Courtesy of Hawkins International Public Relations, here are 10 top trends projected on the luxury hotel horizon for 2013:
• Hearty Libations
Out: Drinks then dinner
In: Dinner in your drinks.
Hotel bars are dreaming up tasty cocktails that incorporate food with alcohol. Fusion Bar & Restaurant, the signature restaurant at GALLERY Hotel Art in Florence serves up a Miso Bull cocktail that features Stolischnaya Vodka and schochu stirred with miso soup and seasoned with Bloody Mary dressing. SMAK bar at Hotel Madeline Telluride offers an ultra-decadent Bloody Mary garnished with two cheeseburger sliders, three stuffed olives, pickled okra, pickled green beans, pickled asparagus, celery, pearl onions, lemons, limes, pepperoncini, celery salt, black pepper, and two strips of bacon!
• No BBQs Here…
Out: Grass-fed beef and local poultry
In: Local wild game dishes
Hotels worldwide are incorporating wild game from their native regions onto their menus to create exotic local dishes. Enchantment Resort in Arizona serves dishes involving elk loin, veal cheeks and buffalo tenderloin, while Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa serves alligator tail sourced from local Cypress Creek Farms. Hotel Madeline Telluride in Colorado features wild game in traditional dishes, from duck lettuce wraps to Colorado buffalo-buffalo burgers. Villa Le Rose in Tuscany invites guests to take off in the villa’s Jeep with experienced guides to comb the area for game, including wild boar and pheasant.
• Farm-to-Table not just for the Table
Out: Farm-to-table concepts at restaurants
In: Farm-to-massage-table concepts at spas
While the farm-to-table trend at restaurants might be considered overdone, spas around the world are now adding local and organic elements into their treatments for a fresh spin on pampering. Jumby Bay, A Rosewood Resort in Antigua, Hotel Caesar Augustus in Capri and the Omni Mount Washington Resort in New Hampshire have their own spa gardens and Sorrel River Ranch Resort and Spa in Moab, Utah harvests basil which is used in the Spa’s new Garden Glow Facial.
• Hotel Lobbies: A Scent to Remember
Out: Nondescript Flower Aromas
In: Signature Local Aromas
Luxury hotels are capitalizing on the strength of scent memory by partnering with local scent companies to choose unique aromas that embody the spirit of the hotel and its surroundings. The new Marti Istanbul Hotel partnered with local scent company SCENT LINQ for a unique “White Tea” scent that blends hints of freshness and sweetness for a clean, calming fragrance that pervades the hotel. SENSE®, A Rosewood Spa features a signature scent called “Jumby Bay.” Created exclusively by Ajne Organic Parfumerie & Apothecary for the Caribbean resort, the scent of “Jumby Bay” highlights notes of fresh lemongrass, allspice, bay pimento and a hint of rosewood and is diffused throughout the resort, used in the spa’s signature massage oil and blended into all body care and home fragrance products. Opening in Spring 2013, eco-friendly Hotel Vermont in Burlington, is staying true to its “local” roots by partnering with Lunaroma to develop a custom line of aromatherapy-style bath products, bedside linen spray, and an aromatherapy menu. The aromatic products are crafted using local products such as Vermont Honey, Beeswax, and organic/wild-crafted sources, and are made in the tradition of an old apothecary, fresh upon order.
• The Ultimate Facial
Out: Seaweed facials
In: Facials featuring gold, diamonds and other precious metals
Spas are making skin glow with treatments that involve gold, diamonds and other precious metals. Sasanqua Spa on Kiawah Island offers Diamond-Dermabrasion. Using a diamond-encrusted wand, this technique helps to repair sun damage and the effects of aging. The diamonds are used to ablate the skin to remove dead skin cells while stimulating collagen and elastin, resulting in a youthful glow. Guests can indulge in the Pure Gold Radiance Facial by La Prairie at The Dolder Grand Spa in Zurich. The 90-minute facial uses cellular radiance concentrate serum, which is enriched with pure gold, and visibly firms and tones skin, making it shine with new energy.
• Exercise on the Water
Out: Stand Up Paddleboarding
In: Stand Up Yoga and Stand Up Pilates on a paddleboard
Hotels like The Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa and The Westin Grand Cayman Seven Mile Beach Resort & Spa are taking Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP) to the next level with SUP Yoga and SUP Pilates classes that combine the balance and stabilizing training of paddleboarding with the core workout of a traditional yoga class for a challenging and fun exercise routine.
• Exercise on the Road
Out: Trekking to the hotel gym
In: In-room workouts that rival a personal training session
London's 45 Park Lane and UK fitness expert Matt Roberts offer an in-room workout fitness program for hotel guests. The new in-room fitness TV channel offers guests a selection of professionally led workouts designed and narrated by Roberts. Throughout London’s “marathon month” in April, Roberts will also offer a special “Booster Slider” of spicy lobster and raw vegetables available at Bar 45, including raw carrot, green and red cabbage and shitake mushrooms wrapped in a sheet of rice paper. In addition to Matt Roberts' fitness program, 45 Park Lane features complimentary yoga mats in each room and bespoke Brompton bicycles, which are the property’s signature purple color.
• Learning Experiences at Hotels
Out: Cooking classes at hotels
In: Creative classes at hotels
In addition to private art tours and curated shopping maps, La Posada de Santa Fe’s multi-talented art curator, Sara Eyestone, offers a memoir-writing class every Thursday from 9:00-11:00am for guests and locals alike. At Caneel Bay, a Rosewood Resort, guests can create a piece of artwork with the resort’s experienced Artists in Residence.
• The Takeaway
Out: Branded hotel pens and notepads to remember your stay
In: One-of-a-kind souvenirs inspired by the history and culture of the property
The Dorchester in London partnered with Teatum Jones to create an exclusive signature scarf, while the new Marti Istanbul Hotel features an on-site Gourmet Stop offering everything from easy-to-pack homemade chocolates and Turkish Delight, to delicacies for local residents such as pastries and foie gras. La Posada de Santa Fe in New Mexico offers guests the ability to purchase art from their rotating collection displayed throughout the property. Burren Perfumery provides the in-room bath amenities at The Lodge at Doonbeg and sells their handmade botanicals soaps, hand cream and lip balm in the hotel gift shop.
• Not your average Mini-bar
Out: Cheetos and over-priced nips of Johnny Walker
In: Local, healthy and philanthropic items in minibars
The mini-bars at Fifteen Beacon in Boston showcase local favorites including Boston Baked Beans and Cape Cod all-natural potato chips, while also providing essential healthy treats such as coconut water, protein bars, Emergen-C and pampering products like cucumber eye cream and homeopathic Sprayology, a holistic product for immune system maintenance and detox. The Delamar Greenwich Harbor and Delamar Southport offer guests Honeydrop drinks in their minibars, which are locally-made juices and teas sweetened only with wildflower honey (a healthier alternative to refined sugars) and proceeds help build new hives to increase the bee population.
