Hotel Dining: Opportunities for both revenue – and profits.

Hotels Magazine is the definitive publication on the hotel industry around the world. “Differentiating the restaurant product is a common challenge, in particular versus freestanding restaurants,” says Gregory Dogan, VP of Food & Beverage of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts in the December issue of Hotels Magazine.

TabletopJournal has been talking for some time about the renewed focus from hotels at all levels on food and beverage as a revenue and a profit source. We think that the tabletop items a hotel chooses to use in their operation offers an extraordinary opportunity for hotel restaurants, banqueting, and even room service, to differentiate their food & beverage product offering in all food & beverage outlets.

Through thoughtful, creative selection of the tabletop items – combined, of course, with great food, service, etc. – hotels can create unique guest dining experiences that compete quite nicely with local freestanding restaurants. Consider the Technomic report we reported on last week showing that 55% of guests staying at full service hotels chose to dine 1 or more times at a restaurant in their hotel. Hotel dining – if done correctly – can differentiate itself and  compete successfuly with freestanding restaurants for local business, as well.

We think great tabletop can play a key role in that success.