BACARDI® is going to help produce more than 267,000 gallons of hand sanitizers
30-3-2020
Brands across company’s portfolio including BACARDÍ®, MARTINI®, GREY GOOSE®, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE®, DEWAR’S® and ANGEL’S ENVY® unite to help produce more than 267,000 gallons (1.1 million litres) of hand sanitizers. All BACARDÍ® hand sanitizers produced in collaboration with the brands contain more than the minimum alcohol content recommended by the World Health Organization for containing the spread of the virus. These temporary, emergency actions at all locations will not disrupt the supply of brands in the Bacardi portfolio.
What does the catering industry do in the context of the COVID-19 virus | Inspiration March 27
27-3-2020
Our perspective on the world has completely changed during the past couple of weeks, a true paradigm shift! At this very moment it’s important to constantly fact check all the news about the Coronavirus, a lot of fake and scary news has been spotted at the social media. For example at a website in the U.S. we came across a question whether or not food could be a source of the virus. Fortunately they also gave the official answer of the CDC (Centers of Disease Control and Protection) but please don’t believe strange advices!
We also spotted a lot of positive inspiration. So, we want to show you some small positive gestures and inspiration during these anxious times.
Stay healthy and take care of each other! ^Team Horecatrends
Very positive news is that we see a lot of people unite and not only in the health care. We even spotted an online game in which gamers can help the university of Washington’s Center for Game Science to create a medicine.
In France the Accor Group, a hotel chain, opened the CEDA (Coronavirus Emergency Desk Accor) telephone helpdesk. They help to accommodate homeless people trough France in conjunction with the government.
We spot a lot of positive initiatives by restaurants, like for example #JREwhatsinthefridge and other ones to keep in touch with their guests. In the Netherlands, one of our chefs with two Michelin stars started a video making a delicious daily meal. And many more individuals give tutorials, which made us laugh is the reaction of a famous chef in an Instagram story: “After two days in quarantine and watching many cooking videos, I understand why so many of you come to restaurants” ?
In most languages there is a saying like ‘money can’t buy happiness’ but if you’re very rich you can buy a ‘Covid-19 themed exclusive package’ at Le Bijou Hotels & Resorts in Switzerland. But if you’re entertaining your kids at home, you could make them happy with a ‘toilet paper’ cake!
The Westin Houston Medical Center | First Hotel in the U.S. to deploy ‘Virus Killing Robots’
24-3-2020
The Westin Houston Medical Center is the first and only hotel in the U.S. to utilize LightStrike Germ-Zapping Robots™ to sanitize and disinfect its guest rooms and common areas to help combat the threat of coronavirus. The room disinfection technology, provided by San Antonio-based Xenex Disinfection Services, was developed by two epidemiologists in Houston, with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center as their first customer. The Westin Houston Medical Center purchased two of the decontaminating Robots, which are already at work sanitizing rooms inside the building.
In these times of stress about the spread of COVID-19 amongst travellers worldwide, these virus killing robots are an interesting new cleaning product for hotels. The Westin Houston Medical Center pioneers one of the hospitality industry’s response to COVID-19.
What does the catering industry do in the context of the COVID-19 virus | Inspiration March 24
24-3-2020
Our perspective on the world has completely changed during the past week, what a paradigm shift! I personally thought that we would no longer post trends and inspiration on Horecatrends. It seems of no importance right now however we also spotted a lot of positive inspiration. So, we want to show you some small positive gestures and inspiration during these anxious times.
Stay healthy and take care of each other! ^Team Horecatrends
Here in the Netherlands we spot a lot of initiatives in the hospitality industry, like hotels offering capacity to hospitals. In the UK the hotel chain Best Western is in talks to convert their hotels into NHS hospitals and in the U.S.A. hotels are used to shelter the homeless and the less seriously ill who have to be in quarantine.
In London a restaurant with one Michelin star reopened as Brat Farm, Grill and Wine Shop. Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort gives an example on how to try to provide your guests with as much flexibility as possible through your cancellation policy.
Click on the title if you like to read the full article. Enjoy reading!
Trends we spotted | Week 12
20-3-2020
Our perspective on the world has completely changed in the past week, what a paradigm shift! I personally thought that we would no longer post trends and inspiration on Horecatrends. It seems of no importance right now but we also spotted a lot of positive inspiration. So, we have written a ‘trends we spotted this week’ with small positive gestures and inspiration in these anxious times.
Stay healthy and take care of each other! ^Marjolein van Spronsen
This week, among other links to articles about a hand wash tutorial by Gordon Ramsey and the Cheese trucks of the London based The Cheese Bar.
McDonald’s in the U.S. and Canada are considering rent deferrals for its franchisees and Uber Eats is introducing a new support package that includes a waiving of delivery fees on all orders from independent restaurants across U.S. & Canada and dedicated marketing campaigns.
