Hotels with bite
The region’s hottest new properties explain how an ambitious portfolio of F&B offerings will help them get their teeth into a decent market share
The classic image of a ‘hotel restaurant’ has undergone a major revamp over the past decade; today’s glitzy, modish offerings are a far cry from the drab diners and lonely lounges traditionally associated with hotel outlets.
Nowadays, F&B can be a make-or-break factor for hotel guests — and as a result, new properties entering the competitive Middle East market are looking to express and differentiate themselves through their food and beverage portfolios.
Mövenpick Hotel Jumeirah Beach’s director of F&B, Simone Stanco, asserts: “Today hotels are not about rooms — there is much more emphasis on extras, like the restaurants and the quality of food and service they offer. The outlets have a big impact on the customer’s experience in the hotel.”
In fact, a good hotel is “only as good as its food and beverage department”, according to Kempinski Nile Hotel Cairo’s director of F&B, Raoul Duclos.
At another recently-opened Middle East property, the Radisson Blu Hotel, Abu Dhabi Yas Island, executive assistant manager in charge of F&B Tim Van Veen notes that F&B is “the second highest contributing department in a hotel”.
“Without food and beverage, the property would not be as attractive to guests coming into this region and would find it difficult to succeed,” he says — an idea supported by Salalah Marriott Resort director of operations Hesham Dawood.
“Many tourists come to this region with the idea of experiencing its cuisine — and that’s in addition to the majority who come for leisure trips, where the food and beverage is also a big part of the experience,” Dawood explains.
But faced with so many options — and so many competitors — how does a property decide which culinary route to take for each outlet?
On Yas Island, developing company Aldar lent a hand, assigning specific themes to each hotel on the island to ensure there would be no cross-over.
“It is a very positive structure that helps attract numerous guests from across Abu Dhabi,” claims Radisson’s Van Veen.
“But we do also have contemporary Italian restaurant Filini at the hotel, which is a restaurant brand created by the Rezidor Group. The concept has proven very successful worldwide, but our Filini outlet is the brand’s first exposure in the UAE.”
At the new Mövenpick Jumeirah Beach, the pre-opening F&B team kicked things off by focusing on main outlet The Talk, then built up other complementary concepts around it, explains Stanco.
“We started with The Talk, which is really three outlets in one, so it was a big project; then we moved on to the West Beach Bistro.
“That was originally going to be a pub, but by looking at the drawings and the direction the design was taking, we could see there was a contemporary flavour that wasn’t really pub-like.
“You have to be flexible during the development process so you don’t end up with an out-of-place offering,” he notes.
“So we started looking at other options — potentially inviting a managing company to take on the space, or a link-up with a celebrity chef. Finally we came up with the gastro-bar idea. This is pretty new here, and we wanted that fresh new concept, because this is a contemporary hotel.
“There’s a lot of the same old restaurants in Dubai, a lot of fine dining; I think this idea is a bit more lively and attractive to the market we’re gearing ourselves towards,” Stanco explains.
Fairmont Bab Al Bahr director of F&B Bastian Breuer adds that striking a harmonious balance between all the in-house offerings will appeal to guests. “Essentially we focused on concepts that complemented and would not directly compete with each other,” he explains. “Plus it was very important that each restaurant concept was easily identifiable for the guest.”
Giving the clients what they want is of course vital, notes Marriott’s Dawood. “We started our F&B development by studying the market and the surrounding concepts around the hotel,” he explains.
“We also conducted some surveys with our guests and clients to establish preferred themes and concepts.”
Kempinski’s Duclos adds: “You have to ensure offerings will also attract the local clientele. Each outlet should answer either a gap in the market or an opportunity to deliver the brand message.”
As these projects demonstrate, F&B is taken extremely seriously by today’s hospitality groups operating in the region — but that could well be down to the fact that, unlike many other restaurant hotspots around the world, the majority of outlets frequented by tourists are located within hotels, due to local alcohol licensing laws.
Aloft Abu Dhabi’s executive chef in charge of F&B, Todd James Hunter, notes: “The benefits of operating a restaurant as part of a hotel override the difficulties, primarily due to the major factor of alcohol licensing laws.
