When Google maps launched in 2005 it was designed to help users get from point A to point B in the pre-smartphone age and quickly became ubiquitous as it was a giant step forward in terms of functionality. Over the years Google added many new features and provides a significant amount of information to its users but it was never designed as a sales and marketing tool. Based on conversations with Visrez users over the last couple of years it became clear they needed an alternative to Google Maps to demonstrate the on-site facilities and amenities of their resorts without showing competitors or unrelated businesses in their websites.

On-site visits are less common these days so giving decision makers the tools to understand your venue is more important than ever. An interactive property map can demonstrate the layout and facilities better than any other digital marketing tool. Video and lifestyle photography are great for selling the dream but neither demonstrates the layout and facilities like an interactive property map. Group and event planners conduct detailed research during venue selection and look past stylish visuals to get an understanding of exactly what a venue offers in terms of facilities and on-site amenities. Providing these key decision makers with an engaging property discovery tool sets your business apart especially if the competition is relying on pdfs and Cvent pages.

A new standard for Interactive Property Maps

Most websites run on WordPress or other platforms which offer thousands of templates that can be styled to match your brand. Interactive maps must be built from scratch. No templates exist because maps require a diverse range of skills such as design, 3D Modeling, Virtual Tours, Video and application development. Website vendors have some but not all of these capabilities in-house which may be the reason why static property maps are still common. Partnering with specialists to provide these services is an option but most vendors will stick to what they do best. Now, with the launch of our Interactive Property Map Builder, Visrez clients can have a fully customizable interactive map which can be managed by their team in house.

Visrez has produced hundreds of photorealistic 3D maps for resort and convention centers worldwide so this is our area of expertise. In our opinion 3D rendered maps are the best format because they present a visually accurate vision in a photorealistic style. Clients can decide what to show and more importantly what not to show (such as neighboring properties). Cameras can be generated from any position, angle or height and buildings can be separated to demonstrate internal floors. For pre-openings a 3D map is usually the first step in visualizing how the property will look and a vital asset for the team. Most importantly 3D Maps can be updated to match future renovations allowing you to demonstrate new developments well in advance of completion.

Fully Editable Interactive Map Builder

When we first discussed the product with clients one of the key requirements was that it should be fully editable by their team because there is no point having a superb map if you get charged every time you want to update it. Our team created a powerful tool with a back end to allow users to manage the content without our assistance. Users can add their own markers, pins, CTA buttons, links, photo carousels and videos. The intuitive map builder interface can be learnt quickly with training from the Visrez support team.

Categories can be created and organized in the main menu using a simple drag & drop editor. All changes appear immediately in the live map so the updates will be instant if the code has already been added to your website. The map can be shared directly with a link outside of your website and can be included in proposals and estimates shared with planners.

All Media Formats Supported

A lot of time and money goes into the production of photos, videos and virtual tours so we wanted to ensure that Visrez clients could use all their visual assets within the property map. Users can add YouTube videos, Matterport Virtual Tours or any other media content easily to the interactive maps just by pasting the code into the back end. Why should clients be restricted to only using content created by one supplier as supporting all media formats makes the interactive map an even more valuable resource for our clients.

Adding Interactive Maps to your Website

Adding the interactive map to your website is done by copying the map code from Visrez and pasting it into the source code of the page like Googe Maps. Visrez has released an API which uses the styling from your website so that the fonts, background colors and buttons in the map will blend with the site. Older formats such as iFrames are no longer supported as the API functionality allows your team to insert a single line of code to display the map. Most importantly if you switch website vendors the interactive map can go into your new site by adding the code to the page as a standalone asset which belongs to your resort or venue.  

Creating Multiple Custom Maps in Visrez

In conversations with clients one question came up so frequently that we decided it had to be added to the platform. Our users wanted to create individual property maps for specific groups or events which could be shared with clients privately during the sales and planning process. Say for example your team is bidding for a large event and needs to create a custom map just for that client’s event. Now you can copy an existing map, mark out the spaces which the client is reserving and share using a link without touching the property map on your site. This ability to easily create and share custom interactive maps greatly increases the value proposition of the application because clients can have as many custom maps as they want within their Visrez accounts.

