Arq Hotels | Boutique hospitality
7-2-2025
Traditional hospitality and innovative technology. Small-scale luxury and personal attention. With the launch of Arq Hotels, the Netherlands’ newest boutique hotel group is a reality. What started with the acquisition of the Paleis Hotel (Palace Hotel) in The Hague in September, grew into a collection-of-two earlier this month with the affiliation of Kloosterhotel de Soete Moeder (Convent hotel The Sweet Mother) in Den Bosch. Thus Arq Hotels doubled in size in a short time – and it doesn’t stop there. The group’s focus is on growth, with a portfolio of 20 boutique hotels as its ambitious goal. It is headed by Nicoline Montanus, who worked for Eden Hotels for many years.
2 minutes read
The limited edition [ yellow tail ] & Domino’s Red Blend | The perfect sip with every slice
6-2-2025
A new favorite pizza beverage pairing is here! [ yellow tail ], America’s best-selling imported wine, recently announced that they are teaming up with Domino’s, the largest pizza company in the world, to deliver a flawless pizza night pairing experience – the Limited Edition [yellow tail] & Domino’s Red Blend. Uniquely crafted to provide the perfect sip with every slice, this special wine release is guaranteed to pair with everything cheesy, making your pizza delivery nights extra easy.
Inspiration for restaurants and wine shops to collaborate to create the perfect pairing with the most famous dish of the restaurant? And of course a great collaboration in time for Valentine’s Day!
2 minutes read
Young entrepreneurs & new concepts | Crusty Slices, Puffle Bees and HOTBOXXX
4-2-2025
Every day we spot fun, new concepts. This week, we spotlight three new concepts in Germany! Crusty Slices in Aachen, Cologne and Frankfurt, is a fun concept that sells croissant dough slices with pizza toppings, sold in pretty boxes. They are growing fast in Germany, and are looking for franchisees. There are also franchise opportunities at Hanover-based HOTBOXXX, where you get your food out of the wall. Unusual though, you can also pull an entire menu out of the vending machines. And, of course, a few Dutch specialities. Puffle Bees is a concept that has been in Berlin since 2021, they too serve hybrids like the croffle (which they thus call the Puffle) and Egg Drops. They will soon open their second branch in Hanover.
We wish all these entrepreneurs and their teams lots of fun and success with their concepts. More information below!
2 minutes read
Trends we spotted | Week 05
3-2-2025
At horecatrends.com we spot many national and international trends on a daily basis. We pick the most interesting ones to write about, the other trends we use in our weekly column ‘Trends we spotted this week’. With this week links to articles about:
- We came across a Swiss-based company, KITRO which is tackling the global issue of food waste.
- An interesting article on eHotelier – The Hotels Network launched Swaps, personalized hotel website experiences.
- Collaboration between two iconic hotels – Iconic Tuscan hotel, Il Pellicano travels to Claridge’s Restaurant for week long residency.
- Great Valentine’s Day inspiration from the Belgian Otomat chain – candlelight dinner with a firestarters matchbox and, of course, heart-shaped pizzas.
- On the Instagram account of restaurant and lunchroom Da Kepello in Panningen, we came across another dessert board! Also great way to serve desserts for Valentine’s Day.
- Fletcher Hotel-Restaurant De Oude Gevangenis Alkmaar opened last Saturday, February 1st. You can spend the night in a former prison!
- Ruby Hotels will open its first project in Hungary at the end of 2026! The Budapest project is located in the iconic Corvin Palace, Budapest’s oldest department store and a listed building from 1926.
- In March, Cinema Culinair will descend on Antwerp and Ghent with its film-food events from the 12th until the 30th of March. Enjoy both the film and the food from the film!
Enjoy reading!
A new culinary hotspot in The Hague | Restaurant Suus in hotel De Plesman
31-1-2025
In March, The Hague will gain a culinary hotspot with the opening of Restaurant Suus. Established under the striking copper roof of the pavilion connected to hotel De Plesman, Suus offers an inspiring environment where authentic dishes and a warm atmosphere come together. Inspired by the story of the Plesman family, the restaurant is the perfect meeting place for friends, family, private dining and business meetings. It’s a place where you enjoy delicious dishes prepared with local and high-quality ingredients. Hotel De Plesman is located in the historic former headquarters of the Dutch airline KLM, Albert Plesman was the founder of KLM and Suus was his spouse.
