The Two Equivalent Measuring Sticks
There are two honest ways to price a package like this. We show both.
Method 1 — Component Sum (if you shopped it piece by piece)
| Component | Comparable | Market Price |
|---|---|---|
| 20 market analyses (deep dives + briefs) | HVS market studies × 20 | $500K–$1.5M |
| 7 city execution plans (named decision-makers, engagement strategies) | McKinsey market entry × 7 | $350K–$1.05M |
| Technology stack assessment (15 categories, 5 competitors, 3-phase roadmap) | Accenture tech assessment | $100K–$300K |
| Benefits & incentives (36+ programs, $198M–$1.67B value) | Big 4 tax/benefits advisory | $75K–$200K |
| Loyalty program analysis ($253M opportunity) | Specialized loyalty consulting | $50K–$150K |
| Brand cohesion (12 confirmed brands) | Brand strategy engagement | $50K–$100K |
| Financial models + ROI | Strategy consulting standard | $75K–$150K |
| FIFA 2026 strategy (11 host cities) | Event/sports consulting | $100K–$250K |
| Interactive microsite | Digital deliverable | $25K–$75K |
| Component Sum Total | $1.45M–$2.83M |
Broader component sum with scope sum in value-creation.html: $1.8M–$5.9M (midpoint $3.85M).
Method 2 — Single Engagement Equivalent (if McKinsey bundled it)
| Firm | Scope + Team | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| McKinsey | 1 partner (20%) + 1 EM (100%) + 3–4 associates (100%), 6–9 months | $1.5M–$2.5M fixed-fee |
| Bain | 20 markets + tech + benefits + strategy synthesis | $825K–$1.65M |
| BCG | Strategy + 20 markets + tech/benefits | $550K–$1.1M |
Senior Partner $1,194/hr. Engagement Manager $834/hr. Associate $327–$498/hr. These are posted rates, not guesses. Comparable engagements: Puerto Rico govt 2024 $2.85M for 7 months. 8-week strategy project 2023 $1.78M. The pricing is in the public record.
Benefits & Incentives — The Layer No Consultant Bundles
Traditional consulting firms find problems. This package found $198M–$1.67B in unclaimed value with specific deadlines — Section 179D, cost segregation, energy programs, SBA, state grants, PACE financing, EDA grants, tourism grants, workforce development, historic preservation.
| Capture Rate | Portfolio (low) | Portfolio (base) | Portfolio (high) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1% | $1.98M | $5.96M | $16.7M |
| 5% | $9.9M | $29.8M | $83.5M |
| 10% | $19.8M | $59.6M | $167M |
At a 1% capture rate alone (extremely conservative, below the floor any benefits-specialist would project), the value captured from this ONE layer ($2M–$17M) exceeds the entire fee of any comparable McKinsey / Bain / BCG engagement. The ROI reconciliation document shows the full 6-scope ladder. This is rung 3.
What you are looking at is $1.85M for a package that the same three firms would quote at $1.5M–$2.5M — but those firms would not bundle the benefits-discovery layer, which alone captures $2M–$17M at a 1% rate. The value is not in the package price. It is in what the package finds. — The $2–5M package value narrative, Carter directive #7, translated into rate-card math.
Intelligence Gaps (named and not hidden)
- Mrs. Claude Prompt 5 (Consulting Value — HVS/CBRE/McKinsey pricing update) — dispatched S1170, unreturned. Would tighten the BCG and Bain 2026 rate cards specifically. Prompt file:
prompts/sonesta/MRS_CLAUDE_PROMPT_5_CONSULTING_VALUE.md. - 2026 GSA Schedule 874 rates — we cite 2024 posted rates; 2026 has been released but not yet ingested into this package. Expected 3–5% uplift on Senior Partner rate.
- Specific benefits capture assumptions per property — the $198M–$1.67B portfolio figure aggregates across all 7 Equinox properties and all 36+ program categories. Per-property, per-program breakdown would require a Benefits Discovery Agent re-run against the specific property profiles.