With rising costs and supply chain disruptions heightening, the demand for specialist skills in FF&E and OS&E sourcing, purchasing and installation co-ordination for Hotel Capex development is growing, and in turn Blue Moon Procurement (Blue Moon) have enjoyed another year of success accomplishing five hotel openings within 2022.
From specification to installation, Blue Moon offer efficient, communicative, and transparent procurement services that are both competitive and ethically responsible. In new build or refurbishment programmes for international brands or entrepreneurial independent hoteliers, Blue Moon’s reputation in protecting the design intent while also protecting the client’s budget is well-known. The procurement team at Blue Moon are honours degree qualified in the fields of architecture, interior or product design which is an asset to any project; the ability to push cost-effective bespoke design while protecting aesthetic aspirations is the businesses strength.
Blue Moon’s appointment in 2019 as Purchasing Agent for the award-winning Virgin Hotel Edinburgh showcases the company’s methodology in practice. The Virgin Hotel is situated in the India Buildings in the city’s Old Town, and scope included 220 Chambers and Grand Chamber Suites, Corridor spaces, as well as multiple F&B outlets. Spanning across 10 floors the hotel is housed within 3 buildings; 150 new-build guestrooms link too two period buildings and as such the procurement was co-ordinated to support a phased handover. Work remains ongoing within the properties 19th century church which has been resorted to home the hotels event venue, and luxurious Bridal Suite.
Involved from start to finish, Blue Moon’s team collaborated with the interior designer, project manager, ownership, and external vendors to formulate a sampling and final purchasing plan that addressed and met every project milestone. Responsible for an extensive range of FF&E, Blue Moon managed key categories of fixed and decorative lighting, soft furnishings, fixed & loose furniture as well as the brands iconic red mini-bar fridge, tracking and streamlining design specifications for multiple locations and phases while maintaining a close eye on budget as the design developed. Supporting the brands first venture within Europe Blue Moon utilised their honed supplier network to ensure locally manufactured FF&E and OS&E solutions were presented wherever possible.
Since soft opening to the public in June 2022, the hotel is poised for industry award nominations having already been crowned ‘Best Scottish hotel bar if the year’ for its Commons Club bar.