“In addition, having a marketing team already in place in the hotel also contributes to the success of the outlets.
“The only real difficulty is making sure the hotel has a sufficiently diverse range of outlets so it can meet all guests’ needs and prevent them from going elsewhere to eat,” he points out.
However Fairmont’s Breuer highlights the other side of the coin: “In a hotel you capture not only residents in the city but also in-house guests, and by that nature higher occupancy equals more covers. That’s a benefit you don’t see in stand-alone outlets,” he comments.
Of course there are a few challenges to operating what is practically an independent business within a larger operation, as Kempinski’s Duclos points out.
“Unfortunately, many hotel companies consider F&B just another part of the guest services and don’t give it as much attention as they put into, say, the rooms,” he claims.
Radisson’s Van Veen adds that hotel restaurants are often viewed as over-priced.
In addition to these issues, there is the pressure of running multiple outlets simultaneously, to equally high standards.
Perhaps these combined pressures are partly responsible for the increasing number of hotels tying up with independent brands, whether through joint ventures or management contracts.
At Fairmont Bab Al Bahr, Breuer says the team was “ecstatic” to welcome two established brands to the hotel. “Thanks to our ownership structure (Rmal Hospitality), we brought on board two renowned concepts: Frankie’s and the Marco Pierre White Steakhouse and Grill,” he says.
Mövenpick’s Stanco agrees that joint ventures are a good idea if you find the right partner. “You can share expertise and add value to the property, and of course you’re sharing the risk as well,” he notes.
Marriott ’s Dawood adds that a recognisable chef, brand or specific concept is easy for the guests to recognise, which often acts as a major draw, while Radisson’s Van Veen believes such partnerships are set to increase.
“In future there will be a lot of independent brands that will tie up with hotels, because many brands will want to be here with a licensed outlet,” he reasons.
“Furthermore, well-known brands are recognisable and familiar, so they are assured footfall — which helps the hotel to ride on the positive perception of a good brand name.”
Whether hotels go for partnerships with celebrity chefs, offer management contracts to independent brands or continue to develop and run their own in-house concepts, one thing is certain: the importance placed upon F&B operations is only going to increase.
And for any hotel group that is serious about succeeding in this market in future, that’s the way it should be.
Salalah Marriott Resort
• Sumhuram — international all-day dining restaurant
• Mirbat Arabi Café — café with an authentic local theme
• Al Dana Seafood Restaurant — a fish market concept
• The Cove English Pub — relaxed sports bar
• Havana Cigar Lounge — smoking lounge for quality Cuban cigars
• The Wharf Pool Bar — pool-side snack bar
Mövenpick Hotel Jumeirah Beach
• The Falls — lobby-lounge café
• West Beach Bistro — gastro-bar serving Provençale cuisine
• The Talk Restaurant — three outlets combined, featuring live cooking stations and outdoor area
Aloft Abu Dhabi
• Dine Restaurant — live-cooked international-style cuisine
• Mai Café Lounge — pool-side chill-out spot
• Relax@12 Rooftop — bar offering sushi and exotic bites
• W xyz — a ‘fresh and funky’ bar concept, adjoined by the hotel’s communal lounge, re:mix
The Radisson Blu Hotel, Abu Dhabi Yas Island
The classic image of a ‘hotel restaurant’ has undergone a major revamp over the past decade; today’s glitzy, modish offerings are a far cry from the drab diners and lonely lounges traditionally associated with hotel outlets.
Nowadays, F&B can be a make-or-break factor for hotel guests — and as a result, new properties entering the competitive Middle East market are looking to express and differentiate themselves through their food and beverage portfolios.
Mövenpick Hotel Jumeirah Beach’s director of F&B, Simone Stanco, asserts: “Today hotels are not about rooms — there is much more emphasis on extras, like the restaurants and the quality of food and service they offer. The outlets have a big impact on the customer’s experience in the hotel.”
In fact, a good hotel is “only as good as its food and beverage department”, according to Kempinski Nile Hotel Cairo’s director of F&B, Raoul Duclos.
