THE JUDGES
FRANK ANSEL , hotel restaurant consultant , Buenos Aires through the judges ’ comments , as well as in the chefs ’ inspirations . Indeed , the judges are charged with looking for hotel restaurants that truly impress guests , offer value and — more often today — have that local and authentic approach , and are so successful that diners want to return . It ’ s a recipe for success on all levels .
This year ’ s 10 winners run the gamut from the glam at Alain Ducasse au Plaza
CRITERIA
THE JUDGES LOOK FOR HOTEL RESTAURANTS THAT TRULY IMPRESS GUESTS . They are not saying these are “ the best ,” but they are great .
THEY CAN REPRESENT all levels and all meal periods .
THEY MUST HAVE BEEN OPERATIONAL FOR AT LEAST A YEAR , and they must be operated by the hotel or with minimal assistance from a consultant or celebrity chef .
THE RESTAURANT MEETS ITS INTENT ; busy with outside as well as in-house diners ; meets standards in service , food and drink , décor and ambiance ; offers value ; and is financially successful .
Athénée and a modern take on traditional Italian cuisine at Le Sirenuse ’ s La Sponda in Positano , Italy , to clean interpretations of traditional Maharashtra and street food at the Oberoi Mumbai ’ s Ziya . What connects all of them is their passion to deliver , whether it be traditional or nouvelle , with dedication and an individual flair that brings guests coming back for more . Bravo !
ELIZABETH BLAU , CEO , Blau and Associates , Las Vegas
TIFFANY DOWD , founder , Luxe Social Media and Luxe Tiffany , Boston
JEAN-LUC FOURRIER , senior director asset management , Majid Al Futtaim Hotels , Dubai
ANDRE FU , founder , A . F . S . O and AndreFuLiving , Hong Kong
ALISON GILMORE , ILTM portfolio director , London
OLEG KAFAROV , director of public affairs , Jumeirah Group , Dubai
JOHN NIELSEN , practical program and sales & marketing manager , Les Roches Jin Jiang Hotel Management College , Shanghai
BOB PUCCINI , president and CEO , Puccini Group , San Francisco and London
TRENT WALSH , managing director , Leading Quality Assurance , Vancouver
PATRICK WILLIS , COO , Marlon Abela Restaurant Corp ., London and New York
FRANCIS ZIMMERMANN , managing director , South East Asia , SilverNeedle Group , Bangkok
October 2016 hotelsmag . com 33