Market Trends

📍 The article concludes a mid-century modern series by collating 28 influential proponents, furniture designs, places, materials, and companies. Danish architect Arne Jacobsen is known for the Ant chair and the Egg chair initially made for the SAS Royal Hotel, Copenhagen's first skyscraper. Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich designed the Barcelona chair for the 1929 International Exhibition, popularized in the 1940s by Knoll. Charles and Ray Eames innovated with molded plywood, creating the Shell chair and Eames lounge chair. Textile designer Lucienne Day impacted Britain with her Calyx pattern, earning a gold medal at the Milan Triennale. Eero Saarinen, known for the Gateway Arch and Tulip furniture, designed the GM Technical Center. Florence Knoll's Planning Unit produced enduring furniture and promoted designers like Mies van der Rohe. Gio Ponti's works include the Pirelli Tower and the Superleggera chair. Hans J Wegner, the "Master of Chairs," created over 500 designs, including the Wishbone Chair. Isamu Noguchi's Akari lights and Noguchi table remain popular. Grete Jalk's GJ Bow Chair is still made today. Poul Kjaerholm's steel furniture is featured in major museums. Lina Bo Bardi, celebrated for her architecture in Brazil, was posthumously awarded the Special Golden Lion in 2021. Moulded plywood

🏨 STAAH, a hospitality service provider, offers weekly hotel industry quizzes to keep hoteliers informed and sharp on the latest trends. The latest quiz touches on luxury hotel brands and essential hotel software. Participation is encouraged to test knowledge and stay updated, with previous quizzes available for those who missed out.

🏚 InterContinental Hotels & Resorts to open in Indianapolis this winter, housed in the 1926-built historic Illinois Building after a $110 million restoration, adding a floor to become an 11-story luxury hotel with 170 rooms. Keystone Group developed the site, adding a penthouse suite, two dining concepts, a fitness center, and 5,000 square feet of event space. InterContinental's portfolio spans over 220 hotels with 73,350 rooms in 70 countries. 21c Museum Hotel Indianapolis to open in 2028, managed by Ennismore in partnership with TWG, featuring 156 rooms with original art, three dining venues, and 16,000 square feet of gallery space. Daxton Hotel Birmingham joined Curio Collection by Hilton, opened in 2021, owned by Mark Mitchell, with 151 rooms and over 400 original art pieces. The Boardwalk Hotel on Lake Anna by Kasa opened, offering 34 rooms and sustainability-focused infrastructure upgrades.

🎄 The Chalet, an Alpine-inspired restaurant by pop-up legend Jimmy Garcia, reopens on November 13 at Somerset House. Menu highlights include gin-cured salmon with Graveney Gin from Tooting, charcuterie from Tempus in Weybridge, and wild boar sausages supplied by Vicars Game in Reading. The British Cheese Fondue features Neals Yard Dairy cheeses, with a vegan option available. From November 28, the Après Skate experience offers a welcome gluhwein and a three-course dinner for £75 on Thursdays to Saturdays.

🏠 Design studio Simplicity crafted a traditional Japanese ryokan experience on the 28th floor of the Four Seasons Hotel Osaka, located in the Dojima business district. The hotel occupies 12 floors of the One Dojima high-rise and offers 175 guest rooms. The ryokan floor, aiming to blend tradition with modernity, features 21 tatami rooms with interiors inspired by Japanese inns, complete with futon beds, and a Sabo tea lounge. This project aligns with Japan's economic surge and the forthcoming Expo 2025 Osaka.

🎉 Denise Tran, CEO of San Francisco-based Bun Mee, founded the five-unit Vietnamese sandwich concept in 2011. Bun Mee announced national franchising and opened its fifth location in San Francisco's Marina District after traditional stores grossed over $1 million annually since 2021. Its two airport units at San Francisco International Airport reported over $4.6 million and $3.6 million in 2023 sales. With a trimmed menu and upgraded equipment, Bun Mee aims for 5 new franchises in the first year and 50 units in five years, focusing first on Colorado expansion.

🍷 Demerara sugar, with its rich, caramel-like flavor, is now on 3.1% of U.S. restaurant menus, marking a 31% increase over four years, according to Datassential. This sugar is popular among vegetarian, vegan, and Asian consumers and is mostly used in independent and fine-dining establishments. It's favored for its minimal refinement and natural qualities, finding its way into cocktails, coffee drinks, and baked goods for added crunch and sweetness.

🍴 Bret Thorn is the Senior Food & Beverage Editor for Nation’s Restaurant News since 1999 and Restaurant Hospitality since 2016. He hosted the podcast “In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn” and wrote for The New York Sun from 2005-2008. His previous experience includes writing in Thailand for Manager magazine and Asia Times (1992-1997). Thorn is a magna cum laude graduate from Tufts University with a BA in History and studied French cooking at Le Cordon Bleu. His work won the 2006 Jesse H. Neal Award. Inducted into the Disciples d’Escoffier in 2014, Thorn resides in Brooklyn, NY. Contact him at [email protected] and follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter (@foodwriterdiary), and Instagram (@foodwriterdiary).

🏡 California's architecture studio Electric Bowery and graphic design firm Land, in collaboration with landscape design studio Orca and Marc & Rose Hospitality, renovated the 1980s-built Casa Loma hotel in Laguna Beach. The cliff-perched hotel features 70 rooms, a central pool deck, terraces, event space, and a double-height lobby with a bar. The design embeds European seaside inn influences, a calming color palette, and a focus on Laguna Beach’s crafting culture, particularly surfboard shaping techniques. Custom wood furniture with soft curves and geometric shapes are showcased throughout the hotel. Guest rooms exhibit woven textiles, screen-printed tapestries, and stone and tile work, while vanity fixtures from Sklo and lamps by Kassandra Thatcher accentuate the space. The project's details reflect the local natural beauty and Laguna Beach's historical spirit.

🏡 Wyndham Hotels & Resorts signs a 10-year franchise agreement with Reside, launching five residence-style hotels in the U.S. for extended stays. This move introduces Wyndham's Residence tier in upscale markets and aims to expand across the top 50 U.S. markets. Seattle-based Reside, operating in 60 countries for over 30 years, joins Wyndham's network of 112 million loyalty members. Existing Wyndham Residence properties include a 55-room hotel in Seattle and a 70-key hotel in Houston. Upcoming properties feature 22 rooms in New Orleans, and two in Washington D.C. with 81 and 67 rooms respectively.