What Smart Hotels Are Doing to Create Successful Restaurants Now
Photo Credit: The Pei Modern restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel Sydney. Four Seasons
Skift Take
Hoteliers know that both travelers and locals alike are tired of stuffy dining rooms and interminable multi-course meals. They're bringing in a wider swath of customers through experimentation and partnerships with skilled restauranteurs.
Hotel restaurants are notorious for being overpriced and underwhelming, often disappointing travelers looking for either a social atmosphere or touch of comfort while on the road.
To better appeal to the needs of today's travelers and diners, some upscale hotel brands have changed their approach when planning the dining component of their properties.
They're looking to match the right restaurant concept with the right guest, instead of following a traditional template of saddling a hotel with whatever restaurant a corporate revenue manager thinks will drive the most spending.
"Rather than creating a unique concept for the restaurant specifically, hotel restaurants often end up as a last-minute addition to the larger enterprise," said Alex Taylor, senior vice president of restaurants and bars at Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants. "For hotel restaurants to be fresh and well received, they need to be concepted and treated as a uniqu
