Economy | KRG Hospitality

June 12, 2023by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

The 2023 HD Award Finalists and Winners

The 2023 HD Award Finalists and Winners

by David Klemt

As one would expect, the finalists and winners of the 2023 Hospitality Design Awards are a stunning collection of brands from which operators should pull inspiration.

Anyone looking for cutting-edge hospitality design would do well to look into each of the winners and finalists below.

The full list of award finalists and winners, and the architecture, interior design, and purchasing firms (along with owners and operators) can be found on the Hospitality Design website. Just click this link for the full details.

For our past coverage of the HD Expo, please click here.

View into The Lobby inside ACE Hotel Sydney, which offers craft cocktails and small plates.

Lifestyle Hotel

Winner

Ace Hotel Sydney (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia)

Architecture Firm: Bates Smart, Melbourne
Interior Design Firm: Flack Studio (hotel), Melbourne
Owner: Golden Age Group
Operator: Ace Hotel Group
Purchasing Firm: Marques Interior Services

Finalists

Canoe Place Inn & Cottages (Hampton Bays, New York)

Our Habitas San Miguel (San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico)

Sisan·Shuanglang Hotel (DaLi, YunNan, China)

Fan Woods Hotel (Zhangjiakou City, Hebei Province, China)

Lifestyle Hotel Public Space

Winner

The Tampa EDITION

Architecture and Interior Design Firms: Morris Adjmi Architects, and ISC Design Studio, New York
Owner: Strategic Property Partners
Operator: Marriott International
Purchasing Firm: The Parker Company

Finalists

Ace Hotel Sydney (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia)

The Standard (Hua Hin, Thailand)

Luxury Hotel

Winner

The Londoner (London, England) United Kingdom)

Architecture Firm: Woods Bagot, London
Interior Design Firm: Yabu Pushelberg, New York and Toronto
Owner and Operator: Edwardian Hotels London

Finalists

Wildflower Farms, Auberge Resorts Collection (Gardiner, New York)

Kimpton Bamboo Grove Suzhou (Suzhou, Jiangsu, China)

Luxury Hotel Public Space

Winner

The Madrona (Healdsburg, California)

Architecture Firm: Strening Architects, Santa Rosa, California
Interior Design Firm: Jay Jeffers, San Francisco
Owners: Jay Jeffers, Kyle Jeffers, and investors
Operator: Mosaic Hotel Group
Purchasing Firm: Summa International

Finalists

The Madrid EDITION (Madrid, Spain)

Pillows Maurits at the Park (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

Wildflower Farms, Auberge Resorts Collection (Gardiner, New York)

Upscale Hotel

Winner

Six Senses Rome (Rome, Italy)

Architecture and Interior Design Firm: Patricia Urquiola Design, Milan
Owner: Six Senses

Finalists

HAY boutique hotel & SPA by Edem Family (Bukovel, Ukraine)

The Standard, Bangkok Mahanakhon (Bangkok, Thailand)

Belmonte Hotel Krynica Zdrój (Krynica-Zdrój, Poland)

Upscale Hotel Public Space

Winner

The Standard, Bangkok Mahanakhon (Bangkok, Thailand)

Architecture Firm: Buro Ole Scheeren, Bangkok
Interior Design Firms: The Standard in-house design team, New York; Hayon Studio, Valencia, Spain; and Studio Freehand, Bangkok
Owner and Purchasing Firm: King Power
Operator: Standard International

Finalists

Thompson Buckhead (Atlanta, Georgia, USA)

The Royal (Picton, Ontario, Canada)

Midscale Hotel

Winner

Ace Hotel Toronto (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)

Architecture Firm: Shim-Sutcliffe Architects, Toronto
Interior Design Firm: Atelier Ace, New York
Owners: Alterra, B-right, Finer Space Corporation, Prowinko, and Zinc Developments
Operator: Ace Hotel Group
Purchasing Firm: Benjamin West

Finalists

High Country Motor Lodge (Flagstaff, Arizona, USA)

Albor San Miguel de Allende, Tapestry Collection by Hilton (San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico)

Hotel Indigo Jiuzhai (Sichuan, China)

Midscale Hotel Public Space

Winner

Ace Hotel Toronto (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)

