Points out that many hotels in humid climates develop severe mildew problems, but others escape serious difficulties. States the most important factor that separates these hotels and determines which will develop mildew and which will not is a combination of design and construction decisions. In many cases the potential for future mildew problems as a result of these decisions is unknown. However, by knowing what these critical decisions are and by making the appropriate choices at significant milestones, the designer and contractor can substantially influence the mildew prognosis for the hotel. Argues that the cost of designing and constructing a mildew-free hotel in humid climates is not necessarily greater than the cost of designing and constructing a mildew-plagued hotel. Focuses on the critical design and construction decisions that can be made to successfully minimise moisture and avoid mildew problems.

KEYWORDS: Hotels, designing, humidity, moulds, moisture