Case Study : Hotel Renderings for Westin Vacation Club

Westin Vacation Club, Charleston, South Carolina

Architect-aligned 3D hotel rendering and visualization used as design-validation and approval tools for a ground-up hospitality development.

Overview

Vanrooy Design, a respected architecture and interiors studio from Los Angeles, engaged NoTriangle Studio to deliver a comprehensive suite of hotel renderings for the Westin Vacation Club development in historic Charleston, South Carolina.

This was not a conventional hotel marketing assignment. The visualization work needed to integrate directly into an active architectural workflow—supporting design development, client reviews, and formal approvals with precision and technical clarity.

Rather than producing surface-level imagery, the 3D hotel rendering process functioned as a decision-support system—allowing stakeholders to review, question, and validate the design before construction.

Project scope included:

60,696 sq. ft. ground-up hospitality development
50 guest rooms across 21 unique layouts
Public and shared amenity spaces
Custom environmental graphics
Interior concepts informed by Charleston’s historic Southern character

The resulting visuals became a core part of the approval process and contributed directly to the project advancing into construction.

Client Background

Vanrooy Design specializes in highly crafted hospitality and residential environments, translating layered architectural concepts into refined, buildable spaces.

Their client, Westin Vacation Club (Marriott Group), is developing a boutique luxury hospitality project in downtown Charleston—drawing from the city’s historic context while aligning with Westin’s global brand standards.

The design references Greek Revival proportions, Victorian detailing, coastal palettes, and the romantic character of Charleston’s historic district—balanced carefully against modern hospitality performance requirements.

Visualization Requirement

With 21 unique room types, layered material palettes, and custom-designed public spaces, Vanrooy Design required a visualization partner capable of delivering hotel 3D interior rendering that was both technically accurate and approval-ready.

The visuals needed to function as design-validation tools, supporting stakeholder alignment and brand approval—rather than acting as standalone hotel marketing imagery.

This is where NoTriangle Studio became embedded in the design and approval process.

The Challenge

Working directly with architects introduces a fundamentally different set of requirements than traditional hotel video marketing or promotional visualization.

Here, the goal was not storytelling for sales—but precision, continuity, and support for active design decisions.

Key challenges included:

Integrating Revit, AutoCAD, and SketchUp without disrupting the design pipeline
Managing continuous design revisions across layouts, materials, and FF&E
Maintaining technical accuracy across 21 unique guest-room types
Delivering consistent realism across interiors, joinery, lighting, and finishes
Coordinating across architects, interior designers, and consultants
Aligning production timelines with formal client and brand approvals

In this context, the hotel renderings were not marketing assets—they were working tools that directly influenced the final design package and enabled approvals to move forward.

Our Approach

NoTriangle Studio applied an architecture-first visualization workflow—prioritizing accuracy, collaboration, and clarity over surface-level polish.

1. Architectural Intent Alignment

Before modeling began, we reviewed:

Design intent presentations
Construction documentation
FF&E schedules
CAD drawings
Revit and SketchUp models
Westin brand guidelines

This ensured we understood not only how the spaces should look, but how they were meant to function—supporting operational flow, brand standards, and approval requirements.

2. Technical Integration With the Design Workflow

The client asked directly how our workflow integrates across Revit, SketchUp, and AutoCAD. We adapted our pipeline accordingly:

Revit: Structural accuracy, millwork, BIM data
SketchUp: FF&E and interior flexibility
AutoCAD: Plan verification and dimensional accuracy
Final production environment for lighting, materials, and realism

This integration prevented detail loss and ensured continuity across revisions—critical for hotel interiors with complex detailing.

3. Iterative Design Collaboration

Because the visuals were embedded in the approval process, we structured the workflow to support refinement:

Multiple camera views to evaluate spatial hierarchy
Progressive material and lighting studies
Revision-ready models for efficient updates
Scheduled progress reviews
Consolidated feedback cycles

This allowed Vanrooy Design to present current, accurate visuals during client and brand meetings—supporting confident decisions without delay.

4. Photorealistic Execution

Once design direction was locked, we moved into full production:

Daylight-accurate lighting calibrated to Charleston conditions
High-fidelity materials (wood, textiles, stone, glass)
Atmosphere aligned with Westin’s wellness-focused brand
Consistent visual language across all spaces

The hotel 3D interior renderings progressed through approvals without major revisions—reflecting strong alignment and disciplined execution.

Outcome

Client & Brand Approval Secured -Visuals supported full approval through Westin’s formal review process.
Project Advanced to Construction – The development is now under active construction.
Reduced Revision Cycles – Integrated workflows minimized rework on a 60,000+ sq. ft. hospitality project.
Strengthened Architectural Partnership -Vanrooy Design cited responsiveness, clarity, and technical understanding as key reasons the visuals functioned as decision tools rather than presentation imagery.

Why Architects & Interior Designers Choose NoTriangle Studio

This project illustrates why design teams partner with NoTriangle Studio when visualization is part of the design, approval, and feasibility process—not just hotel marketing.

Clients value our:

Deep understanding of architectural workflows
Seamless BIM, CAD, and SketchUp integration
Clear communication and transparent progress tracking
Ability to manage complex room variations and FF&E
Photorealistic quality suitable for approvals, investor reviews, and pre-sales materials
Experience in high-stakes hospitality developments

For architects and interior designers, NoTriangle Studio is not simply a rendering vendor—we act as a design-aligned visualization partner, contributing clarity, accuracy, and confidence throughout development.