Hotel Operations

🏡 The Fife Arms, a hotel in Braemar near the royal Balmoral Estate, boasts over 16,000 works of art, including pieces by Picasso and King Charles. It offers a unique experience with activities such as wild swimming, sauna, and freeform whisky tastings. The hotel shop features items like Giles Deacon tartan capes and waxed cotton Glens kit bags, in collaboration with Fernweh. The hotel is dog-friendly and prides itself on not being snooty, welcoming guests in hiking attire.

🏖️ An individual spent a relaxing weekend alone in London in early June, staying at the Marylebone Hotel. They enjoyed a morning on the hotel's terrace, visited an Ottolenghi deli, chatted with diners about Miranda July's book "All Fours," and braved the rain in Hyde Park. The day included viewing Judy Chicago at the Serpentine, dodging showers at a café, and experiencing Enzo Mari at the Design Museum, along with visits to Savile Row, naps, and hotel meals. The article promotes slow travel in cities, suggesting it enhances the quality of experience, appearing in Condé Nast Traveler's September/October 2024 issue.

📖 During the MURTEC 2024 keynote, Will Guidara, a restaurateur and author of 'Unreasonable Hospitality,' spoke on the power of positive culture and the motivational role of anger in the service industry. He emphasized using adversity as a catalyst for learning and improvement, encapsulating his philosophy of "unreasonable hospitality" to inspire service excellence among the attendees.

🏨 Dusit International will manage two new properties in Bangkok, opening in 2026: Dusit Suites Kingsquare, Bangkok with 60 hotel rooms and 49 serviced suites, and KingsQuare Residence, a 52-story building with 222 residential units. The hotel will feature amenities such as a restaurant, pool, and co-working space, while the residences will offer a pool, basketball court, and private dining. Dusit's global portfolio includes 301 properties in 18 countries, with more than 50 properties in the pipeline.

📈 Artificial intelligence (AI) enhances applicant tracking systems to better identify qualified candidates through fine-tuned, semi-automated screening processes. Utilizing human-created prompts, AI can match the specific needs of clients. However, human oversight is vital for continuous improvement of AI accuracy. Bullhorn's 2023 Talent Trends Report reveals that 80% of candidates show loyalty to a staffing firm if contacted during an ongoing placement, yet only 50% receive weekly communications from recruiters. LGC Hospitality, led by CEO George Lessmeister, operates in over 40 U.S. cities, emphasizing the importance of personal, customized service over app-based staffing solutions.

🍴 Solo dining reservations increased by 4% year-over-year according to OpenTable. Emi Guerra of Breakwater Hospitality Group noticed a significant increase in solo diners since 2021. Breakwater's JohnMartin's pub in South Florida offers specialized menus for individuals. Penny, a seafood counter in New York's East Village, caters to solo diners with options like the Ice Box. Dallas-based Imperial Fizz reported a rise in solo dining. Sushi Bar experienced a 10% increase in solo bookings from 2023 to 2024. Malai Kitchen in Dallas-Fort Worth adapted to solo diners with individualized dishes and more one or two-person booths.

💰 On June 28th, 2024, Nike reported its Q2 financial results, revealing a significant loss of $25 billion in market cap in one day, amounting to $70 billion over 9 months. The company's share price plunged to its lowest since 2018, dropping by 32% since the start of the year, with 130 million shares traded—13 times the daily average. John Donahoe became CEO on January 13th, 2020, initiating a transformation alongside Heidi O’Neill, President of Consumer, Product and Brand. This transformation included eliminating categories, shifting to a Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) led strategy, and adopting a centralized, data-driven digital marketing model. A major reorganization occurred between August 2020 and March 2021. The new strategy led to operational challenges, inventory issues, and market share loss, with inventory levels rising from $6.5 billion on May 31st, 2021, to $10 billion by November 30th, 2022. Gross margin dropped from 46% in FY22 to 43.5% in FY23. Nike reintroduced product categories as "Fields of Play" in December 2023 after disappointing Q2 results.

🍴 Kaneda Pen, former advertising professional, transitioned to the culinary industry at 37 as a part-time commis at The Exhibit in Balham. Admiring industry figures like Rick Stein and Raymond Blanc, Pen's cooking style is described as "unfussy, comforting and lacking subtlety." He values repetition in the kitchen, prefers à la carte over tasting menus, and cannot live without a rice cooker. Pen's signature dish is a sour pineapple curry, showcasing Cambodian flavors.

🍴 Bret Thorn, Senior Food & Beverage Editor with expertise in food and beverage trends, joined Nation’s Restaurant News in 1999 and Restaurant Hospitality in 2016. He hosted "In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn" podcast and wrote "Kitchen Dish" for The New York Sun between 2005-2008. In Thailand, he was a writer for Manager magazine and Asia Times newspaper from 1992-1997. Thorn won the 2006 Neal Award for his column, studied French cooking at Le Cordon Bleu in 1986, and was inducted into the Disciples d’Escoffier in 2014. He holds a BA in history from Tufts University (1990), studied at Peking and Nanjing Universities in 1988-1989, and contributed to the Oxford Encyclopedia (2012) and Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets (2015). Contact him at [email protected] and follow him on social media.