AU NATURALE
F & B : TABLETOP LINENS
Clockwise from top left :
An increasing number of hotels , including Caravelle Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City , Vietnam , are opting for simple placemats and napkins to complete their tabletops .
Natural wood tabletops at Parallel 37 at The Ritz-Carlton , San Francisco , are made from reclaimed , local stock .
Mason Street Grill at the Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee , Wisconsin , says it is saving money and the environment by eliminating tablecloths .
AU NATURALE
The biggest trend in table linens today might just be their disappearance .
“ What we ’ re finding with respect to hotel restaurants is that management is doing away with linens altogether ,” observes Steven Kamali , principal at consultancy Steven Kamali Hospitality , New York City . “ Table linens , although for many reasons functional , at the same time take away that contemporary feeling that you have with a table with placemats alone .”
When EDG Interior Architecture + Design crafted the vision for Parallel 37 at The Ritz- Carlton , San Francisco , the San Rafael , California-based firm selected natural wood tabletops sans tablecloths . “ Wood gives a more inviting feel and sends a message that the service is not formal ,” says EDG CEO Jennifer Johanson .
The approach also mirrors the restaurant ’ s menu , which includes many shared plates , Johanson notes . “ Like the menu , the tabletops are authentic and down-to-earth , yet elegant ,” she says . “ They are made from reclaimed , local stock and reflect the chef ’ s commitment to bringing in local materials .”
Style concerns notwithstanding , eliminating tablecloths can factor into hotels ’ sustainability strategies , as there is that much less linen to launder , not to mention benefitting the bottom line . Such was the case for Mason Street Grill at the Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee , Wisconsin , says General Manager Edward
Carrella . “ More fine-dining restaurants have been removing their tablecloths to become more hip while creating a chic atmosphere ,” he adds . “ We have been faced with little resistance from our guests since we changed our linen program .”
While Jason Lapin , a partner with Las Vegas-based consultancy Blau and Associates , notes that a custom tabletop of wood , steel or stone does require an initial upfront investment , he confirms , “ Operationally , there ’ s no question there ’ s a huge cost savings as time goes on . ‘ White tablecloth ’ is almost a euphemism for formality . As restaurants have tried to de-emphasize formality they ’ ve gotten away from the white tablecloth .”
52 HOTELS March 2012 www . hotelsmag . com