Page 37 - The 2021 Spring & Summer Club Braman Magazine

It was all set to be constructed on the original West Palm Beach City Hall site in the heart of
Rosemary Square, and pay tribute to Fred and Byrd Spillman Dewey’s 1892 Victorian home,
known as Ben Trovato—a name loosely translated from an Italian phrase for a well-crafted story.

Upon learning of the plan, Thom lobbied for the chance to return to South Florida—a place
he’d left half a decade prior for Raleigh, NC. In February of 2020, as the Director of Sales and
Marketing at The Ben, Thom saw his dream through to reality.

Byrd Spillman Dewey was an avid conservationist, best-selling author, and hospitality
pioneer. She and her husband moved to the sparsely-populated beaches of South Florida
just before the turn of the 20th century, and went on to introduce diplomats, members of the
aristocracy, and luminaries of their time to the tropical breezes and mild climate that still
make West Palm Beach world-renowned today. The Ben stands as a love note to Byrd and her
various pleasures.

The hotel’s construction features a mix of textures like natural wood, exposed cement, and
gold accents. Every room includes a copy of Byrd’s novel Bruno, and the welcome lobby
houses a massive bookcase with its own special surprise. Her passion for conservation is
reflected in The Ben’s focus on providing “green” meeting spaces—eschewing pens, paper
pads, and linen table coverings. Ensuite showers are equipped with high-end, stylized soap
dispensers to help eliminate waste.

Every detail was explicitly planned. The only thing that couldn’t have been was the
coronavirus, which forced furloughs and layoffs only weeks after The Ben officially opened its
doors. Fortunately, as its one-year anniversary nears, staffing is nearly back to pre-pandemic
levels. Thom credits the unmatched location, buoyed by The Ben’s one-of-a-kind story, for
helping to carry the hotel through a year in which the hospitality field suffered greatly.

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