The Peninsula Chicago is using attendants at buffet stations to serve guests , explain dish preparation and ingredient sourcing .
because it appears that customers really care about it .”
That said , in a COVID-informed and hygiene-conscious world , what will become of the hotel buffet ? It seems to depend on the hotel operator ’ s perspective .
Marriott Bonvoy has announced a new , rebooted breakfast concept at more than 150 hotels in North America , and its research showed buffets are okay . “ The new complimentary breakfast program was developed and driven by customer feedback and insights ,” says Diane Mayer , vice president and global brand leader for Classic Select Brands at Marriott . “ Through our customer research , we learned that many of our guests expected a hot breakfast buffet to return , and over 72 % of those surveyed felt comfortable eating at a buffet again . Furthermore , breakfast continues to be a top decision maker for our guests when it comes to selecting a hotel .”
The complimentary hot breakfast program was rolled out in Residence Inn , SpringHill Suites , Fairfield and TownePlace Suites , and a new breakfast program was also unrolled at Aloft Hotels that caters to the socially conscious and transient lifestyle of the next-Gen traveler , she says .
Customers do really care about buffets , says João Martins , regional operations manager for Pestana Hotel Group in Portugal , who is in charge of Pestana Hotels & Resorts , Pestana Collection Hotels and Pestana CR7 Lifestyle Hotels . “ Almost two years ago , when we started with this pandemic situation , the law said that the buffet was not allowed , and then some weeks after that first decision , they decided that you can have a buffet , but you need to serve the customers , and they had to book a time for their breakfasts ,” he says .
Those first customers , Martins says , were really disappointed . “ They were used to coming to breakfast at what time they wished , and in some other cases , customers felt it was a huge limitation to ask theater to serve them ,” he says .
Because it was a la carte , served to the tables , there was more waste , Martins adds . “ Customers felt bad because they didn ’ t always like everything that was served ,” he says .
Customer feedback and the evolution of the pandemic allowed Pestana to reevaluate their buffets and their offerings . So , the buffet evolved , and customers are more satisfied now than ever , Martins says . “ One thing we found is that customers now prefer less varieties but better quality , and that is something that COVID allowed us to re-think .”
“ In the past , we would have had six to eight types of juices ,” Martins says . “ Now , we have only two or three , but they are freshly squeezed juices . Before the pandemic , customers were looking to have 10 kinds of cereal at breakfast , and nowadays , they want less variety but better quality .”
Customers , he says , are looking for fresh , healthy and locally made items . “ Before , we need to have 10 kinds of pastries at breakfast , but now , if we have four and one of them is a local specialty , that is all we need ,” Martins says . “ Customers are paying attention to the storytelling and the richness of knowledge .”
Following the onset of the pandemic , the Alma Resort Cam Ranh in Vietnam did away with its breakfast buffet and began offering everything a la carte . “ We felt that , at the time , removing the buffet was in the best interests of protecting our guests , staff and community from the threat of COVID-19 ,” says Herbert Laubichler- Pichler , managing director of the resort . “ However , upon further consideration , we do see a place for a buffet experience at our resort amid the new normal , in the form of a semi-buffet , albeit with heightened safety precautions .”
The Alma Resort Cam Ranh was temporarily closed , amidst a flare-up of the virus in late 2021 , but the resort has plans to reopen in January 2022 . “ Upon reopening , we will initially offer only an a la cart breakfast at our Atlantis Beachfront restaurant to keep our costs and risks low , but this may change , depending on the number of guests ,” Laublichler-Pichler says . “ As our guest numbers increase , we plan to offer a semi-buffet breakfast at our Alma Food Court .”
The semi-buffet combines both self-serve selections , as in a traditional buffet , but more , fresh-to-order cooking stations , and
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