Our History

Benchmark Hospitality International catapulted into the global meetings and hospitality market in 1980, setting industry standards and trends over the last 32 years that laid the foundation, and remain the cornerstone for which this internationally-recognized management company is known.  The visionary leader behind the Benchmark legacy is Burt Cabañas.

How it began ...

Following the death of his father, Mr. Cabañas emigrated from Cuba to the United States in 1957 at age 10, along with his mother and sister.  The family's stay in the U.S. was intended to be temporary, however, once Castro took power in Cuba, Mr. Cabañas and his family became "permanent exiles" in their newly adopted homeland, never returning to Cuba.

History of the company

Founded in 1980, Benchmark Hospitality International was originally known as Benchmark Management Company.  BMC provided hospitality management services for its parent company, The Woodlands Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mitchell Energy & Development Corporation. With a distinct vision and a remarkably diverse and talented management team, Burt created a company culture and provided an entrepreneurial environment where determined people dared to create, share, and build futures. And so began the making of a legacy by building and repositioning countless hotels and resorts and capitalizing on the development of the global conference center industry.

Benchmark Hospitality International quickly became a leader and trendsetter in this market, providing exceptional meeting destinations, customized programs, and superior service, earning praise and accolades from some of the meeting industry's most discerning planners, corporations, and publications. Creating a fundamental niche in the market and providing an environment for meeting and event planners to facilitate idea exchange, camaraderie, problem solving, and learning, opened the door to Benchmark's motto of Living, Learning and Leisure™. 

As the climate of the hospitality industry began to change, consumers began looking for less predictability and more of an emotional connection to their travels. With nearly five decades of extensive hospitality experience as a traveling executive and industry spokesperson, Burt noticed as far back as the early 2000's, a void in the luxury hotel marketplace for distinctively individualized service products that reflect the unique preferences of each guest—successfully delivering on a brand promise of a highly-personalized luxury experience for every guest. 

The company seeks to establish this balance at every Benchmark property under the Benchmark Resorts & Hotels and Personal Luxury Resorts & Hotels management and guidance.

Burt recognized what was increasingly appearing to be the emerging trend of "the new luxury", which was no longer about quantity, but about quality and the experience of living. After germinating and carefully refining this idea over the course of a decade, in June of 2011, Benchmark Hospitality International acquired MTM Luxury Lodging, a Seattle-based hotel and asset management company specializing in full-service luxury hotels.

The acquisition brought five superb, small, luxury hotels in unique destinations to the company, thus launching a new chapter in Benchmark's history and the introduction of its exclusive Personal Luxury Resorts & Hotels portfolio of 13 highly-distinctive independent properties.

Subsequently in 2013, Benchmark Hospitality International introduced its Benchmark Resorts & Hotels portfolio of properties. Each of which exude their own distinct identity in global locations where guests will experience an authentic reflection of each destination's energy, culture, and history. The discerning leisure and business traveler will savor in the spirit of each property, its superior guest service, stylized accommodations, and local lore of culinary tastes and discoveries.

What we learned ...

Since 1980, Benchmark Hospitality International has evolved from a subsidiary of a publicly traded company to a privately held, and globally recognized, award-winning independent resort, conference center, and hotel management company. They have set the standard that many others aspire to achieve. As a result of Burt's vision and values that still hold steadfast to this day, every employee across the Benchmark portfolio of properties is passionately committed to creating lasting memories, highly-personalized experiences, and ensuring each guest feels welcomed and valued on every visit.