Pre-Opening Readiness Review
An experienced outside view of the guest-facing, brand and commercial journey, while the decisions are still open.
A fresh external perspective before the doors open, considering the guest-facing, brand and commercial journey ahead of launch. Designed as a complement to the existing pre-opening team.
When an outside perspective is useful
The useful window is after the concept and the physical product are fixed, and while the guest-facing decisions are still open. Earlier than that, too much is still moving to assess. In the final weeks before opening, most of what a review would recommend is already committed.
A pre-opening team six months into a project knows the property better than anyone and can no longer see it the way its first guests will. That is not a failing. It is what happens to everyone who works on the same asset for long enough, and it is the specific thing an outside view can still do.
What the review considers
The promise being set
The website, booking journey and pre-opening communication as they stand, and what expectation they create in someone who knows nothing about the project.
The journey as designed
Arrival sequence, room product and how it is explained, the intended service choreography and the handovers between departments, assessed as a guest would encounter them.
F&B and additional experiences
Whether each outlet and experience is a clear proposition in its own right, how it is introduced to hotel guests, and whether it is credible to the local audience it will need.
Commercial readiness of the offer
Room category logic, rate presentation, packages and what can actually be explained and sold on the day the property opens.
The review does not cover construction and snagging, FF&E or procurement, licensing and compliance, recruitment, or systems implementation. Those are already owned elsewhere in a pre-opening.
The perspective behind the review
I conduct each review personally, drawing on senior experience across luxury hospitality brand, marketing, commercial and pre-opening work. The focus is on what a first guest will encounter and understand, and what that means commercially.
A property can be ready to open and still be unclear about what it is selling.
The critical path tracks what is being built, not what a guest will understand.
These are judgement questions rather than completion questions, which is why they tend to sit outside the pre-opening plan.
About Gretel →The standard scope
- Assessment of the guest-facing digital presence and booking journey as they stand.
- Review of the guest journey as designed, from discovery through arrival, the stay and departure.
- Assessment of the F&B and additional experience propositions ahead of launch.
- Review of the guest-facing commercial offer, including room category logic and rate presentation.
- A written report with findings and recommendations prioritised against the opening date.
- An optional online management briefing to discuss the findings, included in the fee.
From €4,500. Travel and direct expenses quoted separately where an on-property visit forms part of the agreed scope.
The review may be conducted remotely or on property, depending on the stage of the asset and the agreed brief. Not every engagement requires a visit. Larger resorts, multiple outlets or a more detailed review scale the scope, and the fee, accordingly. Both are confirmed before work begins.
What you receive
A concise written assessment of what a first guest will encounter, where the intended positioning is not yet carried through into the guest-facing decisions, and where the offer will be difficult to explain or sell at opening. Specific observations support the findings.
Recommendations separate what should be addressed before opening from what can be revisited once the operation has settled. Where a finding needs more evidence, this is made clear. The included management briefing is an opportunity to discuss priorities against the remaining time.
How it works
Questions about the review
When in the countdown is this useful?
The useful window is after the concept and the physical product are fixed, and while the guest-facing decisions are still open. In practice that is usually three to six months before opening. Earlier than that and too much is still moving. In the final weeks most of what the review would recommend is already committed.
How is this different from a pre-opening checklist or SOP review?
A checklist confirms that the agreed items exist. This review asks whether what a guest will encounter matches what the property intends to be, and whether the offer can be explained and sold at opening. It does not write or review standard operating procedures.
We already have a pre-opening team and a critical path. What does this add?
The critical path tracks what is being built and by when. It does not test whether the result reads clearly to a guest who knows nothing about the project. A team six months into a pre-opening has lost the ability to see the property the way its first guests will, which is the specific thing an outside view can still do. It complements the pre-opening team rather than duplicating it.
Is this a brand standards audit?
No. A brand standards audit measures delivery against a defined standard, which at pre-opening stage often does not yet exist in practice. This review considers whether the guest-facing decisions being made now support the positioning the property has chosen.
What does the review actually look at?
The guest-facing digital presence and booking journey as they stand, the guest journey as designed from discovery through arrival and departure, the F&B and additional experience propositions, and the commercial readiness of the guest-facing offer. It does not cover construction and snagging, FF&E or procurement, licensing and compliance, recruitment, or systems implementation.
What do we receive, and who is it written for?
A concise written report with findings and prioritised recommendations, separating what should be addressed before opening from what can be revisited after. It is written for the person accountable for how the property presents itself at launch, typically the general manager, the owner or the pre-opening lead.
How much involvement is required from our team?
An initial briefing and a nominated contact to agree scope and access. Existing material such as the brand book, rate structure and launch plan is requested where relevant. The assessment is then carried out independently.
How long does it take?
Most reviews are completed within 7 to 15 days after the assessment phase begins. The report delivery date is confirmed before commencement and set against your opening date.
Is it confidential?
Yes. Findings are shared confidentially with the agreed client recipients. Pre-opening engagements are commercially sensitive and are not published as case studies.
How does this relate to the Guest Experience Review?
The Guest Experience Review assesses an operating property through an actual stay. This review takes place before there are guests, and assesses decisions rather than delivery. Some properties commission this before opening and a Guest Experience Review once the operation has settled.
Does it require a longer engagement?
No. The review is a standalone engagement with a defined scope and fee. Further advisory support is available if requested, but is not required to make use of the findings.
Further questions about how these reviews work are answered on the Common Questions page.
Discuss a review
To discuss a review, send the property name or website, your opening date, and what you would like the assessment to help you decide. Other ways to make contact are on the Contact page.
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