F & B : TABLETOP
A longtail boat is transformed into a serving counter at Six Senses Yao Noi ’ s BBQ lunch .
Hors d ’ oeuvres are served on a piece of fence over “ grass ” at the Hilton Garden Inn Kraków .
FLIGHT OF FANCY
A London market-themed banquet incorporates street lamps , picnic tables and market stalls at Hilton
London Metropole .
A bellman cart or Thai long-tail boat may not seem likely to appear at a catered event , but with a little creative elbow grease and a sense of whimsy , items such as these are being incorporated into playful tabletop décor .
“ We once put on a Hawaiian BBQ night and served canapés on a beach setup ,” says Moore . “ We took a room service tray and covered the bottom with sand and created a beachscape . We positioned seafood canapés as if they were coming from the water and put beef closer to the grass . We used what we hand to create this interesting presentation .”
Hilton London Metropole hosted a London market-themed banquet for upwards of 800 people and the team designed the setup to look like an authentic London street , according to Lori Hoy , marketing and PR manager , Hilton London Metropole . “[ There were ] street lamps , picnic tables and market stalls with fish , cheese , fruits and vegetables , and a roast pig .”
These kinds of fanciful events do have challenges . Communicating a vision to the client and all internal teams involved can be tricky . Borrowing items such as a bellman cart without disrupting a hotel ’ s operation also isn ’ t always easy . Coordination between teams is of paramount importance .
At Six Senses Yao Noi , the F & B team transformed a secluded lagoon beach into a beach club and used a long-tail boat as the setup for a floating market-type food buffet . “ The logistics of moving food , people and furniture to a remote location by boat is challenging ,” says Norman Zweyer , director of PR , Six Senses Yao Noi . “ As most elements are open air , we need to take into account Mother Nature ’ s ways of dealing with things , be it sudden monsoon rains or the tide rising . There is always a plan B .”
44 HOTELS November 2015 www . hotelsmag . com