Request for Information: Asset Manager for Broward County Convention Center Hotel

Project Description: This Request for Information (RFI) (Notice of Intent to Designate Sole/Reasonable Source) is to determine if the specified commodity or service is available from multiple providers, or if an alternate commodity or service is available that would meet the County’s needs. This is not a request for pricing or a purchase commitment.
Scope of Services/Background: The County is requiring an independent Asset Manager, with hotel and associated convention center experience. The Asset Manager will be required to report Hotel's performance (financial and operationally) and provide guidance and recommendations to the County, based on industry knowledge and current statistics (for local and national area for similar sized hotels and for convention center hotels). The Asset Manager will provide independent reporting, including comparison of Hotel's performance metrics documentation, against local and national hotels. The Asset Manager will also need to verify to the County that the hotel is competitively positioned locally, nationally, and internationally, and must be able to evaluate the County’s hotel against other operators (i.e., ensuring room rates are priced correctly for this area and quality standards are maintained for rating). The Asset Manager must use the County's hotel information and compare to specific-industry data to review and confirm the hotel’s financial performance, including revenues and operating profit revenue streams. Additionally, the County’s Asset Manager must be knowledgeable on convention center operations associated with hotels – the management, bookings, goals, and requirements – to ensure that the County’s hotel and convention center compliments each facility’s operations, and feed strong revenue growth for the hotel, and increase economic impact for Broward County.
Reasonable Source Designation: The County is seeking Most Reasonable Source approval for Asset Manager Services by North Star Research Corp dba HVS Convention, Sports & Entertainment Facilities Consulting (HVS). HVS's historical knowledge of the project (to date), established relationships within the project (Omni, County leadership, and MSW), and existing relationships with national and international financial investment entities, banks, rating agencies, and developers. Additionally, HVS possess a proprietary database of information that will be used in evaluation of County's hotel operations.
Vendors shall possess experience with: - Omni flag hotels - Hotels of similar size (800 keys) - Hotels with Convention Centers - Hotels with Five Diamond ratings (AAA) - Independent - not affiliated or owned by an entity currently involved in Broward County's project
This RFI will remain posted until closing date and time.
Prospective Vendors are requested to provide information regarding their ability to provide the commodity or service described or written explanation or other documentation contesting the proposed RFI designation.
If you are capable of meeting or exceeding the County’s requirements for the specified commodity or service, respond to this RFI through the electronic bidding system. Vendor should upload any supporting information in the electronic bidding system as part of its response to assist the County in determining if commodity or service is comparable, is available from multiple suppliers, and meets the County’s needs. The Director of Purchasing shall have sole authority in deciding what is comparable.
The Director of Purchasing shall consider such submittals and notify all submitting vendors (thru the electronic bidding system) of the decision whether to designate as a Sole Source/Brand, which decision shall not be subject to objection, protest, or appeal.