2 minutes read
‘Salad AI’ recipe generator of Just Salad | Personalized dining experience
30-1-2025
Just Salad, the fast-casual restaurant chain committed to making everyday health and sustainability possible, recently announced the launch of its newest ordering feature, ‘Salad AI’, a cutting-edge personalization tool designed to transform how customers discover and enjoy their perfect meal. Through personalized survey results, Just Salad’s AI tool provides mobile app users with tailored ordering recommendations to best match their culinary preferences, setting a new standard for digital customer engagement.
2 minutes read
Young entrepreneurs & new concepts | Petit and Bakery Heemelrijck, the SKEWER BAR and Restaurant Paarl
28-1-2025
Every day we spot fun, new concepts. This week: the SKEWER BAR in Rotterdam, where you can enjoy meat, vegetables and tofu skewers. An authentic street food restaurant specialising in dishes from the Changsha region in China. In Amsterdam, restaurant Heemelrijck has opened a new restaurant, Petit Heemelrijck, and bakery Heemelrijck with a new Wentelteefjes (French toast) to go concept. A new concept with a 75-year family history! And in Sassenheim, the South African pop-up restaurant Paarl opened in the third quarter of 2024. They treat you to a shared dining menu with all kinds of South African dishes such as biltong, braai, boboti, samosas and so on.
We wish all these entrepreneurs and their teams lots of fun and success with their concepts. More information below!
2 minutes read
Trends we spotted | Week 04
27-1-2025
At horecatrends.com we spot many national and international trends on a daily basis. We pick the most interesting ones to write about, the other trends we use in our weekly column ‘Trends we spotted this week’. With this week links to articles about:
- Spotted at the Sigep in Italy where the product won 2 prizes: The Proissant. A protein croissant of the San Giorgio Italia Bakery House.
- To welcome the Year of the Snake, the fashion designer Shuting Qiu created an original artwork especially for Maison Hennessy. #ChineseNewYear
- With the aim to strengthen the connection between wine and gastronomy, Wine in Moderation announced a partnership with JRE-Jeunes Restaurateurs.
- A small and quick coffee fix by Mamonaku Kohi in the Philippines – linked to an article about micro spaces popping up in cities.
- Mövenpick debuts in Poland with 2 hotels: Grand Hotel Wrocław, Mövenpick Resort & Spa Karpacz and expands with 5 more hotels in the European market.
- A new franchise lunch restaurant will open in Bryant Park in New York City this spring, Toastique. We love their name, some more details about this concept in the US.
- Het Zalmhuis treats its birthday guests, free dinner for those celebrating their birthday at this restaurant in Rotterdam this year.
- At restaurant 10WILLIAMST. in Sydney you can enjoy all their desserts – with a ‘spoonful’.
Enjoy reading!
Star chef Enrique Limardo cooks at Hilton Amsterdam in honour of the Chocolate Festival
23-1-2025
From a special cocoa menu to a full evening with star chef Enrique Limardo himself. Hilton Amsterdam has been a partner of the annual Chocolate Festival Amsterdam for 12 years. This year, the hotel is organising a number of culinary experiences and events focusing on the versatility of cocoa. For this, they joined forces with Venezuelan star chef Enrique Limardo.
2 minutes read
Beet Great | Natural Energy Soda
23-1-2025
Beet Great is a natural energy drink made from red beetroot juice and pomegranate juice. Red beetroot provides more energy. Many (top) athletes have known this for years and drink beetroot juice to improve their performance. Research has shown that beetroot causes your muscles to acidify less quickly during exercise and that your body also recovers faster after exercise. Only benefits you would think, but even avid athletes often drink it with their noses turned up because they don’t like the flavour of red beetroot juice. Beet Great changes that! As they say: 100% delicious, the energy comes from the beetroot, vegan, gluten-free and no caffeine added.
