The August release introduces some great new features alongside upgrades to the page controls, PDF exports and a custom table numbering tool. Users now have more functionality on the plans page and can Rename / Duplicate / Delete event plans without having to load the builder. Each user is permitted to duplicate a plan which has been created by another user and can open another users event plan but cannot save over that plan. You have to use the Save As function and  give it an alternative file name so when working within a plan which has been created by another user.  When you duplicate a plan just give it the name you want and click enter and it will save on the page automatically.

A screenshot tool has been added to the lower menu to allow users to save a floor level image from inside the event plan. Just click the Camera Icon in the lower horizontal menu to save a screenshot of that view.  The new screenshot feature is a really useful way to generate a realistic visualization of the event layout from floor level.  If spacing markers have been activated these are included in the saved screenshot so you can demonstrate distancing inside your event plan.

Our team have improved the visibility of selected objects by displaying icons in the lower menu to indicate the number and category of objects which are selected. Now when you have selected single or multiple objects a corresponding icon for each object appears in right of the lower horizontal menu.

 

You can now add Dates, Times & Descriptions when creating an event using the quick set up tool. This information is included in the PDF export and can be used to add a BEO reference to a diagram.

The PDF exports have been updated with improved client branding, object icons for the equipment and the exported diagrams now link to the shareable version of the event plan. This means that when you share a PDF export the client can click on the 3D diagram and go directly to the builder plan for that event.  The new format also allows users to generate a one page PDF with an exact breakdown of all the objects required for the room set up crews. Clicking on any icon from the equipment list loads that category within your collection so the client can view a high-res rendering of the object close up.

Here is an example of the new PDF Export

Assigning table numbers in an event plan now allows you to choose the numbering in any order with an updated version of the numbering tool.  The previous version assigned numbers automatically and numbers could not be selected randomly. You can now draw your mouse over the tables to assign numbering based on the client’s preference.

With travel restrictions to remain in place for some time it is clear that planners will be conducting far fewer site visits when economies reopen. In order to secure future events business hotels need to shift their sales strategy towards Virtual Site Visits. As the industry’s leading provider of 3D Visualisation Tools, Visrez is helping hotels with the creation of Virtual Site Visit tools even during  the global lockdown. This post aims to outline how Virtual Site Visits can help your events business recover. 

Off-Site Production – No Planning or Scheduling Problems

Our clients are amazed by the photo-realistic detail Visrez achieves without ever setting foot on property. Scheduling and room preparation are not an issue when working with Visrez so your team can move forward with our Virtual Site Visit Technology no matter what the situation. Visrez has continued creating spaces throughout the global lockdowns with clients coordinating on-site security personnel to capture and upload reference shots to Visrez.  

 

Better Informed Planners = Faster Decision Making

With Visrez event planners can open a building and click into the floors and event spaces, switching set-up styles, capacities and lighting. This provides planners with the necessary visual information to research the venue and speeds up their decision making. Hotels such as the Hilton San Francisco Union Square understand how their Virtual Site Visit Application gives them a competitive advantage in the market.

 

3D Diagramming – Floor Plan Builder

Visrez Floor Plan Builder allows you to create and share 3D event diagrams using the exact event space and furniture inventory. Once the event spaces are created your team is trained on how to create and share photo-realistic 3D event diagrams using the industry’s most advanced 3D diagramming tool.

Pre-Opening & Renovation Projects

Visrez is the best option for sales teams tasked with generating business before a venue has been constructed or is undergoing renovation. Visrez can transform architectural CAD drawings and interior design briefs into stunning sales tools delivered across multiple formats from VR to 3D Walkthroughs and interactive property maps.  Such is the high quality of the assets generated by Visrez that they remain relevant long after opening and can be adapted as designs change.

Here is an example of a famous west coast resort showcasing a future development in an interactive map.

Here is the full map depicting the new wing alongside the existing resort created by Visrez.

Event planners can experience an outdoor event space with multiple set-up styles using Virtual Reality.

3D Diagramming using the Floor Plan Builder of that event space with beach area.

Future Proof Assets

One of the advantages of getting meeting & event spaces activated in Visrez is that all furniture, fixtures and fittings can be updated to match future renovations.

Great Return on Investment

Visrez enables Hotels to generate custom visuals quickly in response to any client request. For example a full service US resort needed to demonstrate to an event planner how an under construction event space could host car launch events. Using Visrez the hotel team was able to place the exact car model the planner requested inside the space for a client presentation. Thanks to the quality of the 3D Visual generated by Visrez, the hotel secured the booking. This was possible within a short time frame because the 3D event spaces were already activated in Visrez. 

 

Learn More about Virtual Site Visits  

Hotels & Venues offering event planners Virtual Site Visit technology will have a great advantage over those which do not. If your company is not already using Virtual Site Visit technology now is a great time to start. A demonstration of the Visrez platform and products can be arranged here.  

The Visrez 3D Library is now live and features hundreds of free 3D objects to ensure your event plans stand out. From now on Visrez clients no longer need to provide reference photographs of on-site furniture and staging props. You can select matching sets from the 3D Library and add them to your Floor Plan Builder account with just one click. Our goal is to create the industry’s largest free resource of 3D objects to be used in Floor Plan Builder plans.  Visrez has thousands of photo-realistic 3D Objects created by our team all of which will be available in the Library over the coming months.

