Dedicated to the principles of innovation, excellence, and service, HVS�Compass takes a pioneering approach to the design process � blending the creativity and imagination of an experienced hospitality design firm with the financial and operational expertise of HVS International, the leading worldwide hospitality valuation and consulting firm. HVS�Compass specializes in the new design and renovation of hotels, restaurants, lounges, spas, conference centers, and other hospitality and commercial projects. 

�Calculating the business goal of a hotel into its design or redesign can be beneficial to the long-term success of a property,� explains Rushmore, �but many designers overlook that aspect for purely aesthetic goals.� 

�Our definition of interior design is the planning of our client�s future,� Dario says. �In today�s market, an increasing number of owners recognize the value of a firm capable of providing a comprehensive, full-service approach to the practice of interior design. HVS�Compass defines this type of firm.�

HVS�Compass� interior design process begins with a black-and-white business analysis: a complete study and survey of the property�s target market, competitive set, and the owner�s real estate and financial goals. The interior selections are then driven by aesthetic value, durability, functionality, budget, and schedule. The use of computer technology during the schematic design phase continues into the detailed development of the construction documentation phase. Finally, the firm�s procurement expertise assures detailed specifications for a project�s documentation, purchasing, and installation. �The entire process results in interior design solutions that are marketable and financially sound for our clients,� says Benjamin. 

Alan Benjamin established Benjamin West (a Boulder-based hospitality furniture, fixtures, and equipment company) in 1998 and co-founded HVS�Compass after working for 12 years for Benjamin Brothers, a family-owned and operated hospitality purchasing company, which was established in 1931. In 1999, Mr. Benjamin co-founded ISHP, the International Society of Hospitality Purchasers, an organization that works with the industry�s leading vendors and design firms to raise purchasing guidelines in terms of education, efficiency, and ethics. Mr. Benjamin has been a Furniture, Fixtures & Equipment (FF&E) expert for many prestigious hospitality clients. He has been published and quoted in many industry publications, and will be speaking during the year 2000 at the Strategic Conference on Lodging Operations and Technology in Dallas; the AH&MA convention in Phoenix; HD2000 in Las Vegas; and Neocon in Chicago.   Benjamin will direct HVS�Compass� Boulder office.

Susan Dario will spearhead HVS�Compass� New York office.  Over the past 18 years, Ms. Dario has successfully completed interior design projects for renovation or new construction in numerous major geographic markets.   As a property improvement consultant, she provided professional assistance for more than 400 hotels within the Holiday Inn Worldwide system. Most recently, she held the position of managing principal for an architectural firm in Pennsylvania, and in 1999 established her own firm, Dario/Associates, Inc. in Atlanta, Georgia. 

HVS International was established in 1980 to satisfy the growing demand for reliable and well-documented hotel market studies and feasibility reports. Today, with a staff of more than 100 specialists in eleven offices around the world, HVS offers a truly comprehensive range of hospitality consulting services, including eco services, asset management, timeshare consulting, food and beverage and gaming consulting, operational management & strategy development, and public relations services.