I was recently asked what hotels do with their furniture when they remodel. It took some research to find out, and luckily most, especially high end hotels, do not just discard their barely used furnishings but allow the public to purchase these products at a reduced price.
Hotels hire liquidators to remove and re-sell their used furnishings. The term liquidation simply describes the action of companies exchanging goods that they have on hand in to cash. Hotels typically pay liquidators $100 or more per room to clear out the furniture. The liquidation companies then turn around and sell the used goods for approximately 25 percent of the price that retailers charge for similar new items.
“Hoteliers are also eager to keep up with competition. With so many hotel companies undergoing changes, liquidators are ‘getting stuff that’s barely used,’” says Kurt Karchmer of Cooper Used Hotel Furniture in Chicago. “I have a glut of stuff. When hotels want their stuff out, they want it out.”
Hotel Furniture to be Liquidated
Some hotel supply stores are also known for their re-selling services of used hotel furnishings.
Here is a list of some of the most common liquidators and hotel supply stores throughout the country that the public can shop:
- Cooper Used Hotel Furniture & Carpet Co., Chicago, IL
- Cash Liquidations, Atlanta, GA
- IRCA Hotel Services, Phoenix, AZ
- National Content Liquidations, Thornton, CO
- Nuevo Sol Partners, Longview, TX and Vicksburg, Miss.
- Universal Hotel Liquidators, New Haven, Conn. and Clearwater, FL
- Fort Pitt Hotel Furniture Liquidators, Chicago, IL
Fort Pitt Hotel Furniture Liquidators’ business is booming. They recently opened a brand new 60,000 SF showroom. They are one of the largest and most recognizable hotel furniture liquidators in the country. Plus they are a family owned and operated business.
“Higher end hotels tend to undergo renovations more frequently to remain competitive in today’s market, thus allowing Fort Pitt Hotel Furniture LLC to acquire pieces of higher quality and with less wear and tear.”
This research is beneficial to both the public and to designers increasing awareness as to where hardly used, reduced priced furniture can be purchased.
Resources: Leta Shockley, Articles Base, Hotel Liquidators, USA Today and Fort Pitt
