Successful concepts center narratives, offer signature experiences and are well-attuned to changing customer tastes, experts say.
Published July 15, 2024 By Brian Martucci
Capolinea, Signia by Atlanta’s signature fine-dining restaurant, offers Italian-American cuisine and a tableside martini experience. Courtesy of Hilton
Agave-forward cocktails and elevated takes on Mexican regional fare are the stars of the show at Ceiba, the signature food and beverage spot at Hilton’s new Conrad Orlando hotel. But Ceiba’s elegant rooftop setting offers the promise of predictable entertainment, too, thanks to what Hilton Senior Vice President and Global Head of Food and Beverage Brands Adam Crocini calls “unparalleled views” of nearby Walt Disney World’s famed fireworks displays.
Ceiba, which overlooks the property’s 8-acre, sand-rimmed lagoon, is one of five “bespoke concepts” created for Conrad by StiR Creative Collective by Hilton, Crocini said. Another, the Polynesian-inspired Papaya Club near the lagoon’s shore, tapped mixologist Paul McGee — known for his tropical-inspired cocktails — to develop a drinks menu worthy of a South Pacific beach resort. Guests sip McGee’s creations at tables overlooking the lagoon or farther-flung cabanas and loungers, extending the experience throughout the property.
Conrad Orlando’s food and beverage concepts reflect a wider trend within the hospitality industry toward memorable restaurant and lounge experiences rooted in a sense of place, even when they honor flavors first developed thousands of miles away.
“For Hilton, a successful hotel restaurant will have a strong narrative interwoven throughout every aspect of the space, experience and service program,” Crocini said. “The narrative, if thoughtfully curated and executed, will leave the guest with an impression of their dining experience.”
These narratives are as varied as the properties themselves, drawing a throughline from menu design and sourcing to restaurant decor. And increasingly, they cater not only to hotel guests, but also to locals seeking out-of-the-ordinary culinary experiences in their own backyards.
‘The plot of your story’
A “thoughtfully curated and executed” narrative comes through “in all the touchpoints, from brand design and collateral to staff uniforms and servingware,” Crocini said. But the food and beverage menus themselves are its linchpins — “the plot of your story.”
Other hotel restaurants are prioritizing a strong narrative, too.
Remington Hospitality’s Lucy Restaurant & Bar — the dining centerpiece of the Bardessono Hotel and Spa in Yountville, California — emphasizes its Napa Valley setting and the avid gardening habits of late namesake Lucy Bardessono. Lucy features a certified organic garden that supplies cocktail herbs and produce for its veggie-heavy food menu, according to Remington Hospitality Senior Vice President of Food and Beverage Operations Ted Peters.
Locally and regionally inspired ingredients also tell the story — albeit in a very different way — at Remington’s Urban Spur and Bar at the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport Marriott.
Commentaires