F & B
Le Hall at the Baur Au Lac , Zurich : “ Le Hall is the living room for hotel guests ,” GM Wilhelm Luxem says .
lounge space , with plush seating , fine art and a restored glass-roofed ceiling that lets in natural light . Le Hall is separated from the entry and check-in to emphasize its own unique space , and the remodel , by architect Pierre-Yves Rochon , “ has reconfirmed the Baur au Lac ’ s Le Hall as Zurich ’ s meeting place ,” says GM Wilhelm Luxem . “ Le Hall is the living room for hotel guests , and it is the space that links the intimate part of the property , our hotel rooms and suites , to the public areas and the city .”
The redesign was accompanied by a new , all-day dining program , including casual options , and afternoon tea . “ In contrast to the traditionally fixed lunch and dinner service times in Europe , dining habits in a more globalized world are changing ,” Luxem says .
MOJO NOMAD CENTRAL , HONG KONG At the new Mojo Nomad Central , another Ovolo Hotels property opened in 2018 , check-in , bar restaurant and lobby lounge are together . “ We ’ ve been able to play with the concept of space with this micro-hotel initiative by merging the functions of a given area , which is very ‘ Hong Kong ,’ but allows guests to socialize ,” says CEO Jhunjhnuwala . “ We ’ ve , in essence , combined the lobby with our main F & B outlet .”
The ground floor is a mix of bar ,
A lobby co-working space at the Mojo Nomad
restaurant and lobby , and this experience moves up to the hotel ’ s Mexican eatery , Te Quiero Mucho . The reception is even fitted with beer taps and doubles as a bar so that guests can grab a drink at check-in .
“ When you look into the hotel from the street , it doesn ’ t immediately appear to be a hotel lobby , which is the point . It ’ s not just a lobby ,” Jhunjhnuwala says . “ When guests hang out in reception , they ’ re not spending time in a stuffy lobby , but rather in a trendy , local hotspot , and they want to be there .”
ACE HOTEL , LONDON The morning coffee bar at the Ace Hotel in London used to be “ a black hole ,” says Susan Buckley , F & B director for Ace Hotels . But it recently underwent a four-month renovation to add taps for beer , wine and cocktails , and now it ’ s a mini-bar .
“ I ’ m of the philosophy if you build a bar or anything else that is an action station , it should stay as an action station ,” Buckley says . “ Once you close , you lose that energy , and in the hotel and hospitality industry , you have to inject that energy into that space . As soon as you lose it , you start to lose your clientele . People look for energy . They want to think that they ’ ve walked into the right space , and you have to go on to create those unique opportunities in the lobby .”
The remodeled coffee bar still serves as a hub in the morning – and guests have to walk past it to go into the restaurant . “ Now it engages people , and some end up staying ,” Buckley says . The idea , she says , is to capture the guests and keep them entertained all day long , and the lobby leads guests into different spaces within the hotel . “ The lobby is sort of an anchor ,” she says .
44 hotelsmag . com May 2019