Future Feature Releases

Our team has a roadmap of enhancements which will be added to the interactive map builder in monthly platform releases. As with all Visrez products there are no paid upgrades or additional fees. We maintain the same code across all client accounts because this makes it easier for our team to provide excellent customer support. Whether an account has one space or one hundred spaces activated on Visrez, they get the same platform, products and support.

To Learn more about Visrez Interactive Map Builder, please contact us.

At the end of last year our team began reviewing the Add & Build functions as there was always some confusion for users between these options. What was envisioned as a relatively straightforward project turned into a much bigger task and our team worked on multiple prototypes before we selected our preferred choice which involved a significant update to our original code. The end result is a greatly enhanced Floor Plan Builder which we hope existing users will love and new users can learn more easily. Our team is genuinely delighted with the result and although it took several months longer than expected, we believe it was worth the extra time and effort.   

New Drag & Drop Tool 

Single 3D Objects can be added to your space using drag & drop from the client collection. Just click on the object and drag it into your space. It could not get any easier to create 3D event plans using the new drag & drop tools.  

New Build Tool

We have significantly upgraded the Build tool with this release. Users can specify the exact number of objects in the number field or leave the number field empty and draw with the mouse. Object numbers can be increased or decreased using the new marker tools.

We have also added new spacing sliders which are really simple to use. You can adjust object spacing before or after placing the objects inside the plan with the new sliders. When you are happy with your plan just to click Save or Clear to start over. These new enhancements make it easy for users of all technical ability to create stunning 3D Event plans.

The first release of 2023 introduces great new features and top of the list is the new sunlight tool which brings outdoor event plans to life. This allows users to increase the sunlight (& shadows) in any event plan making them even more realistic. This is something we always wanted to have in the builder but it got pushed down the priority list. It is exciting to finally see this feature get to production as from speaking with users we know that group and event sales teams are going to love playing with this new feature.

The lower horizontal menu has been updated with a new icon beside the layers tool. This opens a new panel where you can adjust the amount of sunlight using a slider. This feature greatly enhances the quality of outdoor event plans and really brings them to life.    

New Feature – Lock The Camera 

Creating event plans in the Builder takes a little getting used and some users asked if there was a way to ‘stop the room moving’ while they arranged objects in the space. The room moving is actually the camera so our team implemented a new camera lock feature. This is found in the lower menu and allows you to lock the camera so you can focus on selecting and moving your furniture. Objects can be selected, moved, duplicated or rotated without the space moving as your mouse touches the plan. This feature is designed to help new users get accustomed to creating plans in 3D using Visrez Floor Plan Builder.   

New Feature –  Select Direction    

Selecting objects with the mouse in a standard shaped space is simple but as we all know spaces can come in all shapes and size. If you need to diagram in an unusual shaped space the select tool can drag against the way you actually need it to go. For example in a diagonal or non-standard shaped space you way want the select tool to go in line with the room or furniture but it doesn’t. To solve this problem our team has developed a feature to allow users to toggle the direction of the select tool either in line with the space or world.

This one is easier to understand by watching.

New & Improved – Performance in Larger Spaces

Our team achieved a significant breakthrough in the loading times of furniture for larger spaces. Previously when objects were placed, moved or rotated the builder calculated the elevation of every object and the ground beneath. For larger spaces with 1000+ objects this meant loading times were slower. With our January release we now have a massive performance improvement for large spaces thanks to the excellent work of our development team.  

Book a Team Training Session

Get the most out of your investment in Visrez with a live training session. These are the perfect way to help teams master the industry’s most fun 3D diagramming platform. No matter how well you know Visrez you will always learn something new at a live training session.  

