Good restaurants are often known for something that they do really well. Perhaps they always have the freshest fish, their pasta is handmade, or the service is unparalleled. Travelers who return to a hotel or restaurant they loved on a past visit, frequent their past favorite places because they want to relive their past experience and positive past memories. Restaurateurs face a delicate balancing act in menu preparation when choosing to innovate vs. maintain their status quo and past consistency. What steps can you take to meet the expectations of travelers and regulars alike? READ MORE

In an age where new restaurants are popping up on every corner and shuttering just as fast, the idea of developing an original concept and growing it to a multi-unit business seems next to impossible. In my experience, the most original concepts begin with a blank canvas and a group of passionate individuals. A continued focus on: distinctive consumer experiences, unmatched food and beverage offerings, superior service, consistency, an approachable atmosphere, and constant competitive innovation is what paves the way to success. READ MORE

As hospitality professionals with nearly 5,000 hotels worldwide, we are always looking for ways to be more efficient, effective and cutting edge. It's what our guests expect from us, and it's what gives each hotel a competitive advantage. For us at Hilton, that means making traveling easier and frankly, more enjoyable, with our smart design, authentic hospitality, and innovative restaurant concepts. We know food and drink is an important part of any visit, so we set about imagining how we could help owners deliver creative restaurants efficiently and effectively and drive loyalty and repeat guests. READ MORE

Over the years, there has been a systemic shift in guests' expectations of hotel food and beverage offerings. If you walk into most hotel bars and dining areas today, you may - or may not - be surprised to find hip locals, sophisticated guests and trendsetting staff mingling and socializing over artisanal drinks, selecting a sandwich from the in-hotel gourmet market or enjoying regional cuisine made with locally-sourced, seasonal ingredients. By understanding these diverse needs, we are able to design our properties and develop our food offerings in a way that gives guests choice and control over where, when and what they eat, while they're at the hotel. READ MORE

Today's revenue management systems can help any hotel quickly and efficiently manage revenue tasks that would otherwise present a challenge. It can be difficult to stay on top of distribution across multiple channels when there are plenty of other issues facing a property at any given time. In the Revenue Management world, the differences within independent or branded environments can often be significant regarding how each respective entity deals with revenue management. Often, we're asked about differences in working with each type of property as it relates to strategies or RMS systems, and how TCRM approaches these unique challenges. READ MORE

Have we become immune to the terrorism around us? Travel. It is a privilege for all of us. Some may say it is a right for all of us as human beings. Travel is the way to connect and learn from each other -- the manner to promote tolerance and understanding. The activity from which we all grow and evolve as citizens of the world. And yet, the last 16 years of world terror have shaped and quite literally directed how many of us travel. READ MORE

The shift in calling a public area an art gallery first and a function space (pre-function) second was interesting to note. That's because, particularly during the last 10 years, art has become a necessary part of the story for all upper-end, boutique hotels. This is especially true in the United States, where there is scant opportunity for the display of notable, public art. Thankfully, hotels have been filling that niche, bringing excellent art to the general public and making it accessible. Now, quality art is not a nicety; it's an expectation. READ MORE

Because of the various food-related television series, podcasts, and websites, today's guests are certainly more knowledgeable when it comes to the culinary aspect of their visit, whether it is for vacation or attending a meeting. Today, there is no longer a standard formula for group dining and the development of group dining menus, especially when specific dietary requirements need to be addressed. This creates an interesting challenge when creating and developing menus for hotels. However, whether it is a group of 10 or 700, the end goal is the same: Satisfy the needs and wants of each one of the attendees. READ MORE

As so many hotel owners and operators can attest, food-focused travel is on the rise. The trend is unmistakable: more and more hotel guests are selecting destinations and planning itineraries around regional, local, or even restaurant-specific food and beverage options. These guests, referred to as culinary travelers, not only make food and drink experiences a priority during their travels, they are often willing to go well out of their way to make those experiences happen. Experience is the key word here. We are in an experience economy and consumers are placing a great deal of value on the F&B experience. Look at the trend in roof top bars for example. READ MORE

The dining experience in the hotel and resort environment has been changing for decades. Gone are the days when most Americans eat meat and potatoes, and the occasional salad, for dinner. Immigrants from all over the world who settled into the urban areas of our country brought culturally significant dishes that opened up a whole new supply chain of ingredients, and introduced flavor profiles unfamiliar to the food scene. Before this cultural transformation, American families eating out seemed to be more interested in socializing outside of the home than in having a culinary experience. As new foods appeared on the scene, dining out became more focused on exploring new fads and flavors. READ MORE

We, as Chefs, respectfully kick around the terms Hybrid, Old-World, and Artisanal often enough. Chefs know that hybrid, old-world, artisanal, or obscure ingredient usage in dishes bring a particular wow-factor to the plate. Sourcing and utilizing artisanal grains, starches, legumes or vegetables which are under-appreciated and under-utilized, or quite possibly forgotten about over time, is a highlight feature of today's creative chefs, many of whom will grow the ingredients themselves and feature on special menus, unlike any other. READ MORE

When I travel for business, I often return to the same city frequently - and when I do, I usually check into my favorite hotel. No matter how many times I return to that hotel, however, the front desk agents always treat me as if it's my first stay. They acknowledge my platinum status, certainly, and welcome me by name. After that, however, the desk agent will ask for my photo ID and credit card - just as they did the last ten times I checked into the same hotel. READ MORE

Though Argentina has always sparked interest from investors around the world, some of the economic measures and political scandals related to the party that held the power for a decade (until December 2015) did not represent the best scenario for international investment. The more recent election of President Mauricio Macri, undoubtedly represents an important task of rebuilding the Argentinian economy and restoring its international credibility. Macri, already in his short stint thus far as president, has partially succeed with inroads here, and as such has been given the honor to host the World Trade Organization meeting in December 2017 along with the G20 Summit in 2018. READ MORE

The hospitality industry is abundant with more than 270 hotel brands globally. Nevertheless, this whopping number is not stopping Marriott, Hyatt, IHG, and Hilton from expanding their portfolios with even more new brands. Theoretically, broadening the supply of brands is favorable for generating revenues from various distribution networks, loyalty programs and supply channels. But just how useful, helpful or even good is all this for the customer? Has the hotel industry gone mad by over-saturating the market with brands that are not all that different from each other? READ MORE

This article focuses on evaluating external service providers for optimizing Food and Beverage (F&B) Department profitability, and is the second in a series on outsourcing services at hotels. As my colleague, Michael Doyle, asked in the first article in this series: “Why should hotels outsource, or challenge a traditional operations model?” The most common answer is to maximize profitability. Industry-wide, F&B revenue represents over 25% of total hotel revenue, yet generating a meaningful profit margin in F&B (which is difficult to measure with accuracy) can be challenging. In many hotels F&B can be an integral part of the guest experience, and a large source of revenue for the hotel. READ MORE