Marriott first launched the SpringHill Suites brand in 1998 to accommodate the next generation of traveler. At the time, the hospitality industry lacked an all-suites hotel, which inspired Marriott to differentiate their services by providing guests with progressive design that was both comfortable and stylish. This fusion of modern luxury transformed into the SpringHill Suites brand that currently embodies +350 properties throughout the United States and Canada. Benedict Cummins, Publisher of HotelExecutive got the opportunity to converse with Loren Nalewanski, Vice President and Global Brand Manager for SpringHill Suites and TownePlace Suites by Marriott, for an overview of the SpringHill Suites brand and the direction it is taking. READ MORE

Regardless of the reason, customers are becoming savvy to the age old phrase adopted back in the 1970's “have it your way” in almost any dinning atmosphere across the continental United States. As an empowered hotel guest, one opens a menu at a restaurant and entertains the opportunity to choose their ingredients. Whether it be to lose weight, help fight off disease, or the presence of food allergies, this allows the diner to take ownership of what they are putting into tier bodies. Many of these are considered preference diets. Many can be more than a request for a vegetarian or vegan menu. READ MORE

At the end of the day there are three main areas in which the hotel has an opportunity to trigger meaningful and memorable brand experience; service (especially the arrival/departure experience), physicality (especially the guest room experience) or tactile (especially the food and beverage experience). Yet many hotels pay little or no attention to the F&B operation as a brand amplifier. In fact, increasingly hotels are giving up on F&B and outsourcing the foodservice operation in one way or another. This article discusses how to develop experiential operationalization programs for F&B that leverage and amplify the brand at the same time. READ MORE

Hotel food and beverage is a hot topic. The success of the Food Network has elevated the profession of Chef to near cult status. Guests are more excited and knowledgeable about food and beverage than ever. They are dining out frequently and sharing their experience with others. In fact, sixty percent of postings on Instagram are about food and beverage. It is not enough to be good anymore, you have to be great. Your food has to be fresh, relevant and compelling or you will be out of business. In this article we take a look at some of the emerging trends in hotel food & beverage. READ MORE

The best thing about Gen Y sommeliers and wine waiters is their enthusiasm. And the worst thing? Their enthusiasm. Youth has ever been a period of intensely romanticized responses. No one has ever felt a love like this - captured such a clarity of insight - no one has ever felt so angst-ridden and bereft - no one has ever tasted a wine like this with such purity of focus and appreciation.No one has ever loved/lost/felt/tasted as intensely as this. Youth has despaired through history over this self-evident (to them, at least) truth. With Gen Y, however, this attitude is through the roof, living as they do in a social media-created echo chamber that consists largely (perhaps only) of like-minded tastes. READ MORE