Special RepoRt : 2015 forecast
2015 fOrecast
On the table
Designer Adam Tihany recently recreated Oro Restaurant at Belmond
Hotel Cipriani in Venice .
“ i see more and more resTauranTs seTTing Their menus up for shared dishes .
millennials , gen Xs and gen Ys all wanT Things Their waY . so give Them choices and allow Them To share .”
– Guy RiGby , FouR SeaSonS HotelS and ReSoRtS
The givens of The f & B secTor don ’ T look seT To change in 2015 . Healthy options are here to stay , room service needs rethinking and grab-and-go is high on the priority list . However , expectations are higher than ever , and hotels are going to need to go above and beyond to compete with outside venues . HOTELS : What ’ s the big menu trend for 2015 ? Guy Rigby , vice president , food and beverage , Americas , Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts , Toronto : I see more and more restaurants setting their menus up for shared dishes . Millennials , Gen Xs and Gen Ys all want things their way . So give them choices and allow them to share . H : What can hotels do to update room service ? Rigby : Keep it location-specific . The roomservice menu in a resort should be different from that of an urban hotel . H : What ’ s the key trend in F & B ? Adam Tihany , founder , Tihany Design , New York City : The increase in popularity of market-style multi-food outlets offering multiethnic options for the home , casual dining and grab-and-go . Although multi-cuisine venues have been in Asia for a long time , they are popping up all over the world — from already popular places like Eataly , to city square food bazaars , to all-day hotel dining restaurants . Markets will be acclaimed venues to consume food — not just places to shop and buy for home cooking .
H : What ’ s the must-have for restaurant design in 2015 ?
Tihany : It ’ s all about lighting . Lighting sets the tone , mood and atmosphere of the entire dining experience . Mix and match light sources using a variety of fixtures at different heights to create a desired effect . For best results , designers should also collaborate with a lighting designer ; lighting design is now an important specialty given the rapid changes in technology and the complexity of designs .
H : What ’ s the next step in healthy F & B offerings ?
Neil Jacobs , CEO , Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas , Bangkok : Just taking everything to the next level . Health-conscious menus need to be more scientifically minded . Farm-to-table food needs to become show and tell .
A few months ago , Six Senses Yao Noi started its own chicken farm . Guests can see where the hens live and can collect their own eggs by hand . Next year we will open Six Senses Qing Cheng Mountain outside Chengdu with one of our best organic gardens in the company . The spa will feature traditional Chinese medicine and herbs grown on site , which will be incorporated into the spa treatments and F & B offerings .
24 HOTELS December 2014 www . hotelsmag . com