And an article at Eater about what restaurants need right now to actually survive in the USA. Here in the Netherlands, the government is taking all the necessary measures at this moment and even banks are helping. We wish all restaurant owners worldwide will be able to find a way to stay in business.
Chipotle tackles social distancing with virtual hangouts on Zoom, interesting inspiration if you try to reach young people. And upscale restaurant Canlis in Seattle finds new business model in the Covid-19 crisis.
In the Netherlands we spotted free e-learning programs for people working in the hospitality industry and many restaurants offer gift vouchers with benefits. One of them doesn’t give vouchers but gift plates!
Materialise’s 3D printed hands-free door opener eliminates direct contact with door handle
17-3-2020
3D Printing technology may lend a hand in preventing the spread of the Coronavirus. Materialise, a Belgium-based pioneer in 3D printing, has designed a 3D printed door opener that makes it possible to open and close doors with your arm, removing the need for direct contact with door handles. The company is offering the printable design for free and calling upon the global 3D printing community to 3D print the door opener and make it available all around the world.
Call for anyone who can print this hands-free door opener in 3D…. The file can be downloaded here.
“The power of 3D printing in combination with Materialise’s three decades of 3D printing expertise made it possible to turn an idea into an innovative product in less than 24 hours,” says Fried Vancraen CEO of Materialise. “By making the design available digitally, it can be produced on 3D printers everywhere and become available around the world in a matter of hours. In this case, we designed the product in Belgium and people in China, Europe or the U.S. can now 3D print the door opener locally.”
BUNK hotel Amsterdam |A new hotspot in the former Sint-Rita church
9-3-2020
After the booming success in Utrecht, Amsterdam now also gets a BUNK Hotel. BUNK opened its doors on the 5th of March in the former Sint-Rita church in Amsterdam North. After a thorough renovation, the monumental building has room for 300 guests. Is it a hotel with hostel prices? Or a hostel with the quality and service of a hotel? BUNK invites you to experience it yourself. BUNK has a sympathetically priced restaurant and a broad cultural programming. With the compact rooms and Pods, the lively shared spaces and the free cultural offer, BUNK focuses on connecting with the neighborhood and the world.
Last Tuesday, the 3rd of March, I was present at a dinner at the BUNK hotel. You are already impressed upon arrival by the transformation of this large church into a hotel. Great to see the BUNK pods but also the 107 compact rooms in the belly of the church, a separate concept. From April onwards you can and go sleep there, I believe this is a special and pleasant experience in Amsterdam. It’s also a great place to enjoy dinner with dishes based on various international cuisines, including that of Amsterdam. ^ Oscar van der Maas
Booking.com Launches New Pilot App CityBook in Amsterdam, London and Paris
25-2-2020
Booking.com, one of the world’s leading digital travel companies committed to making it easier for everyone to experience the world, recently announced the launch of a new pilot product, CityBook, a responsive digital guide for cities that seamlessly combines inspiration, planning, navigation and experience all in one place. The first pilots launched in the cities of Paris, London and Amsterdam.
This Pilot product leverages machine learning to make instant recommendations for travelers to easily explore all the best a city has to offer on the go. Booking.com just made exploring cities a whole lot easier.
Soulpicks app | Already 120,000 unique favorite places, restaurants, wine bars and Cafe’s worldwide
25-2-2020
Places where you like to go and share in private with friends, family and acquaintances. In the past year, 120,000 of these kind of unique ‘soulpicks’ were recorded and shared in the Soulpicks app by users and the experts associated with Soulpicks. Of all favorite places, restaurants are the most shared, but also wine and cocktail bars and cafe’s throughout the world are well represented in the app. More than 7,800 favorite places have already been added in Japan, more than 31,000 in the USA and more than 16,000 in the United Kingdom and France. The milestone is an important step towards the position of Soulpicks as a ‘go to app’ for the implementation of your leisure time, wherever you are in the world.
Trends we spotted | Week 8
24-2-2020
At hospitalitytrends.eu we spot many national and international trends on a daily basis. We pick the most interesting ones to write about, the smaller trends we use in our weekly column ‘Trends we spotted this week’.
This week, among other links to articles about the Crystal Clear Bread Challenge, cheese made from cauliflower and Popcorn Chicken Pizza.
Burger King New Zealand released a sandwich with just French Fries and at the New York Fashion Week Croc’s latest collaboration has been released: Crocs clogs for KFC fans!
KFC China created ‘pocket franchises’ via Wechat, a virtual franchise system to engage customers and encourage people to order from the restaurant. And the Travalyst coalition announces the development of new sustainability frameworks to help travellers to find sustainable travel and tourism options.
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