F & B : BREAKFAST
The breakfast scene at Hotel
Icon , Hong Kong , includes authentic live cooking stations at The Market , designed by Sir Terence Conran .
breakfasts featuring cutting-edge techniques and unfamiliar foods , but it does not work . That is just not what people want in the morning .”
Regardless of varying opinions about guests ’ needs at breakfast , there is no denying its importance . Richard Hatter , general manager of Hotel Icon , Hong Kong , notes 90 % of his property ’ s reviews on TripAdvisor mention breakfast , and Janis Milham , vice president and global brand manager for Courtyard by Marriott , adds that recent Courtyard analysis revealed breakfast accounted for 12 % of overall guest satisfaction .
“ Breakfast is king ,” Milham says .
Oatmeal ranks as Courtyard by Marriott ’ s thirdmost popular breakfast offering , and the brand aims to give this staple interesting , seasonal twists .
“ If there ’ s one meal you can count on people eating at the hotel , it ’ s breakfast . So it ’ s critically important .”
Sense of place The farm-to-table movement , long growing in influence throughout F & B programs , is beginning to assert itself at breakfast , and hotels are emphasizing regional specialties in the morning meal as well . At The Nam Hai in Hoi An , Vietnam , Executive Chef Conrado Tromp ’ s breakfast menu includes cau lau , a noodle dish unique to the region that is prepared fresh in front of guests , as well as beverages utilizing ingredients such as lemongrass and ginger grown in the hotel ’ s on-site garden .
Richard Wilson , executive chef at The Chedi Muscat in Oman , notes his breakfast program includes a traditional Arabic breakfast of Ful medames — a fava bean-based dish — fried haloumi , labenah , local breads , olives , dates and fresh fruits distinctive to the region , such as pomegranates .
Local specialties also are a cornerstone of Brussels-based Rezidor Hotel Group ’ s breakfast offerings , explains F & B Director Michael Neuner , with selections including three types of herring at a Radisson Blu in Stockholm . At Hotel Adlon Kempinski in Berlin , meanwhile , Director of Food and Beverage Christian Zandonella proudly serves currywurst — the city ’ s famous curry-spiced sausage — in the morning along with local beer and accompaniments including more than 40 marmalades and jams .
Even a global powerhouse like Marriott International , which must implement consistent standards at properties around the world , is being influenced by the demand for local product . Part of refreshed breakfast programs at its Marriott and JW Marriott hotels , for example , are omelet stations that must offer an egg whitebased variety as well as a ham-andcheese selection , Nelson explains . A third omelet at each hotel will be based
www . hotelsmag . com January / February 2012 HOTELS 53