Free Social Distancing Objects

As countries begin to exit lock-down the events industry is dealing with a ‘new normal’ in terms of social distancing regulations. Over the past few weeks our team has been busy creating new 3D objects to meet the social distancing requirements.  Objects like 1 Pax Classroom or 2 Pax Crescent help maintain social distancing and will be required in the post-lockdown stage of crisis.  Our team are here to help so any social distancing objects requirements will be created free of charge. Please get in touch with any requests and we will be happy to assist. 

Measuring Distances in the Floor Plan Builder

The Measurement tool located in the bottom menu allows you to check distances between objects in builder diagrams.  By clicking two points on the diagram you can measure the clearance between those objects. Very useful for checking social distancing guidelines are observed in the months ahead.

New Object Spacing Tools

This month we added a new feature to make it easier to space objects as a group once they are added to the diagram.  Single or Group objects can now be spaced in any direction using the Object Spacing tool in the main menu.

Visrez, the hospitality industry’s leading provider of 3D Visualisation tools has scaled to serve one thousand clients worldwide. The Dublin, Ireland based company provides an alternative to on-site photography with products including 3D Event Diagramming, Virtual Reality and Interactive Maps.

Visrez has solved the problem of how to capture visual assets on-site and the company is widely regarded as one of the finest innovations of its’ kind. Traditional hotel or venue photo-shoots require planning, preparation and room block outs. Working with Visrez means no site visits, room set-ups or photo-shoots required on property. Hotel staff can upload reference photos taken with a phone and the assets are created digitally with revisions and feedback processed through the Visrez platform.  The photo-realistic assets generated by Visrez can be delivered in multiple formats such as VR, Event Diagrams, Interactive Plans, Interior Renders and 3D Tours. Once a hotel space has been created by Visrez it can be updated. So when a space gets renovated or refreshed, the visual assets can be updated to match the new interior even before it is completed. Perhaps the reason why a thousand hotels worldwide have opted to ‘Visrez’ their spaces.       

 

 

 

No more clicking around to find the diagram you need. Now you can view all plans created by the entire team on the new Builder page.

 

Just click on the plan you want to edit and load it directly from the main builder page.

 

New Spacing Tools

New spacing features have been added to the main menu. Simply highlight the objects and use the + & – options to increase or decrease the object spacing

Autosave Diagrams

Autosave is now live and will save & recover changes to your diagrams in the background as you create plans.

New Hot Keys

New Keyboard Shortcuts have activated to speed up the diagramming process

• Double Click to select
• Delete Key to delete
• CTRL + A to select all
• CTRL + C to copy
• CTRL + V to paste
• CTRL + Z to undo
• CTRL + S to save
• CTRL + X to remove
• Arrow Keys to move selected items
• A to Open Add New Menu
• S to select Object
• M to move
• D to duplicate
• R to rotate
• H to replace

Floor Plan Builder is helping clients worldwide to win more events business.

Your team can create and share stunning 3D event plans which bring a major WOW factor to your presentations. Floor Plan Builder can be activated for any Visrez event space to allow your team to create photorealistic 3D Event Plans to win more events business.

Open & Close Airwalls

Need to Open the Airwalls – No Problem

With Floor Plan Builder you can demonstrate a space with the Airwalls open or closed with one click. Showcase the full flexibility of your event spaces with one click – Amazing!

Useful Tips & Tricks

Fill a Space by Setting the capacity for your event.

Filling an area based on the capacity is easy using our fill by capacity. tool. Simply select fill by capacity and use the slider to select the correct layout capacity.

Coming Soon: Objects Library

Need a specific object or prop for a client diagram

The Floor Plan Builder Objects library will give your team access to hundreds of scaled 3D Models of Furniture, Equipment and Staging Props which can be added to any event diagrams with one click.

Visrez is delighted to announce our official partnership with Sales&Catering.com to supply Floor Plan Builder to their clients.  Sales&Catering.com serves over 10,000 customers in the hospitality industry and the company has built up a strong and loyal customer base. STS Cloud is a robust, cloud-based sales and catering system which is widely used throughout the industry. 3D Room Diagramming was the one component which was not available in the STS Cloud and this partnership now gives Sales&Catering clients a state of the art 3D Diagramming tool to help them win more business and improve the event planning process.

“Visrez Floor Plan Builder is a powerful tool for our customers, who now have the option to add stunning 3D diagrams for any meeting or event space thanks to Floor Plan Builder’s interface with STS Cloud. This product is already helping our clients to close more sales with it’s photo-realistic diagramming capability”

Ryan Hamilton – SalesAndCatering.com 

“Floor Plan Builder is an amazing tool to showcase options for our meeting spaces. The diagrams are incredible with every aspect of our spaces re-created perfectly.
It’s super easy to use and creates a major WOW factor when clients view the models. We love Floor Plan Builder! ”

Sara Simon – DoubleTree Ocean City & Holiday Inn Ocean City Maryland

 

“ Can our team ever build their own 3D diagrams with Visrez? ”

Over the years we were asked this question many times by clients and our standard response was always “it’s not possible to edit Visrez models in a browser without removing most of the detail“. However with the growth in popularity of Web 3D and VR (thanks to the support of the web browsers) the underlying technology to support a high quality web-based 3D diagramming solution has emerged. Traditional event planning tools are based on 2D diagrams and if 3D Visuals are supported the quality is very low. For example, one leading provider (Amadeus) has a disclaimer stating that their 3D Visuals do not reflect the space.  