Architecture Firm: Shim-Sutcliffe Architects, Toronto
Interior Design Firm: Atelier Ace, New York
Owners: Alterra, B-right, Finer Space Corporation, Prowinko, and Zinc Developments
Operator: Ace Hotel Group
Purchasing Firm: Benjamin West

Finalists

Albor San Miguel de Allende, Tapestry Collection by Hilton (San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico)

Crystal Orange Hotel Shanghai Pudong Lujiazui (Shanghai, China)

High Country Motor Lodge (Flagstaff, Arizona, USA)

Select Service Hotel

Winner

The Beach Motel (Southampton, Ontario, Canada)

Architecture, Interior Design, and Purchasing Firm: Common Good Studio, Toronto
Owner: DASA Properties

Finalists

Hotel Tupelo (Tupelo, Mississippi, USA)

The Shàng | Artyzen Qiantan Shanghai (Shanghai, China)

Select Service Hotel Public Space

Winner

Hotel Tupelo (Tupelo, Mississippi, USA)

Architecture Firm: Sarah Newton Architect, Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Owner and Interior Design Firm: The Thrash Group, Dallas
Operator: Tandem Hospitality Management
Purchasing Firm: J Desterbecq & Associates

Finalist

The Beach Motel (Southampton, Ontario, Canada)

Resort

Winner

Naviva, A Four Seasons Resort (Punta Mita, Nayarit, Mexico)

Architecture and Interior Design Firm: Luxury Frontiers
Owner: Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts

Finalists

Etéreo, Auberge Resorts Collection (Riviera Maya, Quintana Roo, Mexico)

Centara Reserve Samui (Koh Samui, Thailand)

Lodges + Camps

Winner

AutoCamp Joshua Tree (Joshua Tree, California, USA)

Architecture Firm: HKS, San Francisco
Interior Design Firm: Narrative Design Studio, San Francisco
Owner and Operator: AutoCamp
Purchasing Firm: Benjamin West

Finalists

AutoCamp Catskills (Saugerties, New York)

Getaway Outdoor Suites (Ottawa, Illinois)

Restorations, Transformations + Conversions

Winner

Tin Building by Jean-Georges (New York, New York)

Architecture Firm: Cass Calder Smith, New York
Interior Design Firm: Roman and Williams Buildings and Interiors, New York
Owner: Howard Hughes Corporation
Purchasing Firm: Summa International

Finalists

Aman New York (New York, New York)

Virgin Hotels Edinburgh (Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom)

Casa Cody (Palm Springs, California, USA)

Ace Hotel Sydney (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia)

New Brand Launch

Winner

Blue Iris by Life House (Nantucket, Massachusetts, USA)

Architecture Firm: Emeritus, Austin
Owner: Blue Flag Partners
Operator, Interior Design, and Purchasing Firm: Life House

Finalists

Revo Munich (München, Germany)

The Julius (Prague, Czech Republic)

Sweetbee Café + Bar (Brooklyn, New York, USA)

Event Space

Winner

Seattle Convention Center Summit Building (Seattle, Washington, USA)

Architecture and Interior Design Firm: LMN Architects, Seattle
Owner: Seattle Convention Center

Finalists

The Madrona (Healdsburg, California)

The Standard, Bangkok Mahanakhon (Bangkok, Thailand)

Hybrid Hospitality

Winner

Little Banchan Shop / Meju (Queens, New York, USA)

Architecture Firm: David K. UH, New York
Interior Design Firm: CRÈME, Brooklyn, New York
Owner: Chef Hooni Kim

Finalists

Capital One Hybrid Bank and Café (New York, New York, USA)

Changsha Fundolandπ (Changsha, Hunan, China)

Beyond Hospitality

Winner

The Water Drop Library (Shuangyue Bay, Huizhou City, Guangdong, China)

Architecture and Interior Design Firm: 3andwich Design / He Wei Studio, Beijing
Owner: Huizhou Shuangyue Bay Real Estate Investment and Development Co., Ltd.