1 minute read
Young entrepreneurs & new concepts | Nume, Bardo and De Oude Melkfabriek
7-1-2025
Every day we spot fun, new concepts. This week: Bardo in Apeldoorn, a restaurant with a French, chic but also natural ambiance. Owners Yves Jaartsveld and Monique van Helsdingen aim to keep it very personal and offer their guests a beautiful experience. In Arkel, De Oude Melkfabriek (The Old Milk factory) opened in October 2024, where you can eat out and attend culinary workshops on Persian cuisine, by chef Abbas. And in November, Nume New York Bistro Amsterdam opened in The Manor Hotel. You pronounce it as ‘New Me’!
We wish all these entrepreneurs and their teams lots of fun and success with their concepts. More information below!
Reading time: 2 minutes
Chipotle X Strava | Introducing ‘The City Challenge’ to kick off 2025
6-1-2025
Chipotle Mexican Grill recently announced that its partnership with Strava, the app for active people with more than 135 million users in more than 190 countries, is back and bigger than ever in 2025. Chipotle is launching its first-ever international Chipotle X Strava challenge for participants to compete to win free Lifestyle Bowls for a year, plus free Chipotle for their city(2). New in 2025, the initiative extends beyond the U.S., connecting and motivating Chipotle’s running community across 25 cities in North America and Europe, including New York City, London, Paris, Toronto and more.
4 minute read
Trends we spotted | Week 01
3-1-2025
At horecatrends.com we spot many national and international trends on a daily basis. We pick the most interesting ones to write about, the other trends we use in our weekly column ‘Trends we spotted this week’. With this week links to articles about:
- McDonald’s Australia Squid Game meal brings a familiar item from the series into reality. It comes with a DALGONA Candy.
- KFC combines chicken and sauce with new concept ‘Saucy by KFC’. It opened in December in Orlando.
- This Valentine’s Day, Whataburger is giving one lucky couple the ultimate prize: a Whatawedding at its Las Vegas location on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025.
- Four Seasons celebrates the year of ‘The Snake’ with a journey of innovation and festive traditions.
- We think a ‘Doggy treat food truck’, like the Mobile Barkery in San Diego is a great idea! We and lots of other dog friends and owners would love to buy a hot drinks and dog cookies at ‘off-leash’ areas.
- Angel Shot App LLC recently announced the launch of their new, innovative mobile safety app for nightlife patrons and hospitality establishments.
- Making Dry January more tasteful with the herbal blends in WishGarden Herbs mocktail kit.
- The 2025 outlook for the 0.0 category looks positive, but still has some social barriers to overcome. Thus Heineken® 0.0’s new campaign says alcohol-free should be reason-free.
Enjoy reading!
Mocktail Fest Miami | Celebrate Dry January
2-1-2025
“Dry Fest Miami is more than a celebration of great non-alcoholic drinks—it’s about community, discovery, and creating a vibrant social space”, says Marlene Aguilar, Co-Founder of Mocktail Fest Miami. Following the success of Mocktoberfest 2024, Mocktail Fest Miami proudly announces its second signature event, Dry Fest, with presenting sponsor KUL MOCKS, on January 10th, 2025, from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM at 1-800-LUCKY, located at 143 NW 23rd Street in Wynwood, Miami.
2 minutes read
French foodtech startup Clone accelerates European expansion
30-12-2024
French foodtech startup Clone, which recently raised €105 million, has been included in the prestigious Sifted 250 list, where it took 28th place. This recognition highlights the impressive growth and impact of Clone, which has also launched its operations in the Netherlands. With an innovative model, where kitchens convert unused capacity into additional revenue through virtual restaurant brands, Clone is changing the landscape of meal delivery in Europe.
3 minutes read
WOLF Food Market Antwerp open in the iconic Felix Warehouse
23-12-2024
Following the success of its location in Brussels, WOLF Food Market is expanding to Antwerp. Located in the iconic and historical Felix Warehouse on ‘Het Eilandje’, this new culinary hotspot offers a unique experience with a range of ten carefully curated street food restaurants, three bars and a spacious event space. With 750 seats, a generous terrace and an impressive design by Lionel Jadot that focuses on sustainability and upcycling, WOLF will be a meeting place for everyone.
5 minutes read but you can scan it within 2 minutes 😉
The outdoor-focused collection by Marriott Bonvoy will launch in 2025
23-12-2024
Marriott International is diving into the outdoor travel market by acquiring Postcard Cabins, a startup with 1,200 tiny cabins near U.S. parks and urban hubs. This move supports a new outdoor-focused collection by Marriott Bonvoy launching in 2025, aimed at travellers seeking nature experiences with modern comforts. Alongside Postcard Cabins, Marriott is partnering with Trailborn to cater to the growing demand for upscale outdoor stays.
