Market Trends

🍷 Demerara sugar, with its rich, caramel-like flavor, is now on 3.1% of U.S. restaurant menus, marking a 31% increase over four years, according to Datassential. This sugar is popular among vegetarian, vegan, and Asian consumers and is mostly used in independent and fine-dining establishments. It's favored for its minimal refinement and natural qualities, finding its way into cocktails, coffee drinks, and baked goods for added crunch and sweetness.

🍴 Bret Thorn is the Senior Food & Beverage Editor for Nation’s Restaurant News since 1999 and Restaurant Hospitality since 2016. He hosted the podcast “In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn” and wrote for The New York Sun from 2005-2008. His previous experience includes writing in Thailand for Manager magazine and Asia Times (1992-1997). Thorn is a magna cum laude graduate from Tufts University with a BA in History and studied French cooking at Le Cordon Bleu. His work won the 2006 Jesse H. Neal Award. Inducted into the Disciples d’Escoffier in 2014, Thorn resides in Brooklyn, NY. Contact him at [email protected] and follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter (@foodwriterdiary), and Instagram (@foodwriterdiary).

🏡 California's architecture studio Electric Bowery and graphic design firm Land, in collaboration with landscape design studio Orca and Marc & Rose Hospitality, renovated the 1980s-built Casa Loma hotel in Laguna Beach. The cliff-perched hotel features 70 rooms, a central pool deck, terraces, event space, and a double-height lobby with a bar. The design embeds European seaside inn influences, a calming color palette, and a focus on Laguna Beach’s crafting culture, particularly surfboard shaping techniques. Custom wood furniture with soft curves and geometric shapes are showcased throughout the hotel. Guest rooms exhibit woven textiles, screen-printed tapestries, and stone and tile work, while vanity fixtures from Sklo and lamps by Kassandra Thatcher accentuate the space. The project's details reflect the local natural beauty and Laguna Beach's historical spirit.

🏡 Wyndham Hotels & Resorts signs a 10-year franchise agreement with Reside, launching five residence-style hotels in the U.S. for extended stays. This move introduces Wyndham's Residence tier in upscale markets and aims to expand across the top 50 U.S. markets. Seattle-based Reside, operating in 60 countries for over 30 years, joins Wyndham's network of 112 million loyalty members. Existing Wyndham Residence properties include a 55-room hotel in Seattle and a 70-key hotel in Houston. Upcoming properties feature 22 rooms in New Orleans, and two in Washington D.C. with 81 and 67 rooms respectively.

🏠 Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, the world's largest hotel franchisor, enters a 10-year development relationship with Reside to launch residence-style hotels in U.S. cities like Houston and Washington, D.C. Wyndham Residence debuts in the U.S. with five hotels open or under development. Reside operates in 60 countries, complementing Wyndham's extended-stay segment with brands like ECHO Suites, Hawthorn, and WaterWalk. New locations include Reside Seattle Downtown (55 rooms), Reside Houston Downtown (79 rooms), and upcoming hotels in New Orleans (22 rooms), and two in Washington, D.C. (81 and 67 rooms, respectively).

🍴 Bret Thorn, Senior Food & Beverage Editor for Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, has guided F&B trends since 1999. Host of "In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn" podcast, he covered New York City’s restaurant scene for The New York Sun from 2005-2008. Before that, Thorn worked in Thailand as a writer (1992-1997) and ABC News runner in 1989. He's a Tufts University magna cum laude graduate, a Phi Beta Kappa member, and studied French cooking at Le Cordon Bleu. His editorial work earned him the 2006 Jesse H. Neal Award and a presidency at IFEC in 2005. Thorn authored food entries for Oxford Encyclopedia (2012) and Oxford Companion (2015), and was inducted into Disciples d’Escoffier in 2014.

🏦 The Surrey in Manhattan's Upper East Side, now The Surrey, A Corinthia Hotel, has reopened under U.K. billionaire owners Reuben Brothers. Acquired in 2020 for $150 million, the hotel offers 70 rooms, 30 suites, and 14 private residences. Serving as Corinthia Hotels' first North American property, The Surrey has been a New York fixture since 1926. The hotel features interior design by MBDS, suites with dedicated butler services, and the first New York Casa Tua eatery with a private members' club.

💰 Accor's Q3 2024 revenue increased by 12% to €1,434 million with RevPAR growth normalizing. Accor CEO Sébastien Bazin highlighted the role of luxury and lifestyle brands, high-potential markets, and the French Olympic Games in their growth. 47 new hotels with 8,000 rooms opened, marking a 3.2% net unit growth over 12 months; total portfolio reaching 838,826 rooms (5,638 hotels). Future projections include RevPAR growth of 4%-5%, net unit growth of 3%-4%, and an expected EBITDA of €1,100 million to €1,125 million. PM&E division revenue was €821 million, a 7% increase from Q3 2023, while luxury and lifestyle division revenue jumped 18% to €635 million. France's RevPAR rose 6%, Middle East and Africa's represented 20%, and Americas', mainly Brazil, saw an uptick from business demand.

🏥 Meg Kennedy and Rob Blood, founders of Lark Hotels, discussed hospitality innovation on their podcast episode from Oct. 25, 2024. They explored extended stay models and family-friendly accommodations during a road trip in Northern California. Insights include rebranding extended stays, creating hotel brands like Bluebird and Blind Tiger, and the benefits of partnerships and resort passes. They mention lodgings such as Dawn Ranch and Calistoga Motor Lodge, and discuss luxury in terms of access.

🏖️ DidaTravel reported hotel bookings from China's Golden Week (Oct 1-7, 2024) increased by 190% in the Americas, 78% in Europe, 77% in Asia-Pacific, and 106% in the Middle East. The average hotel stay remained at two nights. The top international destinations were Japan, Thailand, and Malaysia, with Bangkok and Tokyo being the most booked cities. Domestic travel favored Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. The data reflects Chinese travelers' evolving preferences and a resurgence in outbound tourism.