In late 2018 Visrez set out to develop a diagramming tool combining state of the art 3D rendering in an easy to use web-based application which could be activated for any existing Visrez model. Within a few months our team had solved some of the complex compression issues associated with manipulating large 3D event space models in the browser.    

Fast forward to May 2019 and a beta version of the Visrez diagramming tool, Floor Plan Builder is ready for clients to start creating their own 3D diagrams.  Feedback is overwhelmingly positive as clients cannot believe they can build realistic 3D diagrams of their actual spaces and furniture with Floor Plan Builder.  

 

 

Floor Plan Builder is a state-of-the-art 3D application which runs in any browser with a 3D engine capable of loading hundreds of thousands of elements at 60 frames per second.  3D data is transferred using a high fidelity compression algorithm inside a custom built 3D rendering engine.  The application utilises Three.js, on top of WebGL which is supported in all major desktop browsers (and even some mobile browsers) and will soon support WebGL2.  

What all this technical jargon means is that your team can finally build 3D diagrams using photo-realistic models of your spaces and collaborate with event planners in real time. When it comes to details we are going all the way to displaying the exact brand of coffee machine on the break table, sea views from a conference room window or entire outdoor spaces. All achieved with no site visits, room set-ups or photo-shoots required at the property. 

Floor Plan Builder can be activated for any meeting or event space with no site visits, room set-ups or photo-shoots and is available for a free 90 day trial.

 

 

 

 

As a wheelchair user, as a result of a spinal injury in childhood, I have continually strived to be as independent as possible. Now as a Director of a 3D Visualisation company serving the Hospitality industry, I truly believe that our products provide real value to guests and hotels alike.

Throughout my life independence has been vital for me to overcome my disability and feel equal to my peers. Travel has always been a passion of mine. Travelling with a disability brings its own set of challenges. Accessibility is essential. In my determination to push boundaries in my youth I have found myself in some extreme situations – once through an embarrassing lack of research I found myself in a basket strapped to the back of a sherpa trekking up Mount Everest! This was definitely a step too far and that experience made me much more careful in my pre-travel accessibility research.

Even after thorough research I have found myself many times in a situation where a property is not as accessible as it appeared (or claimed to be) on its website. It has been well known that Hotel Photography can be misleading and camera angles can be used to make be a space appear wider than it actually is which can be hugely problematic as a wheelchair user. The fact however that Hotel photography lacks the visual information included within a 3D Floor Plan.

The practical ease of using 3D Visuals during the booking process is of particular personal interest to me. Photo-realistic 3D Floor Plans made to scale are so exact that guests who require accessible accommodation can book in confidence knowing that on arrival they will be able to enjoy their stay – whether travelling alone or with family and friends – and with the same level of dignity and independence that everyone else can take for granted. One 3D floor plan provides a wheelchair users more visual information than might be contained in twenty or thirty photographs. This aids the decision making process when it comes to booking a room or suite. Our goal at Visrez to make the process of generating photo-realistic 3D Visuals as efficient and cost effective as possible for our clients.

Since 2014 Visrez has revolutionized the process of creating 3D Floor Plans, Visuals & Virtual Reality and today our products are used by clients worldwide in over eighty countries. Our goal is to build the most advanced 3D Visualization platform to serve the industry as a powerful resource. Our talented team is continually working on updates to improve the user experience and functionality of the platform. In order to continue improving and developing Visrez it is necessary to make some changes to the way we license our products.  

As of December 1st 2018, all orders will require a license & support plan to cover any future model updates and access to the platform. License & support plans are based on the number of models ordered per property. After December 1st 2018, any order without a license & support plan will have limited access to Visrez following production and will not be eligible for future updates. Interactive Plans & Virtual Reality Apps are not affected by this update as these products are licensed annually.

Our team takes pride in producing the very highest quality 3D Floor plans but a lot depends on how well they are displayed within a client site.  Up to now clients generally downloaded the plans from Visrez and added them to their photo galleries and accommodation pages. We decided some time ago to improve the embed code function to allow more flexibility when adding plans directly from Visrez. We are excited to release the latest version of our 3D Floor Plan viewer which allows clients to add a responsive 3D Floor Plan viewer to their website using a single line of code.

 

 

Responsive – 3D Plans will expand to match the available space of the user’s browser window.

 

Full Screen Button – All plans can be opened full screen from within the viewer.

 

New Options Menu – Choose From Small / Medium or Large Size Plans. Display Property Name, Icon and Room Name or change background colour.

Reporting Tools

By using the embed tools in Visrez it also allows us to provide detailed tracking on the usage including session time, countries and referral sources.  This information can be accessed at all times in Visrez and in email reports which can be scheduled weekly or monthly.

Real Time Reporting Tools

In built reporting tools to help you understand visitor engagement.

490Total Views

22m 38sAvg. Session Time

Reports can be scheduled weekly or monthly to keep up to speed at all times.