The final release of 2021 includes a number of updates and new features in the builder. The tools have come a long way over the last 12 months thanks to the dedication of our team and the superb feedback from our clients. It is fantastic to see such detailed plans being created on a daily basis in Visrez by clients who have become seriously skilled at crafting their own 3D event plans.

New – Copy / Paste Set-Ups between Spaces

You can now copy / paste any event set-up directly into any other space in your account. This means if you want to see how an event plan would look in another space you don’t need to recreate it all over again, just copy the set, open another space and paste it right in.

How it works: 

> Open an Event Plan 
> CTRL & A (to select all)
> CTRL & C (to copy)
> Open a New empty space
> CTRL & V to paste the set-up into that space. 

Remember most spaces have different dimensions so you may need to reposition the objects in the new space.

New – Show Chair Count 

In the lower horizontal menu to the right of the Zoom slider you will notice there is a new Chair Icon which allows you to easily print up a seat number onto any object. This is a great way to quickly tell the number of seats at at table so you can demonstrate which tables are 10’s, 8’s etc. Previously users would have needed to count the chairs at a time but now with this feature you just select the objects and select chair count to print a number onto each object.

New – Show Object Dimensions

A common suggestion from users was they needed a way to see the size an object in the plan without having to use the measuring tool. Our team has implemented a feature into the lower menu to display the object dimensions of every piece of furniture in the plan (excluding small props). All you have to do is select all (CTRL & A) and then click on the icon in the lower menu and you will see the dimensions of every object. Object dimensions will also now appear in the equipment list on the PDF exports

New – Draw Circles & Squares

The edit tools now includes circles & square so you can highlight certain tables or areas on the floor plan for specific items. This is a great way to visually mark out key areas in your plan with notes and you can change the color of the graphics so they contrast against the floor of the space.

Top Menu Update

The top menu no longer displays the venue name or event space name in the top left corner. You will just see the Event Name in a larger bold font with the number of guests beside it in the top left. The ‘Plan Settings’ option has been moved to the center beside the share function and has an icon and description so it is easier to find.

New – Table Numbering Update

In the December release the numbering functionality has been updated so users can now add numbers automatically or with the mouse to all object types in their event plans. This is done from the Edit Tools in the left side menu. The option to show / hide the table numbers has been moved into the numbers tab from the lower horizontal menu.

Library Clean Up Part One

In the beta version there was no Visrez library with objects for each client uploaded directly into their accounts. Needless to say this was not an ideal solution so we created a shared Visrez library. The library has grown extensively over the last year and users were frustrated by the lack of consistency in the library. Some objects contained dimensions, others did not. Some objects displayed the W x L x H when all the user needed was the length. Some objects had the seat options, many did not. So for the December release we took the time to clean up the Visrez library to make sure all objects display the necessary information, seating options etc. Inside the Builder we have added icons for each object category and tidied up the UI so every object displays the necessary information.

New – Carpet Switch Option

Some event space carpets are highly detailed especially when viewed from above in a floor plan. When furniture is of a similar base color as the carpet the objects can blend with the carpet as the contrast is low. Our team has implemented a cool feature which allow users to switch off the carpet to show a grey floor.

For existing spaces this new feature is available on demand as it means we have to edit the space and re-upload to allow the carpet to be switched on-off using the airwall / screen buttons.  If you need it activated for any space in your account just contact our team through the platform and we will schedule it in. There is no charge to apply this to any existing model it just may take a few days to schedule it in.  

Thanks for your Partnership in 2021

It has been another tough year for the industry and it’s hard to believe the pandemic has dragged on for almost 2 years. Despite everything our team feels lucky to be working in partnership with such great clients around the world. Visrez Floor Plan Builder has come a long way since the beta back in 2019 and we want to sincerely thank all of our customers for taking a chance on us. Our team is committed to helping our clients fill their event spaces and we look forward to continuing our partnership in 2022.

