#Trending This Week: Bubbly On Demand, Hotels Are Resorting To Late Summer Deals, One Airline Introduces Meal Pre-Ordering, And Have You Heard Of Seed-To-Table Dining?
Issue 104 • August 9, 2022
Hotels are grappling with two big things as we head into the last weeks of summer vacation. First, they have to set themselves apart from the competition in ever-increasingly creative ways. And secondly, with the threat of recession looming, some consumers are rethinking a summer vacation at all, so properties are pulling out all of the stops to add even greater value in the eyes of the consumer. One airline is now letting travelers pre-order drinks and snacks before they ever step foot onto the plane, and you may have heard of “farm-to-table,” but are you familiar with “seed to table?” Check it all out in our three-minute read below.
Hotels Are Resorting To Late Summer Deals And Perks
Late-summer leisure travelers may be hesitant to book their vacation travel due to the unfortunate mix of inflation, economic uncertainty, and fluctuating gas prices. As a result, many hotels are resorting to value-add deals to encourage more bookings. Miraval in the Berkshires is offering a complimentary shuttle from New York City. The Graduate in Nashville is crediting guests up to $100 of their gas costs. Hoteliers are really getting creative when it comes to special offers, hoping to strike a chord with those feeling economic anxiety. Read more in Travel Weekly here.
Pre-Order Your Drink And Snack For Your Flight
Here’s a switch-up on airline food, now United Airlines is enabling you to pre-order your drink and snack on certain domestic flights up to five days in advance. If your flight plans change, United will cancel the order and send another email regarding snack and drink choices for the new flight, when relevant. This is definitely a bid by the airline to increase the ancillary revenue per onboard passenger, going beyond checked bags fees and premium economy seating. Read more in Skift here.
Bubbly At The Push Of A Button
With so many travelers hitting the road, hotels are feeling the push to stand out from the crowd. But how do you make yourself appeal more hip, luxurious, cool — or whatever it is going to take to attract attention, particularly from the media? One hotel is banking on the fact that its emergency champagne at the push of a button amenity will do just that. Read more in Mashed here.
Seed-To-Table Dining Is Flourishing
Seed-to-table dining is the use of ingredients for cocktails, dishes, and garnishes grown at the onsite garden. The seed-to-table concept works best for chefs who create seasonal offerings by planting crops which grow best that season and are located in a region where the use of fresh ingredients are in high demand. By utilizing seed-to-table initiatives, food and beverage programs also become less reliant on other vendors which may contribute to their carbon footprint and also will not be impacted by production shortages. Read more in Hotel Executive here.