Browsers

Browser	Views
Chrome	359
Safari	59
Firefox	12
Edge	7
Safari	1

Countries

Country	Views
United Kingdom	136
Canada	111
France	54
Ireland	37
Others	86

Devices

Device	Views
Apple iPhone	30
Apple iPhone 7 Plus	12
Apple iPhone 7	10
Apple iPhone X	6
Apple iPad	6

Tracking and reporting for Interactive Maps & VR were features we had planned to incorporate for a long time and are delighted to announce that as of July 2018 all VR and Interactive Maps have in-built reporting in Visrez. Clients had been telling us how valuable the Interactive Maps and VR Spaces were to their sales teams but one crucial thing was missing, analytics on how customers engaged with these tools.  We have built in a Tracking button below each Interactive Map or VR App linking to a reports page with a breakdown of the user sessions, countries, devices and referral sources from the date of launch.

Prominent placement of the Interactive Map or VR will generate more sessions so it is important to ensure they are easy to find within your site.  There is no point in producing high quality interactive content and not making it easy for potential customers to find in your site. Some client apps enjoy daily sessions of several hundred unique users for the Interactive Maps.

Average session time is the best indicator of the value of VR and Interactive maps to our clients.  Session times for both VR and Interactive Maps range from two to above ten minutes which are multiple times greater than the average duration of a web-page session. Increased engagement helps the customer’s decision making process when researching an event space or venue.

 

We have added a preferences page to allow clients manage report settings across all VR spaces in their account. Reports are emailed at the start of each month and clients can update their preferences to receive reports weekly or opt out of receiving email reports for specific VR spaces. So if you just want to generate a report for your ballroom this can be done.

 

We have released new sharing tools to make it easier to integrate 3D Floor Plans with your website. The new embed tool allow clients to create customised iFrames which can include all views for any model.  For Guestrooms & Suites this means you can generate an iframe code with the zoom tool with all three views which can be embedded in your site.

 

 

For Meeting & Event Spaces you can include Floor Plan Views, Layout Views and Interior Visuals if they have been produced for a model in Visrez. Using the options menu you can choose which views to include in the iframe and the system generates the code immediately.

 

Multiple Display Sizes

The user can customise the display sizes in the options menu allowing you to choose between Small (1024 x 438) Medium (1024 x 768) or Large (1024 x 1024) Frame sizes depending on the available space in your page. All views load with the Magnifier tool and have buttons to switch between views.

Sharing & Downloads

Embed iframe contains Share & Download options which make it easier for your team to share a specific view with clients. 

 

On-Demand Styling

If a specific style is required for your brand we can create customised iframes. To discuss this option please contact us via the messages in your account.

Imagine standing in an empty ballroom with a client and being able to demonstrate that space in any set-up style or capacity right on your phone. You can rotate the phone 360 degrees around the room and it displays perfectly in synch with the space. Visrez VR is a breakthrough product which gives users the ability to change set-up styles, capacities, positions and lighting in any event space. It can be embedded in a website and viewed without a plugin in any browser or mobile device.

Each VR has a shareable link which allows you to email spaces to clients to view on their desktops or mobile.

All of this is produced with No site visits, Photo-shoots or Room Set-Ups at the hotel.

Once created the VR can be updated as spaces are renovated or re-designed in the future.

Here is an example of the actual viewer in a page:

Hotels and resorts come in all shapes and sizes so one static view is not enough to present a building effectively to prospective clients. Visrez has developed an exciting new feature which allows 3D building models to be rotated 360 degrees in the browser. The Visrez platform can now generate rotatable exterior 3D models which incorporate over one hundred individual renders within our popular web-app. This exciting update allows users to spin the 3D building model to view from all angles. We can also include some landscaping and context elements in a smooth rotation which works equally well on desktop and mobile devices. The reaction to this update has been really positive with many clients saying how they had been looking for such a product for years. This can be added to a client site using a single line of code without any plug-in required by the end-user.

Here is an example of the historic Condado Vanderbilt Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico which incorporates its’ coastal location nicely into the web-app.

Hilton is the world’s leading hotel management company with 14 brands, 600+ managed properties, 169,000+ team members at managed properties and corporate offices worldwide. Visrez have worked in partnership with Hilton since 2014 to create thousands of photo-realistic 3D Floor Plans for Hilton Hotels globally. Hilton Management Services has recently featured Visrez 3D Floor Plans as one of their stand out E-Commerce Success Stories and published data on how 3D Floor Plans helped drive additional guest room revenue across the Hilton portfolio. This research points to significant consumer interest and increased engagement with 3D Floor Plans during the travel planning and booking process. This demonstrates that 3D Floor Plans are a great investment and should be included as part of your digital marketing strategy.
 

 

A full service Hilton Hotel in Florida generated a 60:1 Return on Investment with their 3D Floor Plans.

22% of visitors to the accommodation pages interacted directly with the 3D Floor plans.

Average session for pages with 3D Floor Plans was double that of pages without 3D Floor Plans.

Conversion rates of 2% were achieved with a higher ADR for all rooms with 3D Floor Plans.

Read more at Hilton Management Services

Here is a sample 3D Floor Plan from that featured property.

 

VR is a truly powerful sales platform which will revolutionise how event spaces are presented to customers. The only limitation is that not every consumer owns a VR headset at present. Big news however came recently when Google announced that the latest version of Chrome will support VR on the web, allowing users to enjoy VR content on any device using Chrome. This will make VR accessible to more consumers because it can be experienced in the browser without any installed app which is a huge step forward for growth of consumer VR products.

Our team have been working on a WebVR viewer for event spaces for some time because of the huge potential as a sales tool for meeting & event spaces.

