations, and property logistics can all influence how furniture is engineered, produced, delivered, and installed. The earlier you identify those conditions, the more options the project team has to address them.

More Room Types Create More Manufacturing Variables

One of the first differences a furniture team may encounter is the number of guestroom configurations.

An existing hotel may have substantially more room types than a typical ground-up project. Changes in room dimensions, structural conditions, window locations, or previous renovations can turn what looks like one furniture package into numerous variations.

Those differences can affect far more than the size of an individual casegood. They may change shop drawings, quantities, hardware locations, labeling, production requirements, packaging, and installation.

Early coordination helps the project team determine where a standard design will work and where furniture needs to be modified. A clear room-type matrix, reliable dimensions, and communication among design, procurement, the GC, engineering, and production can resolve many of those decisions before they become factory or field problems.

Existing Architecture Can Change the Furniture Itself

Room dimensions are only part of the equation. Existing architectural features can directly affect how furniture needs to be designed and built.
Large or wall-to-wall windows are one example. A casegood that would normally sit against a solid wall may need to become freestanding when glass occupies most of the surface behind it.That can require fully finished backs or other changes to surfaces that would normally remain concealed.
Power and cable management also require more thought when furniture sits in front of glass. Cords still need a practical route without distracting from the guestroom design.

Columns add additional challenges. Their location may interfere with a headboard, desk, console, or other casegood and require a dimensional or construction adjustment.

This is where field verification becomes particularly important. Original plans may provide useful information, but the furniture ultimately has to fit the building as it exists today. Confirming critical conditions before production gives the engineering team time to develop a thoughtful solution rather than forcing installers to solve the problem after the furniture arrives.

Furniture Has to Fit Through the Building, Too

Solving the furniture for the guestroom is only part of the job. The team also has to determine how that furniture will reach the room.
Older properties may have narrow corridors, small elevators, tight door openings, or difficult turns along the installation path. A casegood can fit its final location perfectly and still be too large or cumbersome to move through the building.
Knowing those constraints early can change how a piece is engineered.

A large item may need a knock-down construction option so installers can move it in smaller components and assemble it closer to its final location. Packaging may need to be smaller or lighter so crews can maneuver cartons more easily through elevators and hallways.

The installation route should therefore be considered before furniture enters production. Elevator dimensions and capacities, hallway widths, door openings, turns, and other access limitations can all influence construction and packaging decisions.

This is a good example of why the installer’s perspective matters during planning. The people responsible for moving the furniture through the property often see practical challenges that are easy to miss when everyone is looking only at a floor plan.

LCM considers those installation realities before furniture reaches the property. For example, furniture is packaged in color-coded boxes so installers can quickly identify where each piece belongs. On a conversion project, planning ahead helps installers navigate the building’s existing access and layout constraints more efficiently.

The Property Should Help Shape the Shipping Strategy

Getting furniture through the building raises the next question: how should it arrive?

A conversion property may have limited staging space, restricted access, or no loading dock. Installation may also need to follow a specific sequence based on construction progress or hotel operations.

Those conditions can influence how furniture is loaded and shipped.

For one property, it may make sense to organize shipments by floor so that installers receive the furniture in the same sequence as the rooms will be completed. Another project may benefit from grouping furniture by category. The right approach depends on the site, available storage, installation plan, and delivery schedule.

This is where logistics becomes part of project execution rather than simply transportation.

A shipping plan developed with the property and installation strategy in mind can reduce unnecessary handling and help crews get the right furniture to the right place when they need it. That requires communication among the manufacturer, purchasing team, GC, logistics team, and installer well before the truck or container reaches the property.

Existing Buildings Will Still Produce Surprises

Repositioning an existing hotel gives a property new life without starting over with a ground-up build, supporting a more resource-conscious approach to development. It also aligns with LCM’s broader commitment to sustainability, from responsible sourcing and manufacturing practices to furniture designed for long-term performance.

