Create Unforgettable Guest Experiences with Candy & Snacks
Brand recognition isn’ t enough to attract new guests. Today, social media reviews and word of mouth are driving guests’ hotel decisions. You have to go beyond service and room look / feel and ensure every detail from the offerings in your marketplace, mini bar and at guest events enhances the experience.
Developing a refined candy and snack assortment that establishes your location as a destination for innovative, immersive offerings doesn’ t require a major program revamp. Key product choices for certain areas of the business paired with strategic merchandising can make a major impact on the customer experience.
Elevate Quick-Serve with Premium & Trending Items
One of the simplest ways to create immersive guest snacking options is re-examining items in your quick-serve areas.
Global flavors are major attractors for Gen Z and Millennials. Adding international candies to global quick-serve areas— such as Japanese candies and sodas at to-go sushi stations— introduces guests to exotic flavors and fun packaging they want to post about.
Coffee stations are another area ripe for elevating the experience and creating upsell opportunities. Here it’ s all about pampering while on the go like single-serve chocolate covered pretzels or caramels. For a little less indulgent option, consider low sugar candies which continue to gain in popularity, or protein bars with functional ingredients like caffeine.
Social media can be another driver of new additions to your assortment. Consider adding the latest viral candies and chocolates like peelable gummies or Dubai Chocolate.
Self-Serve Candy Keeps Guests on Premises & Creates Fun Moments
One on-site amenity on the rise is a candy store-within-a-store concept with self-serve stations.
An area of bins filled with vibrant candies and snack mixes creates a great photo opportunity for social. Guests also love the custom experience that selecting their own candy provides.
A self-serve candy and snack mix program doesn’ t necessarily require a major footprint. Even a few feet of bins create major impact. Self-serve candy programs not only provide social-media-worthy visuals but also create upsell and loyalty opportunities, such as charging for a souvenir cup or premium loyalty members accessing the area for free.
Custom Chocolates & Mints Leave a Lasting Impression
Private label branded confections can be a great opportunity to get your brand in the shot while offering a premium guest experience.
The tradition of turn-down chocolates can be transformed into the ultimate luxurious indulgence that has to be posted about when they’ re sea salt caramels in a premium mini gift box. Custom confections, like branded chocolate bars or truffle gift boxes, can reinforce your loyalty program at check-in.
Event and meeting rooms are ideal for custom branded candy, with mini branded mint tins making a great perk for conference breakout sessions. Currently there’ s a lot of innovation happening in the mint space in terms of flavor. So, there is the opportunity to have a signature-flavored mint, further making you a destination.
Holidays are Extra Special with Seasonal Items
Holidays offer a great opportunity for upselling – particularly seasonal candy and snacks.
Guests’ stays may be part of their holiday festivities, so stock seasonal treats that enhance the celebration— like individually wrapped peppermint bark or candy canes for late-night snacks, buffet additions, or a Christmas morning pillow surprise.
Other guests might be traveling to see friends and family, so it’ s also good to have seasonal gift boxes on hand for those last-minute gifts – particularly for Christmas or Valentine’ s Day. They also make a great upcharge item for any seasonal packages you might be planning.
Creating social activations that drive bookings can be as simple as re-examining your candy and snack offerings. Elevated packaged or custom candies and snacks give them the VIP treatment they want to post about.
Bruce Bierenbaum VP of Hospitality & Food Service Sales at Nassau Candy