Finalists

The Africa Centre (London, England, United Kingdom)

Aqua Foro Pool Club at Piazza Alta (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA)

Wellness + Wellbeing

Winner

Paste Dental (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)

Interior Design Firm: Studio Author, Toronto
Owner: Dr Derek Chung

Finalists

Naviva, A Four Seasons Resort (Punta Mita, Nayarit, Mexico)

Dundas Square Barbers (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)

Sustainable

Winners

Chleo (Kingston, New York, USA)

Interior Design Firm: Islyn Studio, Brooklyn, New York
Owners: Hope and Charles Mathews
Purchasing Firm: Wagner Hamill

Six Senses Rome (Rome, Italy)

Architecture and Interior Design Firm: Patricia Urquiola Design, Milan
Owner: Six Senses

Finalists

Villa Le Blanc Gran Meliá (Sant Tomàs, Illes Balears, Spain)

1 Hotel Nashville (Nashville, Tennessee, USA)

Guestrooms

Winner

Centara Reserve Samui (Koh Samui, Thailand)

Architecture Firm: Begray, Bangkok
Interior Design Firm: AvroKO, Bangkok
Owner, Operator, and Purchasing Firm: Centara Hotels & Resorts

Finalists

Central Hotel Macau (Macau, China)

Albor San Miguel de Allende, Tapestry Collection by Hilton (San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico)

Wildflower Farms, Auberge Resorts Collection (Gardiner, New York)

Suites

Winner

Venice Simplon Orient Express (Vienna, Austria; Budapest, Hungary; and Prague, Czech Republic)

Interior Design Firm: Wimberly Interiors, London
Owner: Belmond

Finalists

The Standard, Bangkok Mahanakhon (Bangkok, Thailand)

Sands Premier Suite, Marina Bay Sands (Singapore)

Casual Restaurant

Winner

Great White – Melrose (West Hollywood, California, USA)

Architecture Firm: Natalie Kazanjian Architect, Los Angeles
Interior Design Firm: Great White Partners in partnership with Buca Studios, Los Angeles
Owner, Operator, and Purchasing Firm: Great White Partners

Finalists

Marcus at Baha Mar (Nassau, Bahamas)

MOVA (Dnipro, Ukraine)

Good Ground Tavern at Canoe Place Inn & Cottages (Hampton Bays, New York, USA)

Shikigiku Japanese Restaurant (IFC Mall) – Café & Bar Area (Hong Kong)

Upscale Restaurant

Winner

Oiji Mi (New York, New York, USA)

Architecture Firm: David Bucovy Architect, New York
Interior Design Firm: AvroKO, New York
Owner: Oiji Hospitality

Finalists

Amal (Miami, Florida, USA)

53 (New York, New York, USA)

Terra (Lviv, Ukraine)

Bar, Club + Lounge

Winner

Andra Hem (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA)

Architecture Firm: Stokes Architecture + Design, Philadelphia
Interior Design Firm: Ghislaine Viñas, New York
Owner: Paige West

Finalists

Punch Room (Tampa, Florida, USA)

Ritz Bar (Paris, France)

Bar Cima (New York, New York, USA)

Gair (Brooklyn, New York, USA)

Equipment Room (Austin, Texas, USA)

Visual Identity

Winner

Saint June at the Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman (Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, Greater Antilles)

Branding and Interior Design Firm: Goodrich, New York
Owner: Dart
Operator: The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company
Purchasing Firm: The Parker Company

Finalists

Zou Zou’s and Chez Zou (New York, New York, USA)

Uniforms at the Standard, Bangkok Mahanakhon (Bangkok, Thailand)

Orto (Belfast, Ireland, United Kingdom)

Student

Winner

Sarah Choudhary, New York School of Interior Design: Hotel Cirque (Montréal, Québec, Canada)

Finalists

Bryann Brophy, Brittany Noble, Olivia Fletcher, and Hannah Randall, Iowa State University: Hotel Rina (Rome, Italy)

Hsiang-Ting Huang, School of Visual Arts, New York: A Transitional Place of Love (New York, New York, USA)

Images courtesy of ACE Hotel Sydney

Tortilla with beans, cotija cheese and egg

January 10, 2023by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Canadian Trends 2023: Technomic

Canadian Trends 2023: Technomic

by David Klemt

Restaurant, bar, and hotel operators will find this year’s data-driven trend predictions from Technomic for 2023 insightful.

Interestingly but perhaps not surprisingly, some operators may be looking beyond North America for inspiration.

Per Technomic, Central and South American cuisines could influence menus in Canada this year. Other food trends that might take hold are “retro” health items, and all manner of pickled foods.

Of course, not every Canadian trend prediction involves F&B. According to Technomic, tech and the guest experience will play important roles.

To review last year’s Technomic predictions, click here. Now, let’s jump into Technomic’s 2023 predictions.