Imagine being able to present any space in photo-realistic quality VR without needing to arrange a photo-shoot or set-up a room. Everything is created from assets uploaded to Visrez by your team. WebVR can be available 24/7 to allow your customers interact with your spaces when selecting a venue. The Visrez VR allows your customers to switch set-up styles, positions and lighting options inside in the space as if they are standing in the room.

 

 

Now imagine standing in an empty room with a client and being able to demonstrate the same room in any style in photo-realistic VR on your mobile phone.  As you rotate the phone it corresponds exactly with the actual space you are in. You can switch set-up styles, change position or even dim the lights on your phone to give an accurate sense of what the room looks like when set-up.  In Visrez every space has its own unique URL which allows you to email any room with all the set-up styles and options to your client which they can experience in on their mobile or desktop without the need to install any custom application.

Here is a recording of how our WebVR products work on a mobile:

 

Hotel BLOOM! is a design hotel in the centre of Brussels operated by Pandox, a leading owner of hotel properties in Northern Europe. At Pandox they love to try out new technologies and the team were excited to discover our Virtual Reality product. They knew this product would be an ideal method of promoting such a unique property internationally. The completed VR App contains photo-realistic renders of all the pubic areas and event spaces with multiple set-up styles allowing the user to switch positions and set-ups as if they are standing in the room.

 

 

Here is a recording from within the VR App which is controlled by user eye-tracking.

 

 

We built a full 3D replica of the Hotel with all the details even the vintage VW Bus which is used to serve Belgian waffles. This was a first for our VR team.

 

 

 

 

We have made it easier to embed 3D Floor Plans with the Zoom functionality into your website directly from Visrez. Pasting the code into your site displays the 3D Floor Plan with Zoom Tool like this example:

 

Below each 3D Floor Plan there is a ‘Get embed code’ button which contains the iframe code for that view. iFrames display the latest version of each plan which means you don’t have to replace the iframe each time a new version is updated.

 

 

 

Construction began last month on our new studio which will house most of our modelling & texturing teams along with our expanded render farm. The 10,000 sq ft facility is located in an old factory complete with four metre high ceilings, vintage elevators and its own basement which will house our expanded render farm. This facility when finished will have enough space for hundreds of render servers capable of generating thousands of photo-realistic 3D floor plans each week. When it comes to creating a stunning interior design for the studio we have an abundance of talented designers on hand. The guys assigned to the task produced some really eye-catching designs which retain the old industrial style of the building whilst adding some nice modern touches.  When completed this studio will be fantastic, creative environment for our team to work from.  We have even produced VR renders to give the construction team an immersive view of what it will look like when completed.

Technical drawings have arrived.

 

What it currently looks like:

How it will look when completed:

 

Our new online order tool makes it easy to set up new hotels within your Visrez account.
Just click on Create New Order at the top of your screen to start the process, and choose the product you wish to order.
Once you have completed the steps your new order will be live in the system and ready for assets to be uploaded.

Online ordering is only available for Hotels with an existing Visrez account.

Guestrooms and Suites

• Any Size Guest-room, Apartment or Suite.
• Outside elements such as decks, balconies included.
• Three Views rendered – Front, Back Top-Down.

Meeting & Event Spaces

• Any Interior or Exterior Meeting & Event Space
• Empty Room Model with 3 Views uploaded first.
• Up to five Set-up styles included once model approved.

Full Floorplans

• Combined floor plan with up to 8 individual spaces
• Includes breakouts and common areas.
• Three set up styles included per individual room.

Resort Maps

• All context elements and environment to scale
• Multiple Angles Rendered to provide best view.

According to the Wall St Journal, many industries now rely more on 3D images than traditional photographs for marketing content. For example, 80% of images in automotive advertising campaigns today are 3D and just 20% are real photographs, ten years ago the figures were reversed.  IKEA the furniture giant switched its’ image production over to 3D because of the cost savings and benefits and most of the images now featured in their catalogs are 3D renders and not real photos.

When it comes to Hotel marketing, computer generated images are a game changer both creatively and commercially. 3D can provide hotels with compelling sales tools which could not be created using traditional photography. Top down views can be shown to customers when booking a suite. Meeting planners can inspect an entire floor using a full photorealistic 3D Floorplan.  The practical benefits aren’t bad either, no photo-shoots or rooms to set-up and 3D models can be updated again and again.  Order a new Carpet for your ballroom – No Problem, the 3D images can be updated before the new carpet gets fitted in the ballroom.

Below is a reference photo taken by a client with their phone and uploaded to our system.

And now here is our 3D Render of the same ballroom.

Below is another reference photo uploaded by a client.

and here is our 3D Render of the same ballroom.

The diagram below is actually of a swimming pool area.

And here is our 3D Foorplan of the same pool area.

 

This is a CAD File of a bedroom suite.

Here is our 3D Floorplan of the same suite.

Another CAD file for a larger suite.

Top Down View of the same suite.

Here is a CAD export of a Penthouse Suite

This is our 3D Floorplan of the same penthouse suite.

Today more than 300 hotels (brands and independents) in 50+ countries are leveraging photo-realistic 3D replicas of their spaces as a way to promote their properties online. Thanks to new advances in 3D visualization technology, 3D Mapping has finally become an affordable in-demand tool for presenting lodging spaces online — including guestrooms, meeting rooms, pool, spas etc. — and it’s compelling nature can turn lookers into bookers. Over the last 10 years, I have been developing websites and reservations systems for hotels, convention and entertainment centers. During this time I saw first-hand the difficulties clients had in maintaining up-to-date photography for websites.