  

Finally, it is nice to be recognized as a High Performer in G2 Winter 2022 Report

Event planners and third party partners can now be invited to your team’s Visrez account with permission to edit shared event plans. This update allows Visrez users to collaborate with event planning partners and third party vendors in real time on any diagram. Partners can be invited to plans by any team member and once registered will have have access to all the plans shared with them across the account. Partners have restricted access and cannot add furniture from the Visrez library or view other areas of the account. 

How to invite Event Planners to Visrez

Adding a new partner can be done on the homepage of your account simply by registering the partner’s email address.  Once the partner has been added to the account, plans can be shared with them using the Share > Partner option in the builder. Clicking on Share > Partner opens a right sidebar where you can select the partner (s) from a list just like team members. When a new partner is invited they will receive an email notification to complete their registration on Visrez.  

Event plans shared with outside partners now feature the ‘Partner Icon’ on the /plans page so users can tell that the plan is shared with an outside partner. Managing Partners can be done from the Team section of your company’s Visrez account if you need to disable a partners access or add a new partner.

Read the updated Floor Plan Builder Sharing Guide

 New – Search Panel on Library Objects

Our team have also added a new search option on the library objects inside the builder so when you are working in a plan and need to find an object in the collection you can search at the top of the panel. This will help users to find objects quicker as you won’t need to click between numerous categories.

G2 Review Fall 2021

We are delighted to have been recognized again in the Event Planning category by the G2 Software Review site. Throughout the year our team has been focused on releasing superb monthly updates to the Floor Plan Builder and the user reviews it has received are proof that our users really love creating and sharing 3D event plans using Visrez Floor Plan Builder.

A question often asked by Visrez users was how to create custom dancefloors or stages to specific dimensions in their event floor plans. The good news is you no longer have to find the exact size object in the Visrez library or assemble smaller objects together because we have released a new new tool which allows you to build any size stage or dancefloor just using your mouse. It is really to cool to see a stage or dancefloor created to any size just using your mouse with the dimensions displayed as you build the object.

Creating Custom Dancefloors using the builder tool.

Switch Social Spacing Off

As social distancing restrictions begin to ease our team have enhanced the event set up tools to make distancing optional in your 3D Event plans. Users can decide whether to apply social distancing in each space without having to adjust the object spacing in the plans. This will speed up the event creation process by allowing you to apply standard spacing or social distancing settings on a per space basis for specific styles. Hopefully we will soon see the end of social distancing requirements as the industry recovers globally.

Set Blocks, Aisles & Rows

One of the issues was users could not easily set a specific number of chairs per row and apply a fixed aisle spacing. This is now available in the builder allowing you to quickly set number of chairs per row, aisle spacing and repeating rows.

User Interface Updates

Our team have made a number of improvements to the User Interface of the builder. Airwall controls moved to the sidebar for spaces with more than 10 airwalls. Objects summary breakdown in the sidebar now displays each object rather than the category. You can also now open a new empty space from inside the builder rather than from the platform only so if you are in a plan and want to create a new one from scratch starting with an empty space just click on the New> Empty Space option.

Client Collaboration Is Coming Soon

In the mid-summer, we will be updating permissions in Visrez to allow users to share event plans with outside partners and team members. This is an exciting update as it will be the first time clients can give partners access to their Visrez accounts to allow them to collaborate on specific plans. Users will be able to invite other team members and third parties to work on shared plans in Visrez.

Online Learning Center Launching Soon

With the collaboration update we will be updating the client backend with more video tutorials to help your team master the Floor Plan Builder in your own time. We appreciate that getting teams together for in-person training is not ideal so our team is working on a suite of new video tutorials to help users to understand their Visrez accounts work and how to get started with the Floor Plan Builder tools.

Our team recently relaunched our website which features new product guides including a highly detailed Floor Plan Builder guide. This guide is a great resource for all users and will be updated as we roll out new features and future releases of the software. The guide contains step by step videos on how how to create photorealistic plans in the builder. You can lean all about the menu controls, shortcut keys and all the other important tools in the Floor Plan Builder.

