In the Voice of the Customer series, we sit down with real Instacart Business users to understand what they do and how the platform supports their ordering needs.
Today, we're spotlighting two Directors of Purchasing from Four Seasons Hotels in Florida: Marisabel Duenas (Four Seasons Miami) and Candis Humes (Four Seasons Fort Lauderdale), and how they use Instacart Business to meet the famously exacting standards of luxury hospitality.
When Your Suppliers Don't Carry What Your Guests Expect
At Four Seasons, "we'll make it happen" isn't aspirational — it's operational. Both Marisabel and Candis manage specialty procurement for properties where guests arrive with precise preferences: dietary restrictions, brand-specific requests, items that most suppliers simply don't stock.
During basketball season, Four Seasons Miami hosts professional teams whose players have highly specific dietary needs — and waiting days for a special order isn't an option when 60 players are checking in next week.
"Sometimes I have to buy 30, 40 packs of nitrate-free bacon — something you don't find just anywhere. Not even with suppliers. So either you go and buy it yourself, or you use Instacart. And it saves us a lot of time instead of sourcing around." — Marisabel Duenas, Director of Purchasing, Four Seasons Miami
When traditional procurement channels can't move fast enough, Instacart Business fills the gap.
Switching from Credit Card to Pay by Invoice
For both properties, moving to Instacart Business came down to one feature: Pay by Invoice.
Before, purchasing directors were using credit cards to place Instacart orders — then reconciling dozens of small transactions at month end.
"When you open an Instacart Business account, you have the option to pay by invoice — you don't need a credit card or backup payment method. It's one less headache." — Marisabel Duenas, Director of Purchasing, Four Seasons Miami
Her workflow now is clean: place an order, select Pay by Invoice, receive delivery, then immediately create a PO in their procurement system and match it to the invoice. She copies their accounts payable contact on the invoice email so matching happens in real time. No month-end pile-up, no chasing receipts.
Keeping Purchasing Authority Centralized
Both directors approach user access carefully. At Four Seasons, purchasing is the control point — Marisabel and Candis place orders, monitor spend, and ensure alignment with procurement policies.
"It's important that purchasing controls what's coming in and what's going out. With Instacart Business, we can keep costs where they need to be." — Candis Humes, Director of Purchasing, Four Seasons Fort Lauderdale
The Business account's multi-seat and Admin tools let them add approved buyers while keeping full visibility — centralized control without creating bottlenecks.
Built for Luxury Hospitality's Demands
For purchasing directors at high-end properties, Instacart Business delivers against the two things that matter most: speed and specificity. Whether it's a VIP's first visit, a professional sports team with 60 dietary requests, or a last-minute specialty item no supplier stocks, the platform turns a multi-hour sourcing problem into a same-day solution — without sacrificing the control that Four Seasons' standards demand.
Get started by creating your free Instacart Business account today.