Conrad Bali – 3D Floorplan

Having read an article in 2011 on how Swedish furniture giant IKEA switched more than half of its total image content to 3D renders because of the advantages and cost savings, I knew the same principal could be applied to hotels. I researched the specialist 3D industry and learned that 3D modeling — when provided by a visualization firm – is priced on the square footage and the level of detail. The bigger a room or the more complex the interiors, the more it costs. This explained why 3D was not used in the hotel industry; beyond the construction phase of a project, the costs were far too high. The only way 3D could gain acceptance would be at a flat per-space rate regardless of the dimensions or interior detail.

 

Galgorm Resort – 3D Visual

Knowing the best practices required, I set out to produce the highest possible quality; knowing that anything would have to be visually stunning to gain acceptance. This was painfully slow in the early days, but gradually we improved and began to expand our capacity. Within two years we were producing high quality 3D Floorplans and visuals quickly and most importantly within our clients budgets. Today, we produce hundreds of 3D Floorplans each week for clients around the globe,  matching bedrooms, ballrooms and outdoor spaces on a like-for-like basis. Once a 3D Model has been created, any number of angles from that model can be produced. Spaces can be visualized inside, outside, above, in day or night settings. Buildings, water or trees can be added to make the graphic more lifelike. Not only can stunning imagery be created that is possible using traditional photography, but everything within the file can be updated as required. In a hotel context, as a property renovates, they just take a photo with their smartphone and send it to us and we can update the 3D model.

 

Hilton Mid-Town Manhattan – 3D Floorplan from basic diagram

 

With 3D Mapping, hotels upload a CAD file or basic floorplan along with reference photographs. Once these files are received, the 3D Floorplans can be ready within 24 hours. Try getting a high quality professional photographer on site within 24 hours. Even if you do , those rooms will need to be taken out of inventory and readied for the photographer. This could potentially lead to a loss of room revenue. The flexibility of working with 3D makes complete sense from an operations view point because it enables hoteliers to order images on demand and have the floorplans within 24 hours. Hotels can maintain a library of up-to-date floorplans, whether its guestrooms, meeting spaces, leisure areas, restaurants or exterior spaces.  3D Floorplans are proving be a great marketing and booking tool as well. They provide potential patrons with the ability to understand the spaces before setting foot inside. When presented a highly detailed 3D Floorplan and a set of photographs that don’t give a rounded view of a hotel, customers will always opt for the 3D imagery. Nobody likes surprises when it comes to hotels, and giving customers the chance to see exactly what is offered is a win-win-win for the customer, the property and the brand/owner.

Hilton Miami Beach – 3D Floorplan

3D Leads to Booking

At some point, we all have booked a hotel based on the beautiful photographs only to feel a bit disappointed once we get inside; the room is not quite as spacious or stunning in reality. 3D Floorplans offer something new to both guests and hoteliers. In today’s world, guests want to feel in control of their stay right from the very start; they are active rather than passive consumers, and have more of a vested interest in their experience as a whole. With 3D Floorplans, hoteliers can give more control to the customer by providing them with a practical tool to inform their decision; they work equally well whether the property is marketing guestrooms or ballrooms.

 

Conrad Pezula Resort – 3D Floorplan

About Nicky Morrogh

Nicky Morrogh is the founder of Visrez, a 3D Modeling platform used by Hotels, Resorts & Convention Centres Worldwide. Clients upload their assets and Visrez brings their event spaces to life in stunning, photo-realistic detail. There are no photo-shoots or site visits required. Visrez allows clients to visualize their spaces from any angle, style or set-up and they can be updated to match any future refurbishments. He can be reached at: nicky at visrez.com.

3D floorplans provide hotels with a completely new way to present their spaces to customers online, allowing customers to visualize the booking space — including guestrooms, meeting rooms, pools, spas, etc. — from any angle, style or set up. These tools are proving to be essential for properties around the world, as more than 300 hotels (brands and independents) in more than 50 countries have worked with Visrez to create photo-realistic 3D replicas of their spaces. Better yet, no site visits or photo shoots are required, as Visrez has a purpose-built online system geared specifically for the hotel industry. Since launching in 2012, Visrez expanded its customer base seven fold, and today the company delivers hundreds of 3D floorplans per week.

“Hotels need to continually enhance the way they present their properties to meet changing customer demands,” said Nicky Morrogh, Visrez founder. “Hotel photography can be mis-leading, but with our 3D floorplans, customers see exactly what they are getting down to the smallest detail, and once a floorplan has been created, it can be updated. This means that as clients update their bedrooms or meeting spaces, we can update the floorplans to match.

 

 

 

 

“Visrez has developed a user-friendly platform that generates hundreds of 3D floorplans at a reasonable cost for hotels of all sizes and segments,” he said. “We recreate every area (interior and exterior) of a hotel in a timely fashion — typically in five days or less. All we need are the architectural files of the property and photos of the furnishings and fixtures. It’s a simple and painless process for hoteliers.”  Morrogh explained that the traditional costs for 3D modeling — when provided by specialist design firms – are based on the square footage and the level of detail. The bigger the room or the more complex an interior, the more it costs. This explains why despite the many benefits of using 3D, it was not common in the hotel industry; the pricing model was out of synch with the needs of hoteliers. Visrez has changed this by offering a flat per-space fee regardless of the detail or dimensions of a space. The results are simply stunning. “Many of our clients who have worked with architects design firms in the past are amazed at how we can provide such a high quality product at a fraction of the traditional costs,” Morrogh said. “We set out to create a 3D platform specifically for this industry, knowing from the outset that we would have to deliver a high quality product quickly and at a realistic price point. We have invested significantly in rendering hardware, and many of our team have architectural backgrounds. All of this, combined with a dedicated production platform, no site visits or photo-shoots, makes for a very compelling solution.”