Working with an existing building, however, also means working with conditions that may not become clear until the project is underway. Demolition can uncover something that was not shown on the drawings, or dimensions may vary between rooms that were expected to be identical. Previous renovations may have altered walls or other elements of the building.

LCM is prepared to help project teams navigate those conditions when they surface. LCM supports projects through installation with field technicians and furniture medics who work alongside project and installation teams when site conditions require troubleshooting, furniture adjustments, or repairs.

The right solution often depends on the condition in front of the team. Having experienced field support available gives the project more options for resolving unexpected issues while protecting the furniture, design intent, and installation schedule.

The Best Time to Solve a Conversion Problem Is Before Production

The challenges that come with hotel conversions are usually manageable. Timing determines how many options the project team has for managing them.

A column discovered while furniture is still being engineered may require a relatively straightforward dimensional adjustment. The same discovery after hundreds of pieces have been produced creates a much harder problem.

An elevator limitation identified early may lead to knock-down construction or different packaging. Finding out during installation that a piece will not fit into the elevator leaves the team with fewer choices.

The same principle applies to room variations, windows, cable management, loading access, and shipping sequence.

Early collaboration gives each discipline a chance to contribute before decisions become difficult or expensive to change. Designers can protect the intended guest experience. Procurement teams can keep requirements and quantities aligned. The GC and installers can provide information about field conditions and access. Engineering and manufacturing teams can translate those realities into furniture that can be successfully produced, delivered, and installed.

That collaboration is where much of the creativity of a conversion project happens.

LCM’s Conversion Experience Helps Identify Issues Earlier

Hospitality furniture manufacturing always requires close attention to design, quality, schedule, and execution. Conversion projects add another layer: understanding what the existing building will ask of the furniture.

LCM has focused exclusively on hospitality furniture for more than 17 years and supports more than 250 hospitality projects annually. Its teams work across estimating, engineering, project management, manufacturing, logistics, warranty, and field support.

LCM also works across multiple Hilton and Marriott brand programs, giving its teams experience balancing brand requirements with the existing conditions that can make conversion projects unique.

As conversions become a larger part of hotel development, successful furniture planning starts with understanding the property itself. When existing conditions are identified early and shared across the project team, there is more opportunity to develop practical solutions before those conditions affect production, installation, or the project schedule.

Planning a hotel conversion? Talk with the LCM team about your casegoods.

Frequently Asked Questions About Furniture for Hotel Conversions

What is the difference between a hotel conversion and a hotel renovation?

A hotel renovation updates an existing property while it remains with its current brand. A conversion typically involves repositioning the hotel under a different brand, with updates needed to bring the property into alignment with the new brand’s design and operating requirements.

Why can hotel conversions require more furniture coordination than new construction?

Conversions must work around existing room dimensions, architectural features, access routes, and loading conditions. They may also have more room types, which can create additional furniture configurations and production requirements.

When should a furniture manufacturer become involved in a hotel conversion?

Ideally, the manufacturer should be involved while room types, specifications, and field conditions are still being coordinated. Early involvement gives engineering and production teams more time to identify conditions that may affect furniture construction, packaging, or installation.

Why are field measurements important on hotel conversion projects?

Existing buildings may differ from original drawings, and dimensions can vary between guestrooms. Field verification helps confirm the conditions that will affect furniture fit before production begins.

Can hotel furniture be designed for small elevators or narrow hallways?

In many cases, yes. Depending on the furniture design, manufacturers may be able to use knock-down construction or adjust packaging size and weight to make installation through restricted areas more manageable.

How can furniture shipping be adapted for a hotel conversion?

The shipping plan can reflect the property’s access, staging space, construction sequence, and installation strategy. Depending on the project, furniture may be shipped by floor or grouped by furniture category to support installation.

Why is field support valuable during a hotel conversion?

Existing buildings can produce unexpected conditions even after careful planning. Experienced field technicians can help troubleshoot furniture issues or make appropriate adjustments when those conditions arise.