From the archive: Random act of kindness (2009)

24-6-2011

In 2009 we informed you about unexpected friendly gestures from the Hyatt hotel group to their visitors. They gave away free massages, offered breakfast on their cost or guests didn’t had to pay for the bar tab. Nowadays companies like KLM continue these acts of generosity. With the steady growth and prominent position of social media in our lives these unexpected gestures are a strong stimulans for positive mouth-to-mouth or ‘mouth-to-media’ advertising.

February 17th is Random Acts of Kindness Day | Zaxby’s created a TikTok #ZaxofKindness challenge

17-2-2021

Mascot Big Z is spreading the love, because who doesn’t want free air hugs? Today is ‘Random Acts of Kindness Day’ and although we are still not really used to the ‘Days celebrations’ from the US, we spotted this fast casual concept Zaxby’s, with 900 locations in 17 states with its headquarters in Athens, Georgia, playing with the principle of this idea. Zaxby’s, the beloved chicken restaurant chain, is adopting the ‘Random Act of Kindness Day’ and tries to make it popular by starting the #ZaxofKindness movement on social media. Although we spotted a lot of ‘random acts of kindness’ here as well, like for example the #socialfries at our Dutch Friethoes. With the corona crisis they offer their customers the possibility to donate an extra fries for those who can’t afford. At their social media they show how many ‘frietjes’ (portions of fries) have been handed out! We love this idea and acts of kindness will always be appreciated, every day of the year! Let’s hope more people and businesses will offer their random act of kindness! Check out the #ZaxofKindness on TikTok in this article.

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Random acts of kindness for Valentine’s Day

3-2-2015

McDonald’s uses the ‘random acts of kindness’ marketing technique from 1 February until Valentine’s Day. All over America their guests may be randomly selected to pay for their meal with selfies, hugs, high fives, and other forms of love.

Random acts of kindness

In 2009 we already wrote about the unexpected friendly gestures the Hyatt hotel group did to their guests. They gave away free massages, offered breakfast and randomly selected guests that didn’t had to pay the bar tab. Also companies like KLM used acts of generosity in the past. With the prominent position of social media in our lives these unexpected gestures are a strong stimulant for positive mouth-to-mouth or ‘mouth-to-media’ advertising.

The effect of the gestures by McDonald’s

On the internet more and more videos and pictures with the responses from guests who are offered a free meal are posted. This works out great. The company invests in an advertising campaign and free meals, their guests talk, write and share videos with their friends about it.

At the website of RAK, random acts of kindness, you will find a lot of inspiration for your act of kindness. They even have their own #RAKweek2015 for stories about random kindness from 6 to 15 February.

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts launches new ‘Special Happens…’-experiences worldwide

7-4-2026

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has introduced six new immersive experiences as part of its ‘Special Happens…’-experiences, spanning properties across the globe. Further advancing the brand’s commitment to Make Special Happen for all guests, the offerings highlight Fairmont’s signature service and sense of celebration. Designed to create memorable moments rooted in local culture, the offerings are grouped into four themes: After Dark, In the Wild, Around the Table, and In the Spotlight.

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Small gestures of hospitality | What do you do for guests with a cold in your hotel?

3-3-2026

A blog by Marjolein van Spronsen about flu season. It is very inconvenient when part of your staff is sick, but it can also be challenging when you welcome guests who have a cold. How do you remain hospitable in those situations? And more about small gestures of hospitality and ‘random acts of kindness’.

This blog was previously published in Dutch at the website of the Van Spronsen & Partners Group.

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Trends we spotted | Week 45

11-11-2024

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:

• Horecava 2025: this is how top chefs see the future of the hospitality industry: socially engaged, innovative and exceptionally delicious.
• Thomas Baeyens, the chef of restaurant L’Amitié in Antwerp, recently launched his new project: Sardineshop.be. Tinned fish as the perfect apero during the holiday season.
• Brasserie Appelmans & the Absinth Bar in Antwerp exists 20 years, keep reading to find out how they celebrate. We love the idea of the mini-bar offer!
• On the menu of the Dutch McDonald’s, a McDonald’s X Old Amsterdam burger, their ‘year-end-burger’!
• Another Airbnb icon: House sit for Paddington and The Browns in their London home.
• Spotted on Instagram: a great way to make cheesecake lollies, done by Lolly Bakery!
• Four Seasons celebrates ‘World Kindness Day’ with food at the heart.
• Hilton celebrates their ‘Global Week of Engagement’ and partners with Keep America Beautiful.

Enjoy reading!