How the process works

To get started, Visrez requires a copy of property’s architectural floorplans in whatever format is available (CAD drawings, PDFs, drawings or blueprints). The assets are saved into a Dropbox folder linked to the property’s order. After the architectural files are received, reference photos of all the furnishings and fixtures need to be provided; these do not need to be professionally taken and rooms do not need to be set up or styled. That is the extent of the hotel’s involvement — other than to review and approve the 3D floorplans.  “The progress of each order can be tracked from asset collection to review, revisions and approval,” Morrogh said. “If assets are missing, for example, we will clearly mark what is required in the system. As new floorplans are uploaded, we notify our clients to review and approve each design. Clients can mark revision requests directly onto the floorplans and upload additional photos or diagrams to help us better understand the spaces. Each 3D floorplan must be approved by the client before the final versions can be downloaded as high resolution JPG or PNG files. We provide multiple angles of each 3D floorplan to give hotels a choice of views of each room or space. 3D floorplans can be downloaded in a high-resolution bundle or delivered within a Web-App or iPad app. Additional features, such as Zoom and Hotspots, can be added to the 3D floorplans. These extras allow properties to highlight key areas on the 3D floorplan with image or text rollover points.”

 

 

At some point, we have all booked a hotel based on the beautiful photographs only to feel a bit let-down when we discover the room is not quite as spacious or stunning in reality. 3D Floorplans offer something new to both the customer and the hotel. In today’s world, guests want to feel in control of their stay right from the very start; they are active rather than passive consumers, and have more of a vested interest in their experience as a whole. With 3D floorplans, you can give more control to the customer by providing them with a practical tool to inform their decision. They work equally well whether you are marketing bedrooms or ballrooms.

 

Hilton Amsterdam – John & Yoko Suite

Most hotels rely on photographs to sway a customer’s booking process, but these can often be misinterpreted. Instead of using photos that may not necessarily portray the hotel space in its entirety, 3D floorplans give customers a real sense of their rooms during the booking process. That means no more disappointed customers who have used their imaginations to fill in the gaps that traditional photographs leave. No more nasty surprises means happier guests and returning customers time and time again.

 

 

Conrad Algarve

When travelling as a group, particularly with young people, it’s important to know the limitations you have to work with. 3D floorplans are great for families because they can gauge the size of the rooms before booking. This is something that traditional photographs simply cannot offer. 3D Floorplans are extremely useful for guests with limited mobility, as they can assess whether the room is suitable for their needs without relying on someone else’s opinion.

Hilton Barcelona

There is no question that it’s both difficult and expensive for Hotels keep their photography stock up-to-date. This is where 3D Imagery can really help hotels because unlike standard photographs, 3D Models can be updated again and again. This allows a hotel to maintain a library of up to date Floorplans & Visuals based at all times. A set of 3D floorplans whether of the bedrooms, meeting spaces, leisure areas, restaurants, or exterior spaces is a valuable asset.

 

DoubleTree Hainan Qixanling Hot Spring

These tools can be used by the sales and marketing teams, operations and general management.  They offer a real insight into hotels, giving customers the ability to understand the hotel before setting foot in it. When faced with a highly detailed 3D floorplan and a set of photographs that don’t give a rounded view of a hotel, customers will always opt for the 3D floorplan. Nobody likes surprises when it comes to hotels, and giving customers the chance to see exactly what is on offer is a major plus for both customer & hotel alike.

Conrad Tokyo  – Deluxe Bay View

Hilton Tel-Aviv – Presidential Suite

Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam – Brentano Suite

Hilton Park Lane – Chelsea Suite

Hilton Ngapali – Luxury Suite

Diplomat Resort – Beach Suite

Hilton Guangzhou Tianhe – Panorama Suite

A recent request from a client showed while 3D Floorplans may be photo-realistic they are not photographs. When the client in question first viewed the 3D Floorplans we had created for their suites, they were delighted. They said they were 100% realistic, every detail and dimension was exact.  Small revisions were carried out and soon their 3D Floorplans were ready to go on their site.  A few weeks later we received an another request from the client:

“Visually the 3D Floorplans represent our rooms accurately but we were wondering is there any way to alter them to convey a more luxury experience similar to our photography” 

To us it seemed they had missed the point but we understood where they were coming from. We pointed out to the client that the USP of a 3D Floorplan was that it offered an alternative to their beautifully staged photographs and altering them would be counter-intuitive.  Hotel Photography particularly at the luxury end of the market is about maximising the space through lighting and staging. Often professional photographs are so good they are no longer a true reflection of the room. From a marketer’s perspective it is understandable to present a  product in the most compelling way but the question remains whether this is what the customer wants.  On the other hand a 3D Floorplan can answer questions in ways which photographs cannot and provides a clear overview of any space far better than a highly staged photograph.

