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The Full Story

​A designer who reads a P&L

MLS Interiors, Inc. is a hospitality design and FF&E procurement firm led by Mari Shields, a former corporate CFO who designs hotels the way owners measure them: by ADR, occupancy, and return on every dollar.
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Meet Mari Shields, Principal & Lead Consultant

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Our First Hotel
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Before I designed my first hotel, I spent 19 years in corporate finance as a CFO and EVP. I led acquisitions, ran accounting and treasury, implemented company-wide ERP systems, and managed facilities. I'm a Certified Management Accountant, and I completed post-graduate accounting studies at UCLA. While I was still a CFO, I spent several years in design school part-time and earned my design certification. In 2011 I founded MLS Interiors.

 

Our first hospitality client was a Super 8 in Hemet, California, and we've been designing and furnishing hotels ever since. That finance background shapes everything we do. When we look at a tired lobby or a dated guest room, we see a design problem and a revenue problem at the same time. Every finish, fixture, and furniture piece we specify has to earn its place in guest experience, durability, and budget.

We are now a team of designers, procurement specialists and admin to help you improve your ADR and Occupancy.

How we work

  • Design and procurement under one roof. The team that designs your rooms also sources and buys the FF&E, so the design you approve is the design that arrives, on budget.

  • Direct wholesale manufacturer accounts. We buy straight from manufacturers, which typically saves our clients 10–30% on FF&E.

  • You work with us. I lead every project from the first walkthrough to the final install. You will receive the benefit of my CFO experience from start to finish.

  • Brand-standard fluency. We work with branded and independent hotels and know how to meet a flag's PIP requirements without overspending.

Where we work

We're based in Southern California and work on site with hotel owners and developers throughout the western United States. We also serve properties remotely across the rest of the country.

Let's talk about your property

If your rooms feel dated, your reviews mention the decor, or a PIP is coming due, a 15-minute call is the fastest way to find out what's worth doing first.

Call us directly: (949) 547-0686

OR

Email us at Info@MLSinteriorsinc.com

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