Guest Experience

Certainly, the guest experience should always be top of mind for operators, their leadership teams, and their staff.

In this instance, Technomic isn’t suggesting that the guest experience in general will be a trend. Obviously, with as important as it is to the success of any business, it’s a cornerstone.

Rather, Technomic predicts that guests will continue to feel the need to rein in their spending due to ricing costs and prices. However, the foodservice research firm also believes there’s still heavy desire for social interaction.

So, both those financial and social influences translate to the following: overdelivery.

Operators and their teams must ensure they position their brands well; make guests feel special every visit; and really dial in the guest experience. Specifically, Technomic suggests focusing on younger generations and menus with at least a couple specialty items that aren’t easy for a guest to replicate at home.

In other words, do whatever it takes to entice guests with memorable experience and quality menu items, and keep them coming back for more.

Technology

Multiple industry sources believe that 2023 is the Year of Tech for the hospitality industry. In particular, some sources believe that POS systems will receive significant attention from operators looking to upgrade.

Compellingly, Technomic sees the situation a bit differently. In particular, they’re suggesting that QR code menus may find themselves on the sidelines. Traditional menu, according to Technomic, will make their comeback this year.

Also making a (possible) resurgence? Per Technomic, in-person ordering for carryout and in-person dining.

As far as tech innovations that Technomic expects to take off this year, they see the following as standouts:

loyalty programs;
enhanced/upgraded cooking equipment;
automated inventory software/platforms; and
digital menu boards for back of house.

Culinary

As hinted at above, Central and South American cuisines are expected to take off in Canada, per Technomic.

The research firm provides specific—and delicious—examples:

Honduras: Baleadas tacos
Dominican Republic: Wasakaka sauce
El Salvador: Curtido slaw or relish
Peru: Aji amarillo and rocoto peppers
Bolivia: Saltenas, similar to empanadas

Another culinary trend Technomic predicts will perform well in Canada? Pickled everything.

Okay, maybe not everything. However, Technomic expects “pickling, fermenting, dehydrating and freeze-drying” to “increasingly pop up on menus.” The firm expects that operators will offer a wide range of “unusually pickled items outside of the typical veggies, including proteins and seeds.”

So, if you’re an operator reading this, it may be time to motivate your back-of-house staff to get creative with their pickling ideas.

Finally, pandemic-driven, health-based trend foods like turmeric and ginger may start to fade in popularity. Instead, predicts Technomic, items with “classic” health descriptors such as “natural,” “real,” “free,” “reduced,” and “lower” will get attention from guests looking to eat and drink healthier.

For your own copy of this Technomic report in its entirety, click here.

Image: Roman Odintsov on Pexels

September 30, 2022by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Operators & Guests Respond to Rising Costs

Operators & Guests Respond to Rising Costs

by David Klemt

Everything is more expensive these days and both operators and consumers have their own ideas for addressing rising costs.

To gather and share insight into people’s mindsets, Restaurants Canada conducted and commissioned two surveys.

For one, the industry research and advocacy organization surveyed operators. The focus was on how much operators anticipated increasing their prices.

On the other side, Restaurants Canada commissioned Angus Reid for a survey focusing on consumers. This survey revealed potential traffic slowdowns and perceived value for money.

For your own copy of Restaurant Canada’s 2022 Foodservice Facts report, click here.

QSR vs. FSR: Consumers

As an operator, converting first-time visitors into repeat guests is paramount. Equally as important: increasing visit frequency per guest.

Of course, an immediate byproduct of rising costs is consumers pulling back and reevaluating their spending. Oftentimes, dining out is one of the first costs consumers slash in order to save money.

Therefore, operators always face the risk of reduced traffic and even losing some guests permanently when they raise prices. However, this is often a necessary risk to take to combat rising costs.

So, how dire is the situation among Canadian consumers currently? Or at least, how did they feel in Q2 of this year? Angus Reid conducted a survey of consumers to find out, and the results can be found within the 2022 Foodservice Facts report.

First, let’s look at visit frequency for QSRs and FSRs. Before we begin, 12 percent of survey respondents answer that they “don’t know for sure” if rising prices will affect their visit frequency for either QSRs or FSRs. Not helpful.

For QSRs, 19 percent of respondents say an increase in prices won’t impact their visit frequency. Thirty-six percent anticipate visiting “a little less often,” while 32 percent will visit much frequently.

