opportunities for food shopping .” Michael Whiteman , President of the firm adds , “ A boutique hotels ’ location might be predicated on its F & B potential , and so the two form a potent marketing combination . A large hotel hopes that profits from banquet spaces offset the losses in their restaurants . Boutique hotels generally don ’ t posses large banquet rooms so their restaurants have to be profitable .”
He adds , “ I ’ d structure a millennial menu around farming , bodyenhancing ingredients , trendy and premium drink ingredients , and this year ’ s gastro-buzzwords ; while a boomer menu would talk about fiber , whole grains , heart and gut health , and premium wines .”
Peter Yesawich , vice chairman of MMGY Global , said “ there will be a lot of roadkill ” among older brands , as Millennials are driven less by brand loyalty and more by the search for novelty . He adds , “ instead of thinking about what services are in the building , maybe they should shift their thinking to what the neighborhood has to offer .”
That supports the trend of eating on the go , outside the hotel property entirely or at adjacent restaurants run perhaps by nonhotel operators . As community grows more horizontal , hotel guests will become hotel drivers , ( I call it “ reverse marketing ”) through the demand economy where information is free although maybe not as consolidated as guests would like .
Travel Market Report sums up the F & B trends of 2016 based on an amalgam of panelists who spoke at a recent Hotel Experience F & B
Trends session .
• Old Rule 1 : Hotels are restaurant-centric
• New Rule 1 : Hotels are bar-centric , places where consumers can network and enjoy creative cocktails and craft beers
• Old Rule 2 : The restaurant and bar are in separate rooms
• New Rule 2 : There are no boundaries as to where any public space ends . The lobby might flow into a bar or a restaurant
• Old Rule 3 : Hotels are late adopters of F & B trends
• New Rule 3 : Hotels are becoming early adopters , although they have to be careful because it ’ s harder to change the culture of a hotel brand than that of a restaurant
• Old Rule 4 : Food is brought to the room or to a restaurant table
• New Rule 4 : Guests are mobile , hitting the grab-and-go to get food for the room or for the plane ride
• Old Rule 5 : Meals are about menus
• New Rule 5 : It ’ s all about snacking , grazing , and sampling – social dining that caters to specific diets
This writer thinks Old Rule 3 is still very much in effect for the big chain brands . Most hotels play catch up to consumer trends in dining and drinking by a couple of years . So while New Rule 3 claims hotels are becoming early adopters
I have yet to see that becoming the “ norm ”, even with boutique properties .
Some exceptions might include , The Off hotel which is a floating oasis on the Seine in Paris . Offering a swimming pool and well stocked buffet breakfast , it is a must-see destination and open to non-hotel guests . http :// offparisseine . com . What makes it so unforgettable is that it is the first floating hotel ever in France , probably in Europe and the world . Because it ’ s open to non-guests and has a swag , visitors have been clambering to meet here . The hotel puts up an enclosed window structure in winter to keep people from freezing . Cocktails are a mainstay for after work gatherings and tapas are served till 1am . They will soon serve brunch on the weekend to increase traffic .
About the author As a business architect , Elise Krentzel lays the foundation by identifying what your brand is . On the 1st floor she spots opportunity others miss by developing a sound corporate strategic marketing plan . The 2nd floor leads to implementing operational , GTM and product concepts with just enough of a rebel spirit to stay ahead of the curve . Lastly , the roof consists of engagement communications : experiential events , PR & promo . Elise sits on the Board of Art Alliance Austin . She is an avid traveler having lived in 5 countries and author of the UK Explorer Travel Guide series and European Bopp Guides to city travel .
For a 15 minute strategic consultation contact her : elise @ krentzel . com 512.586.4384 website : www . elisekrentzel . com blog : http :// www . travelwithelise . com Linkedin : http :// www . linkedin . com / in / elisekrentzel
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