Hotel ArchitectBrand Technical Services for International Hotel Investors
We manage the Brand Technical Services (BTS) approval process for international chain-hotel brands — Marriott, Hilton, IHG, Wyndham, Accor, Radisson, Sheraton and Best Western — from concept design through pre-opening inspection.
● What Brand Technical Services Is, and Why It Decides Your Timeline
Brand Technical Services (BTS) is the technical approval process an international hotel brand runs on your project once a franchise or management agreement is signed. The brand’s design and engineering team reviews your architecture, MEP, interior design and operational layout against its global brand standards — from early concept through the final pre-opening inspection.
BTS is not optional and it is not a formality. A brand does not approve a design after the fact — it reshapes the design to its own standard. When BTS is managed late, or by a team unfamiliar with a specific brand’s review process, the result is delayed approvals, late-stage redesign and a pushed-back opening date.
What most first-time brand-hotel investors do not anticipate: the cost of a rejected MEP detail or room typology rises sharply the later it is caught. Managing BTS as part of the design from day one is far cheaper than correcting it after construction documents are finished.
● The Six Stages of Brand Approval
The BTS process runs in parallel with design maturity, through six sequential technical review stages.
Pre-Evaluation
Initial concept presentation to brand representatives and preliminary alignment check.
Schematic Design Review
Approval of space program, room typologies and overall layout against brand standard (SD Review).
Design Development Review
Approval of finishes, MEP, lighting and kitchen/laundry technical details (DD Review).
Construction Document Review
Final check of construction-ready drawings against brand standards (CD Review).
Site Inspections
Interim brand inspections during construction and the resulting punch list.
Pre-Opening Inspection
The brand’s final sign-off confirming the hotel is ready to open.
● What Skipping or Delaying BTS Actually Costs
The critical fact investors learn too late: a brand will not retroactively approve a finished design. If it rejects an MEP detail, a room typology or a corridor width after construction documents are complete, the design goes back to the drawing board — and the redesign cost multiplies compared to catching the same issue during schematic design.
Every month BTS approval slips is a month of carrying cost on land and financing with no revenue-generating asset. Managing the brand relationship as an integrated part of design, not as a compliance step after the fact, is what keeps a hotel investment on its original opening date.
● 20+ Years Managing Brand Approval Processes
EÖÇ Mimarlık has managed BTS processes end-to-end across multiple brands and hospitality segments for more than two decades, with completed and active projects spanning 16 countries and over 1,000,000 m² of delivered architecture. We act as the investor’s single point of contact with the brand’s technical team throughout the process.
Through our strategic partnership with L Collection, we also advise on and manage the process of securing the franchise or management agreement itself — from initial brand selection through contract signature — before BTS begins.
● Hotel Brands We Have Worked With
We have direct experience managing the technical approval process for major international chains, including Marriott, Hilton, IHG, Wyndham, Accor, Radisson, Sheraton, Best Western, Dedeman and Elit World. Each brand runs its own review sequence and documentation requirements — knowing those differences in advance is what keeps a project’s timeline predictable.
● Selected Brand & Hospitality Projects
A selection of completed and active hotel projects reflecting the scope of work we bring to international hotel investors:
● Why Brand-Hotel Investors Choose Us
Two decades managing brand approval processes end-to-end across multiple hotel brands and segments.
Direct working experience with Marriott, Hilton, IHG, Wyndham, Accor, Radisson, Sheraton and Best Western.
We manage the brand relationship so investors deal with a single, accountable team throughout.
● Frequently Asked Questions
The questions we hear most often about BTS scope, timing and brand approval.
What exactly is Brand Technical Services (BTS)?
BTS is the technical process through which an international hotel brand reviews and approves your project’s architecture, MEP, interior design and operational layout against its global brand standards. It begins once a franchise or management agreement is signed.
When should I bring an architect into the BTS process?
As early as possible — ideally at concept design. Bringing the brand’s technical requirements in late leads to significant redesign cost and lost time later in the process.
Which brand approval stages do you support?
We support the full process: pre-evaluation, schematic design review, design development review, construction document review, site inspections during construction, and the final pre-opening inspection.
What happens if BTS is skipped or delayed?
The brand will not approve a finished design retroactively — it requires it to be revised to its own standard. Those revisions carry escalating cost and delay the later they occur in the process.
Which hotel brands do you have direct BTS experience with?
We have direct experience with Marriott, Hilton, IHG, Wyndham, Accor, Radisson, Sheraton and Best Western, among others.
Can you also help secure the brand agreement itself, not just BTS?
Yes. Through our partnership with L Collection we advise on and manage the process of securing a franchise or management agreement with a major hotel brand, before BTS begins.
What is the first step to start working together?
We begin with a free introductory consultation to assess your project’s brand and stage, then map out a process plan specific to your investment.
Let’s Discuss Your Brand-Hotel Project
Whether you’re evaluating a brand or already have a signed agreement, get a free initial consultation on your BTS process and timeline.
EÖÇ Mimarlık — international architecture, turnkey construction and hotel brand technical services, active across 16 countries since 2006.