Hospitality design firm J/Brice Design International Inc. recently opened a Dallas office to better serve its national clients and capitalize on the latest resurgence in hotel renovation business in the U.S.

"Hotel renovations that remained flat following the 2008 financial collapse are coming back strong throughout the nation," said David Messersmith, vice president and head of the J/Brice Dallas operation.

Messersmith, whose hospitality industry experience includes international and US projects, explained, "J/Brice works with hotel owners to refine, redefine and rebrand their properties. The goal is to make the hotel relevant to the contemporary traveler and in so doing increase profitability and value."

He added, "When we renovated the Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza we were awarded Continental's Hotel Renovation-of-the-Year for giving the property an entirely new functionality. We made the public space more welcoming by including places for business travelers to use their iPads and laptops, grab a coffee or cocktail and socialize. We got them out of their rooms."

Tony Miu, general manager, noted, "The J/Brice Design team gave the lobby spaces character in what used to be a big empty, pass-through void. They created different levels to define the space and make it more comfortable and functional for our guests. J/Brice added a water feature as a focal point as well. People now linger. The space is beautiful."