3 minutes read
Trends we spotted | Week 51
20-12-2024
At horecatrends.com we spot many national and international trends on a daily basis. We pick the most interesting ones to write about, the other trends we use in our weekly column ‘Trends we spotted this week’. With this week links to articles about:
- Dirty Sodas – we wonder if Europe will be taking over this trend from Utah? It’s served at for example SWIG, ‘home of the original dirty soda’, as they call themselves.
- Some inspiration via Instagram: we love the stick library of the Sanctuary Beach Resort and the simple but festive looking ‘Snowman Latte’. Why not serve slices of this festive looking Tiramisu Cabin? We love The Santa Lucia Kayak Parade in the canals of Copenhagen, by restaurant Kayak Bar. And the ‘Embassy Diplomat Screens’, a very luxurious cinema in Thailand.
- A cocktail flight as inspiration! Rodrigo’s Mexican Grill created a margarita flight.
- Top-Loaded Fries at Dave’s Hot Chicken.
- New products for ice tea series BOS – with the BOSpresso you make the perfect Rooibos Cappuccino or Latte.
- WE ARE EDN is a new, approachable, family-friendly, all-day dining concept in Amsterdam.
- Progressive Slow Food restaurant Pianeta Terra was ranked 31st in the 50 Top Italy list of 50 best Italian restaurants in the world. Making it the best Italian restaurant in the Netherlands. There is another Italian restaurant in the Netherlands on the list: at spot 45 is chef Pasquale Carfora’s restaurant Aroma in Vaassen.
Enjoy reading!
Young entrepreneurs & new concepts | CUP N CRUST, restobar Vivid and Haricot
19-12-2024
Every day we spot fun, new concepts. This week: CUP N CRUST, the ‘little sister’ of Panda Pizza in Kralingen, Rotterdam. A specialty coffee bar where they sell CUPS (coffees, lattes, Matcha, Chai, Mocktails) and CRUSTS (Focaccia’s). In Utrecht on the Nobelstraat, restobar Vivid opened its doors this month. A shared dining (or not, of course) concept where they serve Mediterranean dishes in a casual atmosphere with a DJ on Fridays and Saturdays. And in Maastricht, Haricot opened its doors this week. A fine dining restaurant but slightly different, with a focus on fish, crustaceans and shellfish.
We wish all these entrepreneurs and their teams lots of fun and success with their concepts. More information below!
2 minutes read
Headspace’s science behind sleep, presented by the ‘World of Hyatt’
17-12-2024
Hyatt’s award-winning loyalty program, World of Hyatt, in collaboration with Headspace, the world’s most accessible and comprehensive mental health platform, debuted an exclusive video series, ‘Headspace’s science behind sleep, presented by the ‘World of Hyatt’, extending care for guests and members by providing access to expert and science-backed tips on how to get better sleep while traveling. The new sleep series is available in guestrooms at nearly 400 Hyatt hotels and within the Headspace app since November 14th.
2 minutes read
The croissant craze | This is what 2024 brought us
16-12-2024
We discussed which products show up the most on social media, in all kind of shapes, flavours and colours, this year. The first product that popped up is the croissant. We think the croissant hype began with the Cronut by Dominique Ansel, back in 2013. Since this croissant-donut combination, we have seen endless variations. Last January we wrote an article with the question what 2024 was going to bring us? Well the year 2023 ended with a broissant and 2024 started with a brioche croissant loaf, which is kind of the same! We spotted the broissant in a pop-up in the Landmark hotel in December and the brioche croissant loaf in Amsterdam early January. Later this year we spotted, croissant cereals, potato croissants, the Onioissant, BallSsants, the Croicheese, the Cröner, a Cherry Crioche, Croissant Cones. And it ended with tasting the elongated croissant by François Perret at the Ritz Paris Le Comptoir.