While our 3D Floorplans are designed to be Photo-Realistic they are NOT Photographs and the client was not comparing like with like.  They are a complimentary product which provides customers with a objective view of a suite.  They are a great conversion tool because they allow customers to examine a space in detail and speed up the decision making process.

 

 

 

In a fiercely contested battle for bookings between Hotels and OTAs anything that can give a hotel an advantage against the massive reach of the OTAs is worth considering.  Hotels who invest in 3D models are creating valuable sales tools which the OTAs do not offer.  We know this because we are regularly contacted by OTAs seeking to license our 3D Models for their sites.  OTAs generally rely on photography stock provided to them by hotels directly or through intermediaries.  By keeping their 3D Models exclusive to their own website channels, hotels are gaining a small but valuable advantage over the dominant OTAs.  3D models are the best way of giving customers an concise overview of a room in a way that standard photography cannot.

 

The same principal applies whether you are booking a luxury getaway or an economy room, you want to understand the space before making a decision. We render three views for each 3D Model in our system to provide clients with a Front, Reverse and Top-Down View of the room. This guarantees a clear overview regardless of the room size, orientation or layout.

Nothing is left to the imagination, the customer is not left wondering whether the real room looks anything like the photograph suggests.  For customers requiring disabled rooms the need to understand the layout of a space is even more important and 3D Model allow them to book with confidence, safe in the knowledge the room will meet their needs.

 

Our 3D Models are built from the CAD or Blueprint files supplied by the hotel along with reference photos taken by the on-site hotel staff.  Each 3D model is built to the exact specifications with each and every item re-created to extreme level of detail. Every 3D Floorplan Model is reviewed and checked by the hotel before final approval. Revisions requests can be marked directly onto the Floorplan to allow us deliver a perfect 3D replica of the Space from any angle.  Our 3D Models can be updated at any time to match future renovations whether it’s a complete make-over or a small change. From our 3D Models can can generate in-room views which are so lifelike they can be used in the place of standard photography stock without anyone telling the difference.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have released a couple of new features to improve 3D Floorplan previewing without requiring clients to be logged into the system.  Our Zoom Preview gives users a detailed close up by moving their mouse over the floorplan on the published preview link. This speeds up the review process by giving you an easy way to review the details of your floorplans without having to log-in. Once all feedback has been collected you can mark revisions directly onto each floorplan or upload a detailed revisions document to your order.

Sample 1:  Conrad Bali – Penthouse Suite

 

Sample 3: Hilton Singapore – Singapore Room U-Shape

 

 

 Sample 2:  Conrad Hotel Tokyo – Hamarikyu Room Banquet

 

 

New Order Status Table

Each order now has its own status link where you can view the progress of each floorplan ordered without being logged-in to your account. This allows you to track each floorplan order from Asset Collection through to approval. The order status table contains six unique stages to provide clients with a clear overview of the status their floorplans. Where No Assets or some Assets have been received this is highlighted with a red warning message. The order status table can be downloaded as a PDF by clicking on the link below the table.

View Sample Table: Conrad Hotel Tokyo

 

 

Where a Note Icon is displayed beside a room name this means a more information is required by our team before we can begin the 3D modelling process. This could be that the CAD file provided is incorrect or the specific room is not marked on the file.  Notes can contain screenshots uploaded by our team for clarification as clients cannot open CAD drawings and therefore cannot see the files before uploading. The Note feature helps to move things along where more information is required by our team.

Sample:  Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh – The Caledonian

We have upgraded our email preview template to include thumbnail images. This new feature is a significant improvement to the review and feedback process.  Clients now receive a branded emails with a status graphic displaying the number of 3D floorplans outstanding across each category. The template includes thumbnail images of the most recent uploads to give clients a quick preview of the Floorplan within their email. In addition we have also upgraded our Dropbox Folder Notifications and Asset Collection reminder templates to improve communication through each stages of the order.

 

When the Pfister Hotel opened in 1893 it was billed as the “Grand Hotel of the West,” and was the most lavish of its time. Costing nearly $1 million; it featured groundbreaking innovations such as: fireproofing, electricity and thermostats in every room. In 1962 it was purchased by Movie Theatre chain operator Ben Marcus and today it is still operated by the Marcus Hotel Corporation

We were contacted by the Marcus Hotels & Resorts, a division of The Marcus Corporation, to produce 3D Floorplans for the 7th Floor Events Space at the Pfister Hotel. They asked if we had worked with historical floor plans, as The Pfister’s plans dated back to 1926. We were so excited to view the vintage drawings produced almost a century ago.

We could appreciate first hand the attention to detail required to produce such drawings by hand. We wanted to give these historic floor plans a digital life, so we decided to produce a full 3D Replica of the Hotel. The classic exterior facade was recreated, floor by floor, along with The Pfister Tower section of the hotel, built in the 1960s.  Our team experimented with light settings to create both day & night visuals. The end result is a stunning 3D replica of this historic hotel delivered in an app for the client site which allows the user to navigate all the meetings and events spaces at the Pfister Hotel with ease.

 

At Marcus Hotels & Resorts, we’re always on the lookout for new technology that will enhance our guest experience and our online presence. Visrez is a fantastic solution for showcasing The Pfister’s meeting space in a user friendly, responsive format. Visrez was able to translate the historic tradition of The Pfister Hotel into a modern tool, useful to today’s modern meeting and wedding planners.

Chaz Rzeplinski | Director of Ecommerce – Marcus Hotels & Resorts