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Trends we spotted | Week 40

10-10-2022

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 amongst other the PINKTOBER campaign from Hard Rock International, this year in collaboration with chef Dominique Crenn. And a social initiative in Rotterdam, ‘Heat and Eat’.

Hôtel Plaza Athénéé has teamed up with the talented fine art photographer Gray Malin for a photo shoot with dogs, great images on ‘My Dogs from Paris’! And in San Francisco restaurant Dogue serves a tasting menu for your dog. Some dogs have so much luxury around them.

Interesting initiative in London where Head Room Café brings awareness and access to mental health support. And ghost kitchen chain Casper from Belgium recently also launched in the Dutch cities The Hague and Rotterdam.

Last week, the hotels Moxy the Hague and Residence Inn by Marriott the Hague were officially opened, located in the Muzentoren in the city center. And chef Bart De Pooter opened his plant-based restaurant WILDn at the Sapphire House Antwerp.

The last week of September New York enjoyed ‘La vie en rose’ by Maison Valentino, a great example of going ‘Pink all the way’. And OneThird developed a scanner to determine the ripeness of avocados and received a voucher from the Foundation Together Against Food Waste to test this on the shop floor.

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How about BBQ Bowls this summer? | Limited release by Sonny’s BBQ

14-6-2022

Sonny’s BBQ, an industry leading BBQ restaurant in the USA, recently announced the launch of their new BBQ Bowls, showcasing the brand’s innovation, value, and culinary expertise. For a limited time, guests will have the ability to build their own BBQ Bowl or choose from three specially crafted Pitmaster Select Bowls: Classic BBQ, Kickin’ Chicken, and Smokin’ Brisket. BBQ Bowls will be available at all Sonny’s locations as from June 13.

Poké Bowls are very popular in the Netherlands and even wok food is served in bowls nowadays. Even all kinds of breakfast bowls, like for example a smoothie bowl or an acai bowls. Would you like to try a bowl with Sonny’s BBQ dirty rice or mac and cheese, vegetables and meat? Or serve a BBQ Bowl at one of your barbecues?

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Trends we spotted | Week 9

4-3-2022

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 Deliveroo that opened its first real restaurant in London, Pizza Paradiso. Do you wonder why?

 The award ceremony of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2022 in July moves from Moscow to London. And Ikea opened its first city centre shopping mall in west London, Livar.

Also in London: the reopening of The Connaught Grill. Another opportunity to taste the cuisine of Jean-Georges Vongerichten. And European aparthotel operator Staycity has opened a new-build property at Germany’s Frankfurt Airport this month, its third opening in Germany, bringing its total apartment count up to 5,000 in 30 properties at 14 European destinations.

Being able to get a pizza from a vending machine 24/7: Resto’Clock currently installs about 30 vending machines per month in France and Belgium. We also came across BistroBox in Austria where you can pull a pizza from the machine within 2 minutes.

The #KentuckyFriedGivingChallenge in America is a good example of involving young guests in ‘a good cause’ via TIKTOK®. And in the field of sustainability, we came across the Norwegian material science company B’ZEOS. They are working with international companies to replace single-use plastics with seaweed-based alternatives.

Click on the title if you like to read the full article. Enjoy reading!

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Trends we spotted | Week 33

20-8-2021

At horecatrends.com or hospitalitytrends.eu 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 the most spectacular off-menu dish at the rule-breaking Japanese restaurant Shuko in New York and to the ‘Cuisine Solaire’ by restaurant Le Présage in Marseille. It’s Europe’s first solar-powered restaurant.

In London you can enjoy cocktails and high tea’s at a disused train station, check out the great 1940s themed high tea video at Cahoots Underground in the article. Also opened in London: a new immersive cocktail experience, Mr. Tipsy’s Down The Hatch! With a lot of OTT-ness!

French food tech start-up Gourmey is working on lab-grown foie gras that could allow restaurants to continue to serve the highly-prized delicacy in an ethical way. Great news for foie gras lovers, it looks like it and the chef who tried it says it also tasted the same.

The new pizzeria Pazzi in Paris is staffed entirely by robots, from order-taking to prepping the dough to putting the pizzas in boxes. Check out the video, as guests you can follow your pizza being made!

We love the idea behind the ‘random acts of kindness’, as does Domino’s Pizza in the USA, they started their ‘Surprise Frees’ Promotion. Until November 21, 2021, they are surprising randomly selected fans with free menu items.

And a link to an article about the new ‘Taco Bell Defy’. The 3,000 square-foot restaurant concept located in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, utilizes a two-story model for “the frictionless future of Taco Bell”.

Click on the title if you like to read the full article. Enjoy reading!

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