New Notes, Graphics & Numbering Tool

We recently released a new Notes Tool to combines the on-plan text tool, arrow graphics and table numbering into the right sidebar. This is a great upgrade from the beta version as you now have these controls all in the one place with has tabs to differentiate between each action. The text tool has got some helpful updates including the ability to set the background color of the text box to ensure it stands out against the floor color of each space.

Here is an example of an event plan with on-plan text and arrow graphics created using the new text tool in the right sidebar.

Visrez Library Reaches 1,000 Objects

The Visrez library has reached a milestone of more than one thousand objects and is proving to be really popular with our users. We launched the library early this year with just over one hundred objects and it has grown nearly tenfold in just over six months. New categories have been added including Outdoor Furniture and a Casino section with blackjack tables and roulette wheels. We have also added a vintage VW food truck which is ideal for outdoor catering events and a photo booth for social events.

Our goal is to create the best possible 3D Visualization software which you, our client will enjoy using for the long term and will help in the recovery of our industry. As the toughest year ever in history comes to a close, we are all hoping for improvement in 2021 and a return to business as usual. We would like to thank all our clients for their partnership and collaboration this year and we look forward to working together in 2021.

In this month’s release we have added a right sidebar to the Floor Plan Builder to provide space for notes, dates and description. The sidebar is activated from a settings icon in the top right hand corner and allows users to add internal notes, change dates and displays a list of the objects & props used in the event plan. Currently this information is not displayed on shared links but we will activate this option in a future release so notes can be shared with clients if required.

New Arrows Tool in the Builder

One way traffic is key to hosting safer events and the new arrow tool allows clients to mark directional arrows onto event plans to differentiate between entry and exit points in larger spaces. This tool works in a similar way to the spacing feature, just click on the model and drag the arrow to save it onto the floor plan. This is a great way to mark out one way systems for larger event spaces and include the arrows in your PDFs and shared plans.

New Panel in Client Dashboard

The new panel in the client dashboard is an easy way to view the number of builder diagrams by event space. Each space is color coded and the top bar displays the number of event plans created across all spaces in each Visrez account. Clicking on the event space displays the total number of plans created for that space and loads the builder page with that space pre-filtered. This is a handy way to review the total number of plans created by team members for all event spaces.

Contact Person in PDF Exports

The PDF exports now display the name of the team member who produced the diagram below the equipment list icons. This provides a useful contact reference in each plan when distributed to clients and internal set-up teams. Creation date is not included in the PDF as this information is already in the platform.

 

 

Visrez Library Updates

Our team has improved the Visrez library with many new objects across multiple categories and each section now displays the most recently added objects first. Finding the right object is even easier with the introduction of a landing page showing the number of models within each category. New objects are being uploaded to the library all the time and our goal is to create the largest 3D object library of its kind exclusively for Floor Plan Builder users. The Visrez archive contains thousands of models which will be added to the builder library over the coming months.

 

New Background Colour Switch

No matter how well we light the models (and our team do a superb job) some spaces can appear darker as external light sources cannot be placed outside the windows as they would appear in the builder floor plans. The canvas background in the builder was making some rooms appear darker so we implemented a switch which allows users to change the background canvas to white. This switch can be activated by clicking on the bulb icon in the top right hand corner to set your preference for a black or white background adding more ‘natural’ light through the windows.

In the October Builder Release

Looking forward to the October release when we will be introducing a totally enhanced Spacing Tool along with other features and a new Visrez website.  The feedback the builder has received over the past few months has genuinely amazed us.  Floor Plan Builder is helping clients all over to World to secure future events business during the most challenging time in history for this industry. After years of producing static 3D Floor Plans it is very rewarding to see events being planned around the World using the Builder software and we are really excited by the potential of the product.

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.       

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

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