2 minutes read
Trends we spotted | Week 50
13-12-2024
At horecatrends.com we spot many national and international trends on a daily basis. We pick the most interesting ones to write about, the other trends we use in our weekly column ‘Trends we spotted this week’. With this week links to articles about:
- We think the Ritz Carlton Berlin has one of the most beautiful Christmas trees in their lobby, ‘Der Giving Tree’! An initiative to make wishes come true for children who are hospitalized. They give their guests and passers-by the change to participate in the season of giving.
- Heineken Hoek Steakhouse has recently opened in the hotel ‘The Diamond’ in Amsterdam.
- Le Pain Quotidien opened its first franchise in Maastricht and is looking for expansion to other Dutch cities through franchise.
- Great examples of how international ‘Christmas trends’ are used – in their own way – in the Netherlands. A gondola and a ‘Christmas lighting party’ or as they call it a ‘magical winter evening’ at ‘t Noorden in Aalten. And you can dine in a transparent igloo at restaurant Saus in Bergen op Zoom.
- 1 Hotels announced a new hotel in 2025: 1Hotel Tokyo.
- A ‘Reindeer Games Pop-Up Bar’ at Holston House Nashville.
- Panera turns the holidays upside down with their new: limited edition Holiday Soup Cup Collection. Some ‘soup’- inspiration!
- The ugly Christmas sweater ‘trend’ continues to inspire, this time we got a press release from soccer club PSV and came across a press release from KFC about their Christmas sweater.
Enjoy reading!
Young entrepreneurs & new concepts | Loft 88, Zeste Keuken & Bar and Sis & Joy
12-12-2024
Every day we spot fun, new concepts. This week: Loft 88 which is opening a second location in Bilthoven and, like their location in IJsselstein, is set to become an ‘urban oasis with boho vibes’. Zeste Keuken & Bar in Groningen opened recently. You can enjoy Mediterranean cuisine at Zeste Kitchen & Bar, with many dishes and the limoncello being made in-house. And Sis & Joy, a lunchroom opened by two sisters at the Winkelhof in Leiderdorp . A spot to enjoy their delicious cakes but also have lunch and drinks.
We wish all these entrepreneurs and their teams lots of fun and success with their concepts. More information below!
2 minutes read
Silent Night 2024 | Mandarin Oriental celebrates ten years of ‘the Art of Stillness’
3-12-2024
The Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group recently announced their 10th annual Silent Night, which will be hosted on December 8th, 2024. They will celebrate ‘the Art of Stillness’, the global tradition invites guests to immerse themselves in a night of mindfulness and disconnection and dedicate a break from the busy holiday season. In commemoration of this milestone year, The spas at Mandarin Oriental have elevated annual activations to include the Silent Retreat, an immersive, sensory journey designed to foster self-discovery and peace.
We love their Silent Night initiatives, we wrote about them last year in our ‘Trends we spotted, week 47’. More time for stillness and reflection is very now! Last week we wrote about the Zencember© initiative of Bagels & Beans.
2 minutes read
Trends we spotted | Week 48
2-12-2024
At horecatrends.com we spot many national and international trends on a daily basis. We pick the most interesting ones to write about, the other trends we use in our weekly column ‘Trends we spotted this week’. With this week links to articles about:
- Wheat flour brand NACARINA from Costa Rica created a cake replica to celebrate the historic reopening of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris. The official reopening is on December 8th this year.
- UNESCO and Relais & Châteaux announce a partnership for sustainable development in harmony with all life on earth.
- CollaBEARation Build-A-Bear & KFC®: Bears in KFC outfits!
- Zara opened Zacaffé in Madrid, Zara by Castro coffee shop and a coffee shop concept store in Athens.
- Clone, the European foodtech startup from Paris that has raised €105 million in funding, is officially launching in the Netherlands.
- Collaboration of restaurant Parkheuvel (**) with Parkcafé Parqiet.
- SOUS celebrates 2-year anniversary and kicks off Christmas.
- ‘Wie zoet is krijgt lekkers! (Those who are sweet get treats) – This year MR PORTER Steakhouse, Bar & Lounge, IZAKAYA Asian Kitchen & Bar, THE DUCHESS and MOMO Restaurant, Bar & Lounge are offering a unique interpretation of a Sinterklaas classic on Thursday December 5: the chocolate letter.
- And from Instagram: the Louis Vuitton dog collection. Would fit nicely in luxury hotels that allow dogs!
Enjoy reading!