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HOTELS DESIGN F & B WITH A DIFFERENT GUEST IN MIND .
By TATIANA VALENZUELA
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It sounds counter intuitive , but designing hotel spaces with locals in mind rather than traveling guests is becoming a guiding ethos . This is especially true in the food and beverage arena , where local flavors and local design come together to offer an experience that natives want to frequently visit and travelers want to be a part of . One of the first hotel brands to get this right was Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants , which was founded by the legendary hotelier Bill Kimpton and acquired by IHG Hotels & Resorts in 2015 . It still resonates despite new ownership . For Scott Gingerich , SVP of restaurants & bars at Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants , design and operational philosophy has always been to
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create restaurants that felt like a part of the local community and not a “ hotel restaurant .”
Consider the two restaurants at Kimpton The Forum Hotel in Charlottesville , Va .— Birch & Bloom and The Good Sport , which opened in the
The Marylebone ’ s 108 Bar and Brasserie restaurant regularly participates in local events and festivals and partners with neighboring businesses to promote seasonal activities .
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spring . Gingerich described their design as " careful and thoughtful ,” using local references and paying homage to UVA traditions and the influence of university founder and Founding Father , Thomas Jefferson . Birch & Bloom ’ s |
86 hotelsmag . com Jul / Aug 2023 |