Market Trends

🏦 Schweizerhof Hotel & Spa in Bern, a UNESCO heritage site, and Swissline both celebrate milestones in 2024: 165th and 35th anniversaries, respectively. The hotel introduces six Swissline treatments and a special spa package. The 500 sqm spa features a heated pool, Finnish sauna, steam room, and three treatment rooms. Treatments range from 30 to 75 minutes, focusing on skin barrier support, collagen production, and addressing inflammation. From October to December 2024, guests can enjoy the "A Moment in Time Ritual" promotional package.

🏬 Etro Home Interiors reveals its 2024 collection, merging 60s and 70s rediscovery with modern style. Furniture boasts clean lines, lacquered finishes, and up to nine color options. The Rotunda collection features sideboards and other units, complemented by the Arnica top. The Around mirror, with glossy lacquered wood and LED lighting, adds vintage elegance. Hand-tufted mohair Cherry, Cream, and Yellow Hues rugs introduce geometric motifs. The Dice collection's totemic lampshades enhance interiors with sophisticated lighting.

🎄 Pedrali collections offer design gifts for Christmas, with items like the flexible Diego side table by Jorge Pensi Design Studio, featuring an aluminum die-cast base, a trapezoidal HPL tabletop, and adaptable positioning. For plant enthusiasts, Hevea, designed by Victoria Azadinho Bocconi, is a versatile pot-holder that allows vertical arrangements. Giravolta lamps by Basaglia Rota Nodari provide 360-degree rotation, a handle, and touch control with three light intensities, enhancing festive atmospheres with their wireless design.

🍴 Hotel guests increasingly prefer quick, efficient, on-the-go breakfast options over traditional sit-down or buffet styles. Daniel Puglisi, SVP of Peachtree Group, highlights the popularity of handheld items like breakfast sandwiches and burritos. Breakfast bowls are also gaining traction for their nutritional value and aesthetic appeal, with an emphasis on fresh ingredients and diverse cuisines. Health and sustainability are prioritized, with hotels like Salamander Collection focusing on house-made products, local produce, and partnering with local farms to support the economy and reduce environmental impact.

🏆 The Gold Service Scholarship 2025 semi-finals featured high-caliber candidates from the hospitality industry, including renowned venues like Trinity and Core by Clare Smyth. The quarter finals occurred in October at London's Langham and Hotel Café Royal, where 50 semi-finalists were chosen for the next round on November 29, 2024, at Rosewood London. The final takes place on January 13, 2025, at Corinthia London, with the award ceremony on February 10 at Claridge’s. The scholarship began in 2012.

🍕 In LA's Highland Park, Jared Frank Studio designed "Wildcrust," a single-storey pizza parlour inspired by Milan's modernist design. The studio, while working with Chef Miles Okabayashi, moved away from Northeast US aesthetics, embracing contrasting colors, materials, and lighting fixtures reminiscent of Italian design greats. The space features pistachio green cabinets, claret-coloured leather banquettes, and decorative lighting, including sconces shaped like inverted stepped pyramids. Wildcrust marks Frank's first hospitality project since Tenants of the Trees nightclub.

🏠 Hyatt Hotels Corp. expands in Nepal with a new Hyatt Regency Lumbini, opening by 2028, featuring 175 rooms over 11 acres. Courtyard by Marriott opens a four-story, 127-room hotel near Tahoe Reno Industrial Center, Nevada, with 845 sq ft of event space. KS Hotels and HMD Asia acquire two La Résidence hotels in Cambodia, with La Résidence D’Angkor reopening Q4 2025. Indian Hotels Co. (IHCL) opens La Estoria, Goa-IHCL SeleQtions in Candolim, Goa, adding to its 16 hotels in Goa and totaling 350 hotels globally.

🎨 Lily Ackerman, founder and director of Ackerman Design Studios, discussed the importance of art in hospitality for emotional connections and storytelling. The conversation highlights recent projects, collaborations with iconic and emerging artists, and practical insights on using art to enhance hospitality experiences. Lily's father, with his background in hospitality, influenced her approach, emphasizing the emotional impact of spaces. A pivotal moment in her career was the founding of Ackerman Studios, spurred by her father's illness and passing. Ackerman Studios curates art for hospitality, balancing budget, environment, and artistic integrity, aiming to make art accessible and engaging for guests and staff. Hospitality providers benefit from showcasing both renowned and emerging artists, creating a win-win situation by supporting artists' careers and enriching the guest experience. 🖼️