Hotel renovation specialist switches, mid-project, to QuickDrain linear shower drains at Houston Marriott Medical Center Hotel.
Unable to core-drill to relocate drain lines, Hospitality Innovations drops original spec for QuickDrain’s ShowerLine with adaptable pre-sloped PET shower pans, converting 10 tub-shower units per day to walk-in showers with minimal disruption to hotel operations.
Problem
SUMMER 2020 | HOUSTON, TX — Hospitality Innovations, Inc. provides renovation services exclusively to hotels and resorts across the United States. Owner and general contractor Walter (Bo) Dean recently added the Houston Marriott Medical Center Hotel to his impressive list of completed projects. Located within minutes to major destinations in Houston, such as NRG Park & Stadium, the hotel wanted to convert 400 bathtubs into modern curbed showers. At the outset of the project, Hospitality Innovations converted 175 tubs to showers using one-piece, solid tight surface shower pans, but as they started demo-ing out more and more old tubs, they discovered that post-tension cables were used in the hotel’s multi-level construction.
When Dean’s crews removed some of the tubs, they found a substantial number of drains were off-center. As a result, the previously specified pre-formed pans were no longer suitable and too costly to customize for the application. “Ultimately, we were unable to jack-hammer or core drill through the concrete to adjust the drains’ positioning to use the pre-formed pans,” says Dean. “That’s because we would’ve compromised those slabs.”
Hospitality Innovations had previously used QuickDrain’s tub-to-shower conversion kits for a renovation at The Westin Oaks Houston at the Galleria. So Dean knew QuickDrain’s adaptable pre-sloped PET shower pans would accommodate the drain-position constraints they were facing.
“I was aware that QuickDrain had multiple drain connection styles and knew the on-site adjustable PET shower pans would allow us to adapt to numerous jobsite irregularities, including unexpected plumbing configurations,” says Dean.
Solution
Hospitality innovations installed 225 walk-in showers using QuickDrain USA’s ShowerLine linear shower drain. The integrated PVC drain body, combined with a pre-sloped PET shower panel and waterproofing sheet membrane, “Quickliner,” represents a total shower solution for effective and efficient drainage. The ShowerLine drain system features a fully sloped trough where water exits through either a vertical or a side waste outlet, making it easy to accommodate existing plumbing. For the Medical Center Hotel applications, water exits through 1.5-inch, side waste outlets. Installers can select from among six decorative drain cover designs to accent the overall design scheme of any bathroom. The architect and design team at the Marriott opted for the polished stainless steel drain cover, Horizontal.
A QuickDrain Technical Applications Specialist provided on-site technical support to Dean and his team at the Houston Marriott Medical Center Hotel. “Although my guys were pretty familiar with the installation process, we welcomed the opportunity to have the manufacturer on-site,” he says. “It ensures that we’re aware of new updates or any additional insights that could help us in the future.”
Dean says his team had previously worked with another QuickDrain technical specialist on the Westin Oaks project mentioned earlier. QuickDrain offered a Model Room Technical Training, during which they conducted a full installation to support Dean and his team.
Results
Dean stresses that time is of the essence in the hospitality industry. “My guys were so efficient, they were installing 10 drains a day, on average, conducting full installations and leaving the hotel room below completely in service. And installing 10 drains a day is comparable to the installation time of the previously specified, pre-formed pan product.”
Coming from the tile installation side, and being trained in tiling, Dean recalls how they used to have to pour a mortar bed, slope it down to the drain and wait for it to dry. Not to mention all the steps that follow. “That’s a three-day process per shower, compared with several installs in one day when using QuickDrain’s shower solution,” says Dean.
“It not only saves costs in terms of labor but, most importantly, it saves time.” According to Dean, there have been no issues since the completion of the project in Fall 2019 and the hotel is very pleased with the drains.
According to Dean, there have been no issues since the completion of the project in Fall 2019 and the hotel is very pleased with the drains.
