Boutique Hotels Turn to Artisanal Coffee Programs for a Wake-Up Call on Service
Photo Credit: Artisanal coffee offerings lead to higher guest satisfaction scores at some hotels (pictured: a coffee service at The Blake Hotel in New Haven, Conn.). The Blake Hotel
Skift Take
Hotels would be wise to ditch the powdered dairy and differentiate themselves by aligning with local roasters for artisanal coffee programs. While that might come with a dip in immediate profits, cross-branding and foot traffic could ultimately enhance properties’ bottom line.
It’s no surprise that coffee culture brings people together. But can it bring people back to a hotel?
Tom Sullivan certainly hopes so. The general manager of The Blake Hotel in New Haven, Conn., offers what he calls “a complimentary wake-up call” to each of its 108 rooms daily" fresh-brewed Cuban-style caffeine from the brand Pilon is delivered just outside the door.
In the long list of guest pet peeves, for many nothing is more off-putting than not having a coffee machine in their rooms, allowing for that immediate jolt to life. Sullivan understands that.
“Throughout my career, I always thought this was something that would have a huge ‘wow’ factor,” said Sullivan, who has worked for boutique and large international brands. “My philosophy is, if you’re a non-branded hotel, you have to work twice as hard to get Mr. or Mrs. Smith to stay here. What can we do to be different, that no one else does, to make guests give up their 200 points from a Marriott or a Hilton?”
The coffee delivery program made The Blake well positioned to enter the pandemic in several ways, said Sullivan. Not only did they trim down lobby traffic to high-touch areas like the coffee bar (where only staff