As for FSRs, 16 percent of survey respondents won’t change their visit frequency. However, 37 percent anticipate visiting FSRs much less often. Nearly as many, 36 percent, will visit a bit less frequently.

Interestingly, however, is perceived value. More FSR guests believe they receive excellent or good value for their money than they do from QSRs. More QSR guests believe they receive fair, poor, or very poor value for their money.

Overall, though, 90 percent of Canadian consumers feel positive toward the value they receive from QSRs and FSRs.

QSR vs. FSR: Operators

Clearly, it’s good news that the vast majority of Canadians believe they receive good value for their money when dining out.

Nobody enjoys paying more but it appears that both QSRs and FSRs in Canada can increase their prices. At least, they can do so for now while consumers are mostly understanding about inflation.

Restaurants Canada asked QSR and FSR operators a simple but revealing question for their 2022 Foodservice Facts report. The question? How much higher do operators expect to increase their prices by the end of Q4 of this year in comparison to last year?

The majority of operators in both categories anticipate they’ll increase menu prices by more than seven percent. Twenty-seven percent of QSR operators have that expectation. That number rises to 35 percent for FSR operators.

Twenty-two percent of QSR operators anticipate raising prices five to seven percent before the end of 2022. In comparison, 32 percent of FSR operators expect to raise prices in the same range.

At the moment, Canadian consumers appear to be willing to endure these increases. However, it’s likely they expect prices to drop back to “normal” (pre-pandemic prices) or close to it sometime in 2023. That is, unless Canada slides into recession.

Image: PiggyBank on Unsplash

September 23, 2022by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Restaurants Canada Reveals Pandemic Impact

Two Years On, Restaurants Canada Reveals Pandemic Impact

by David Klemt

Restaurants Canada looks at the impact of the pandemic on the foodservice industry in their latest Foodservice Facts report.

Canada’s foodservice industry research and advocacy non-profit sees a return to pre-pandemic operations. However, the path forward toward pre-pandemic traffic and sales levels won’t be without its challenges.

“While nominal sales are expected to return to pre-pandemic levels before the end of the year, traffic still remains below what it was before,” says Restaurants Canada president and CEO Christian Buhagiar.

To access your own copy of 2022 Foodservice Facts, click here.

Industry Still Struggling

As an owner, operator, or foodservice professional, you probably have the answer to a specific question in mind.

When will we be “back to normal?” And, of course, the natural followup to that question. Will the industry surpass 2019 traffic and sales?

Restaurants and bars throughout Canada have survived six waves of Covid-19 over the course of two-plus years. There have been an inordinate amount of lockdowns that inarguably forced the permanent closure of far too many businesses.

As Restaurants Canada states (and the rest of us know all too well), there’s no telling if another Covid-19 variant will rear its ugly head. It’s conceivable (but with any luck unlikely) that Canada could face future lockdowns.

At the moment, according to Restaurants Canada, foodservice sales are currently 11 percent below 2019 levels. And yes, that’s after adjustment for inflation. Speaking of which, one reason traffic and sales remain below those of 2019 is consumer confidence. Many Canadians are concerned about a possible recession.

In addition, operators in Canada continue to face a labor shortage.

News Not All Bad

Now, anyone who read the previous section would be justified in lacking confidence in the industry. However, there is good news.

First, let’s compare Q1 of 2022 to Q2. Per Restaurants Canada, just 15 percent of restaurants were able to seat guests with zero restrictions. By April, though, approximately 90 percent of restaurants in Canada could serve in-person guests restriction-free.

Second, Q2 had more positivity in store for operators. According to Restaurants Canada, the FSR segment endured an 18-month decline in traffic when Covid-19 took hold. When restrictions were lifted, the floodgates of consumer demand burst. By Q2, traffic was a mere one percent lower in comparison to 2019.

Going a bit granular, QSR performance also improved in Q2. Per Restaurants Canada, QSR traffic lagged eight percent behind pre-pandemic levels. However, that number improved to just two percent under pre-pandemic levels by Q2.

Compellingly, Q2 still wasn’t done with foodservice industry positivity. While QSRs outpaced FSRs three-fold in terms of traffic, their numbers combined bring the industry back to 2019 Q2 levels.

Restaurant Canada’s positive outlook predicts that the industry will return to pre-pandemic levels by Q4.

Image: StellrWeb on Unsplash