Black , with sugar , cream or milk , a cappuccino or espresso , perhaps , coffee isn ’ t just a beverage to start the day anew ; for many , it ’ s weaved into their daily experience and existence . It ’ s that important . The serious degree to which customers think about coffee has made it a vital benchmark and baseline to assess a hotel ’ s overall service and customer experience . A great , delicious cup of joe can leave a lasting , positive impact ; a bad one can derail it , leaving a bad taste in a customer ’ s mouth .
Today ’ s customer expects nothing less than barista-quality
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coffee . The days when guests were satisfied with stored filter coffee or a cappuccino with a congealed layer of foam are long gone , said Sarah Ognibeni , head of marketing at Schaerer , a Swiss manufacturer of fully automatic coffee machines .
“ Just how important coffee has become for hotel guests is even reflected in review portals ,” she said . “ The coffee on offer at breakfast is a particularly frequent topic on these platforms and should be one more reason for hoteliers to invest in coffee quality .”
Despite guests ’ expectations for good coffee , hotels sometimes don ’ t meet their
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requirements . In fact , 75 % of hotel guests rate the quality of in-room coffee as poor or average , a UCC Coffee survey revealed . Additionally , 30 % of the participants said the quality of coffee served in rooms would deter them from returning to the same hotel .
DIVERSE OPTIONS Besides ensuring the quality of the coffee served , hoteliers say it is important to offer a variety of options to enhance the guest experience . While some prefer to start their day with black coffee , many will opt for a caramel latte , while some might want to try a single-estate
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pour-over . Additionally , with the growing popularity of plantbased milks , hotels are careful to ensure a variety of non-dairy milks .
Consider Four Seasons Resort Hualalai in Hawaii . The resort not only ensures a coffee service that showcases the local culture and community of Hawaii , but guests can also choose from four non-dairy options — soy , almond , coconut and oat milk .
“ We find that having alternative dairy options has been a crucial element in the specialty coffee industry ,” said Michael Hofstedt , director of F & B of Four Seasons Resort
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84 hotelsmag . com July / August 2024 |