At another recently-opened Middle East property, the Radisson Blu Hotel, Abu Dhabi Yas Island, executive assistant manager in charge of F&B Tim Van Veen notes that F&B is “the second highest contributing department in a hotel”.
“Without food and beverage, the property would not be as attractive to guests coming into this region and would find it difficult to succeed,” he says — an idea supported by Salalah Marriott Resort director of operations Hesham Dawood.
“Many tourists come to this region with the idea of experiencing its cuisine — and that’s in addition to the majority who come for leisure trips, where the food and beverage is also a big part of the experience,” Dawood explains.
But faced with so many options — and so many competitors — how does a property decide which culinary route to take for each outlet?
On Yas Island, developing company Aldar lent a hand, assigning specific themes to each hotel on the island to ensure there would be no cross-over.
“It is a very positive structure that helps attract numerous guests from across Abu Dhabi,” claims Radisson’s Van Veen.
“But we do also have contemporary Italian restaurant Filini at the hotel, which is a restaurant brand created by the Rezidor Group. The concept has proven very successful worldwide, but our Filini outlet is the brand’s first exposure in the UAE.”
At the new Mövenpick Jumeirah Beach, the pre-opening F&B team kicked things off by focusing on main outlet The Talk, then built up other complementary concepts around it, explains Stanco.
“We started with The Talk, which is really three outlets in one, so it was a big project; then we moved on to the West Beach Bistro.
“That was originally going to be a pub, but by looking at the drawings and the direction the design was taking, we could see there was a contemporary flavour that wasn’t really pub-like.
“You have to be flexible during the development process so you don’t end up with an out-of-place offering,” he notes.
“So we started looking at other options — potentially inviting a managing company to take on the space, or a link-up with a celebrity chef. Finally we came up with the gastro-bar idea. This is pretty new here, and we wanted that fresh new concept, because this is a contemporary hotel.
“There’s a lot of the same old restaurants in Dubai, a lot of fine dining; I think this idea is a bit more lively and attractive to the market we’re gearing ourselves towards,” Stanco explains.
Fairmont Bab Al Bahr director of F&B Bastian Breuer adds that striking a harmonious balance between all the in-house offerings will appeal to guests. “Essentially we focused on concepts that complemented and would not directly compete with each other,” he explains. “Plus it was very important that each restaurant concept was easily identifiable for the guest.”
Giving the clients what they want is of course vital, notes Marriott’s Dawood. “We started our F&B development by studying the market and the surrounding concepts around the hotel,” he explains.
“We also conducted some surveys with our guests and clients to establish preferred themes and concepts.”
Kempinski’s Duclos adds: “You have to ensure offerings will also attract the local clientele. Each outlet should answer either a gap in the market or an opportunity to deliver the brand message.”
As these projects demonstrate, F&B is taken extremely seriously by today’s hospitality groups operating in the region — but that could well be down to the fact that, unlike many other restaurant hotspots around the world, the majority of outlets frequented by tourists are located within hotels, due to local alcohol licensing laws.
Aloft Abu Dhabi’s executive chef in charge of F&B, Todd James Hunter, notes: “The benefits of operating a restaurant as part of a hotel override the difficulties, primarily due to the major factor of alcohol licensing laws.
“In addition, having a marketing team already in place in the hotel also contributes to the success of the outlets.
“The only real difficulty is making sure the hotel has a sufficiently diverse range of outlets so it can meet all guests’ needs and prevent them from going elsewhere to eat,” he points out.
However Fairmont’s Breuer highlights the other side of the coin: “In a hotel you capture not only residents in the city but also in-house guests, and by that nature higher occupancy equals more covers. That’s a benefit you don’t see in stand-alone outlets,” he comments.
Of course there are a few challenges to operating what is practically an independent business within a larger operation, as Kempinski’s Duclos points out.
“Unfortunately, many hotel companies consider F&B just another part of the guest services and don’t give it as much attention as they put into, say, the rooms,” he claims.
Radisson’s Van Veen adds that hotel restaurants are often viewed as over-priced.
