"Hotel brands, operators and owners are going through a global revolution that now is reaching into purchasing," said Alan Benjamin, Benjamin West president. "As the hotel industry increasingly becomes a global one, the culture of purchasing is changing. We have European clients with hotels in America and U.S.-based companies expanding rapidly into the Middle and Far East, Europe and Africa. As they build or reposition hotels, they need the support of sophisticated purchasing systems and companies with global expertise and transparent business models.

"The size and scope of many of these projects will dramatically change the global landscape for hotel purchasing. Historically, the majority of European hotels were smaller than today. As brands go international, this is changing dramatically. This kind of scale requires more sophisticated systems and an understanding of specification issues, such as fire codes and ADA. Our new offices represent our commitment to be an integral part of that revolution.

"The benefits actually are reciprocal," Benjamin added. "Not only will we be able to provide better pricing and service for international projects, but these new offices will allow us to better source FF&E for our clients."

Benjamin noted that the two new offices, along with the company's U.S. offices in Boulder and Dallas, significantly increase the firm's international capabilities.

Benjamin West Honolulu

The Benjamin West Hawaiian office will represent the first major purchasing firm on the islands. The company already is providing services to multiple hotels, including both open and ground-up projects. Additionally, the office is working with local market leaders, including ResortQuest and Starwood Hotels & Resorts, to assist with providing FF&E for their condo-unit rental inventory, as well as upcoming new construction projects.

"Hawaii is unique in its isolation, which makes it more challenging to source quality goods and pricing," Benjamin noted. "By using our sources and systems, coupled with efficient logistics, we have significantly reduced the time involved in the purchasing process and found that, on average, we have been able to provide hotels with savings well into the double digits compared to current practices."