As part of Core Tech’s contribution to Guam’s economy and the 2020 plan’s vision of Guam as “a world-class, first-tier resort destination of choice,” Core Tech renovated the former Aurora Resort and Spa into the first of the Lotte Hotel chain to open on Guam. We successfully met this project’s six month timeframe, thereby highlighting our ability to complete a high-demand, large-scale project on a tight schedule.

 

Scope of Work

This extensive project to transform the worn facilities into a five star hotel called for total demolition of three partially knocked-down existing buildings and renovation of the civil, mechanical, and electrical systems. The renovation work covered nearly 5 million square feet of floor area, of which the interior work accounted for 295,000 square feet of interior painting work, around 50,000 total square feet of special stone tile installation, and over 20,000 square feet of wood veneer panel installation. We managed the procurement and use of over 300 different types of finishing materials to give the hotel a polished look. The renovation took place in four areas (the Tower Wing, Island Wing, Center Island, and Common Area) and included the main lobby and public space, 222 guestrooms, maintenance area, and installation of a new swimming pool. The biggest scope of work involved remodeling the public areas, such as the island lobby, lounge, fitness center, restroom, and ballroom).

 

Challenges

The primary difficulty with the Lotte Hotel project was handling the logistics of such a rapid timeline. Of the 300 finishing materials, many of them were off-island sources with long lead-times. The project team, however, was prepared with an efficient procurement system to ensure that all necessary materials arrived on time. We coordinated closely with vendors, selected appropriate delivery methods, and came up with back-up and contingency plans to address this potential issue. For this project, our solid relationships with established vendors and subcontractors proved invaluable to streamlining our selection process.

 

Additionally, as is customary with short-term, fast-paced projects, there were hundreds of change orders that were re­quested with little prior notice. By timely communication with our client, we were able to incorporate these changes into the schedule without delay.

 

With the help of 136 vendors and 14 subcontractors who contributed to the timely completion of the hotel by providing much-needed materials and services, Core Tech successfully met the project’s deadline with zero time-lost safety incidents.