In addition to these issues, there is the pressure of running multiple outlets simultaneously, to equally high standards.
Perhaps these combined pressures are partly responsible for the increasing number of hotels tying up with independent brands, whether through joint ventures or management contracts.
At Fairmont Bab Al Bahr, Breuer says the team was “ecstatic” to welcome two established brands to the hotel. “Thanks to our ownership structure (Rmal Hospitality), we brought on board two renowned concepts: Frankie’s and the Marco Pierre White Steakhouse and Grill,” he says.
Mövenpick’s Stanco agrees that joint ventures are a good idea if you find the right partner. “You can share expertise and add value to the property, and of course you’re sharing the risk as well,” he notes.
Marriott ’s Dawood adds that a recognisable chef, brand or specific concept is easy for the guests to recognise, which often acts as a major draw, while Radisson’s Van Veen believes such partnerships are set to increase.
“In future there will be a lot of independent brands that will tie up with hotels, because many brands will want to be here with a licensed outlet,” he reasons.
“Furthermore, well-known brands are recognisable and familiar, so they are assured footfall — which helps the hotel to ride on the positive perception of a good brand name.”
Whether hotels go for partnerships with celebrity chefs, offer management contracts to independent brands or continue to develop and run their own in-house concepts, one thing is certain: the importance placed upon F&B operations is only going to increase.
And for any hotel group that is serious about succeeding in this market in future, that’s the way it should be.
Fairmont Bab Al Bahr
• Elements — all-day dining offering
• Poolside — al fresco snack bar
• Al Naba’a Lounge — lobby lounge
• The Chocolate Gallery — café offering chocolate creations and beverages
• Chameleon — chic nightspot offering an array of cocktails
• Frankie’s — Italian restaurant and collaboration between Frankie Dettori and Marco Pierre White
• Marco Pierre White Steakhouse and Grill — eponymous grill outlet from the Michelin-starred chef
• Cedar Lounge — Lebanese restaurant and bar, opening soon
Kempinski Nile Hotel Cairo
• Chocolate Lounge — serving up classic cocoa-based treats
• The Blue Restaurant and Grill — focusing on simple, fresh food
• Osmanly — traditional and contemporary Ottoman cuisine
• Embassy Club — lounge offering exclusive service
• Shishawy — shisha lounge
• Floor 10 — ‘destination floor’ with elegant fine-dining outlet and jazz bar
• The Roof — refreshing pool bar
What advice would you offer an F&B director embarking upon a new property launch?
“Organisation, patience, dedication and innovation are the key for success. Learn the local culture, adapt yourself and never judge, but stick to your objectives and your positioning. And finally, never give up: the rewards are worth all the effort.”
Raoul Duclos, director of F&B, Kempinski Nile Hotel Cairo
“Know the market you are operating in, inside-out. Find the niche areas to really build and galvanize a brand around. Also, recruitment and training are essential, as no matter how good the product offering is, it is the delivery and experience that will ensure repeat guests and high covers.”
Bastian Breuer, director of F&B, Fairmont Bab Al Bahr
“Put on your running shoes then kiss your family and friends goodbye for sometime, because you are in for a long ride!”
Tim Van Veen, executive assistant manager of F&B, Radisson Blu Hotel, Abu Dhabi Yas Island
What advice would you offer an F&B director embarking upon a new property launch?
“Be aware of the local market and competitions; know your potential guests; hire and train staff in timely manner; do your homework with regards to marketing and advertising your outlets; understand the importance of entertainment as part of the F&B experience; and hire a good chef, because it’s the first impression that counts come opening time.”
Hesham Dawood, director of operations, Salalah Marriott Resort
“Concentrate on the outlet concept and maintain a steady pace with regards to the development of the standard operating procedures. Atmosphere, ambience and the experience is what the guests are looking for.”
Todd James Hunter, executive chef in charge of F&B, Aloft Abu Dhabi
“Make sure you do proper market research and analyse where the demand is; make sure your team fully understands the concept and what they are representing; and be fair with the pricing!”
Simone Stanco, director of F&B, Mövenpick Hotel Jumeirah Beach