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TABLE LINENS ARE CHANGING WITH THE TIMES , BUT THEY STILL PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE IN SETTING THE MOOD .
By Ann Bagel Storck , managing editor
Mezzaluna at lebua at State Tower in Bangkok features
180-thread-count Egyptian linen tablecloths and napkins in a vanilla color to create an elegant ambience focused on cuisine .
Although some hotels are starting to view them as a a somewhat outdated part of the F & B department , table linens have not outlived their utility entirely , especially in the banquet and event space . Many hotels are simplifying their approach to table linens — for reasons of style , economics , sustainability or all of the above — but there is an argument to be made that table linens , in whatever form they take , are just as critical as ever .
Jason Lapin , a partner with Las Vegas-based consultancy Blau and Associates , points out that an increasing number of high-end
hotels that once boasted two restaurants now offer only one , but still need that one space to offer three distinctive meal periods . “ We see people doing things with tablemats or table coverings where they ’ ll have one color during the day — maybe something lighter — and something darker at night , or maybe no tablemat at night ,” Lapin observes . “ Or , in some cases you see people using linen at one of the services to distinguish it from the others .”
Such is the case at Dukes London , for one , where General Manager Debrah Dhugga says her team recently began using runners at breakfast and lunch at the hotel restaurant for a more casual look while keeping tablecloths for a more formal dinner service . “ This way , the room is almost totally transformed ,” she says .
Regardless of a hotel ’ s specific strategy , however , table linens definitely make an important contribution to guests ’ overall F & B experience . “ Everything you place within your restaurant tells your guest something ,” notes Steven Kamali , principal at consultancy Steven Kamali Hospitality , New York City . “ It ’ s important to focus on that and make sure you ’ re sending the right message .
50 HOTELS March 2012 www . hotelsmag . com