Market Trends

🍴 Bret Thorn, Senior Food & Beverage Editor for Nation's Restaurant News since 1999 and Restaurant Hospitality since 2016, won the 2006 Jesse H. Neal National Business Journalism Award. Host of "In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn" podcast, he covered New York City's restaurant scene for The New York Sun from 2005 to 2008. A magna cum laude Tufts University graduate and a member of Phi Beta Kappa, he also studied at Le Cordon Bleu and in China. Bret was inducted into the Disciples d'Escoffier in 2014.

🏨 Hotelogix's blog provides a comprehensive guide to hotel compset analysis to help hotels make informed decisions and maximize success. The article features the importance of hotel compset and the tools available for analysis. The guide aims to unlock a hotel's potential through strategic decisions. The content was published on September 27, 2024, and last updated on September 30, 2024, by Suniti Bahl.

🏢 Sheraton Grand Nashville Downtown, managed by Aimbridge Hospitality and owned by Dreamscape Companies and Centerbridge Partners, announced its renovation completion as part of Sheraton Hotels' global brand revitalization. The hotel features 494 guestrooms and suites, redesigned for work/life balance and guest experience transformation, including modernized design and new service signatures like Gatherings by Sheraton. Upgrades encompass nearly 29,000 square feet of event space, new communal spaces, and food and beverage experiences, such as the Library Restaurant & Lounge and the 28th-floor Skye Lounge with Sora Kitchen. Renovation completed over two years, designed by Looney & Associates, in anticipation of the hotel's centennial in 2025. This is part of a global transformation unveiled in 2018 by Sheraton Hotels & Resorts.

🌆 Moxy Hotels, under Marriott Bonvoy, plans to hit 100 hotels in Europe by 2025, marking its 10th anniversary since the 2014 Milan launch. The expansion includes 17 new properties, with entries into Spain, Turkey, and Luxembourg. Moxy Barcelona opens in October with 414 rooms and a rooftop pool. Moxy Istanbul Beyoğlu debuts in Turkey by year's end, followed by Moxy Izmir. Moxy Luxembourg Airport recently opened. The growth also spans France, Italy, Portugal, Ireland, Belgium, Poland, Serbia, and Germany, with notable openings such as Moxy Warsaw City and Moxy Dublin Docklands.

🏨 Gencom completed a $550 million recapitalization of the Fairmont Southampton resort in Bermuda, aiming for a major redevelopment and expansion of the 593-key property. Institutional lenders including Starwood Property Trust and Clarien Bank financed the deal. The renovation will modernize guestrooms, the lobby, meeting spaces, and ballrooms. The project includes a residential program with Fairmont-branded residences and is set to open in early 2026. Gencom's portfolio is worth around $8 billion, with 24 owned assets exceeding 7,000 rooms and a management affiliate with 240 properties totaling 50,000 keys.

🏗 Eighteen architects and designers, including Keiji Ashizawa, Patricia Urquiola, and Lee Broom, convened this week in London at the One Hundred Shoreditch hotel to finalize the winners of the Dezeen Awards 2024. From nearly 100 countries, over 4,000 projects were narrowed down to 225 shortlisted entries. The ceremony for the 46 award winners will be in November, with celebrations at the Dezeen Awards 2024 party. A special accolade, the Bentley Lighthouse Award, recognizes contributions to social and environmental sustainability. Tickets for the awards party in Hackney Church, London on November 26 are discounted by 20% for entrants and available at £270 for others, with an additional 10% off for groups of five or more.

🚧 Thermal destratification in hotels reduces energy consumption, balances room temperatures, and cuts costs. It evenly distributes air, reducing temperature differences and heat loss. Advancements include improved compressor technology, safer coolant gas, and optimal HVAC system programming. These innovations lead to more efficient energy use, lower replacement costs, and enhanced guest comfort. Purdue University's study highlights energy savings and guest satisfaction. This marks a sustainable, cost-effective future for hotel operations.

🍴 Berg Hospitality Group, founded by CEO Benjamin Berg, opened its first restaurant, B&B Butchers, in Houston in May 2015. Now, the group operates 16 restaurants across Fort Worth, Houston, and Arlington, Texas. The group's latest opening is Soy Cowboy, a pan-Asian-inspired eatery at the Loews Hotel in Arlington, and has plans for a partnership with Roark Capital-owned Carvel to launch Buttermilk Baby in Houston, a fast-casual concept reminiscent of a nostalgic soda fountain, with a second location in Sugarland, Texas, and an ambition to open 10 more within five years. Berg Hospitality also anticipates the launch of a speakeasy and Canopy Social rooftop bar in Houston in the next 6-7 months, along with expansion of other concepts like Turner’s Cut steakhouse in San Antonio and Austin. Berg emphasizes service and hospitality as core values in his business.

🌮 South Dakota's cuisine is evolving beyond American staples with restaurants like Justin Warner's Bokujo Ramen in Rapid City and Joseph Raney’s Skogen Kitchen in Custard drawing attention. Despite a population under 910,000 as per the 2022 census and challenging weather, the state's restaurant industry is growing, highlighted by four new independent eateries that demonstrate a shift in food and dining style.

🚿 Hospitality professionals require frequent towel replacement, making selection and procurement critical for cost management. Online purchasing offers convenience, such as one-click reordering and automatic reshipments. Criteria for choosing the best suppliers include towel quality, variety, price, ease of ordering, return policy, customer service, and overall shopping experience. The top ten recommended merchants are Towel Supercenter, Direct Textile Store, DZEE Textiles, Towel Hub, Bulk Linen Supply, Acme Mills, Textiles Depot, United Textile Supply, InnStyle, and Wholesale Textiles, Inc., featuring a wide range of products suitable for various sectors and focused on quality, customer satisfaction, and expedited shipping options.