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The Sumo live restaurant Hirakunza Ginza Tokyo

1-5-2026

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MIMARU, a leading Japanese apartment hotel brand for families, is promoting a new way for international guests to experience one of Japan’s most iconic cultural traditions, at Hirakunza Ginza Tokyo, during an immersive sumo dining experience.

2 minutes read

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Trends we spotted | Week 17

28-4-2026

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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:

• Top chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten is serving a hotdog, street food in front of the Mark Hotel in New York.
• Are you going to New York? You can create a unique selfie on one of the 900 pedestrian crossings of New York!
• TRIBE Hotels launched a TRIBE Vinyl Club on Disquaire Day / Record Store Day on April 18.
• In celebration of Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu, hitting theaters May 22, Burger King in the US is launching their ‘Out of This Galaxy Limited-Time Menu’.
• The Sauna Club opened their first mini-spa location at Moai Beach Club in Zandvoort (the Netherlands).
• During Antwerp Art Weekend (May 14–17), WOLF will present a new installation by Marius Ritiu at their Felix Pakhuis location.
• Starbucks partners with Warner Bros. to bring the world of Harry Potter to Asia Pacific stores.
• SeaWorld San Diego will open Shark Encounter on May 22, an immersive exhibit showcasing sharks through interactive environments and advanced multimedia.
• You can buy chef Olivier Roellinger’s spices at Épices Roellinger in Paris, and at authorized retailers all over France and even one in the UK and in San Francisco.

Enjoy reading!

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MGallery Collection and chef Pam reimagine ‘the art of bar’

24-4-2026

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Each year, World Cocktail Month sees MGallery Collection celebrate the art of mixology across its properties worldwide, turning the bar into a stage for creativity and connection. This year, MGallery Collection invites guests to experience the bar as a destination in its own right, ‘the art of bar’. In collaboration with Michelin-starred chef Pichaya “Pam” Soontornyanakij, the boutique hotel collection unveils an immersive pairing concept that transforms an evening drink into a curated gastronomic ritual, through the art of pairing cocktails and exquisite bites. World Cocktail Day is on May 13.

2 minutes read

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Innovative tourism concept ‘Schwarzwald.Dorf.Hotel. – Albergo Diffuso’

23-4-2026

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Schwarzwald Tourismus GmbH (STG) has selected five model municipalities for the tourism project ‘Schwarzwald.Dorf.Hotel. – Albergo Diffuso’. These are Klosterreichenbach (Baiersbronn), Nöggenschwiel (Weilheim), Oberharmersbach, Prinzbach (Biberach) and Schiltach. These towns will receive support in developing the concept until the end of 2026.

2 minutes read

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Claridge’s X The Newt in Somerset | Rural charm meets Art Deco elegance in Mayfair

17-4-2026

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This May, the Claridge’s hotel partners with The Newt in Somerset, one of the UK’s leading country estates, bringing a taste of the countryside to London following its involvement in the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Running from 18 to 31 May 2026, the two-week collaboration celebrates the best of town and country through installations, menus, and exclusive guest experiences under the name: Claridge’s X The Newt in Somerset.

2 minutes read

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Bites launches on ChatGPT | Unlocking AI-powered direct ordering

17-4-2026

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Bites, the first AI-native food ordering platform, recently announced the launch of its ordering experience on ChatGPT, enabling restaurants and point-of-sale (POS) platforms to capture demand through conversational AI. The launch enables diners to discover, browse, and place orders directly within ChatGPT without any price markups or marketplace service fees.

As Bites explains on its website, their platform offers a solution for everyone who overpays for food delivery, both diners and restaurants. The company started in California, where most participating restaurants are located, but it already includes participants from across the United States. We’re curious to see whether Bites will also launch in Europe, or if similar platforms will emerge here.

3 minutes read

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At Otomat on the menu this spring | ‘You’ve Got The L’Oeuf’ pizza or egg benedict pizza and pitchers of spritz

27-3-2026

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Spring is just around the corner, and at Otomat that means a fresh update to the menu, with new dishes and a brand-new look. From 25 March 2026, Otomat is introducing a new spring menu featuring lighter flavours, new vegetarian options, such as the ‘You’ve Got The L’Oeuf’ pizza (aka Egg Benedict pizza) and spritz pitchers, as well as a few surprising twists on classics.

2 minutes read

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Trends we spotted | Week 12

23-3-2026

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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:

• Padbol, an energetic Argentine game that combines padel and football on a fenced-off court.
• Lighthouse is launching the first ChatGPT app for direct hotel bookings, featuring AI-driven, reliable hotel information.
• 24H Chefs, a biennial initiative with Gault&Millau, sees top chefs cook for 24 hours to raise funds for War Child and the Prinses Máxima Centrum.
• Bagels & Beans is expanding to nearly 100 locations, preparing for international expansion and appointing Carolien Vergouwe as managing director.
• The ‘Wissel ’ns Wat!’ campaign encourages the Dutch to make plant-based choices and offers a newsroom on the protein transition.
• Design & Wijn, in collaboration with Wijngoed Gelders Laren, is launching Portique, a Dutch port-style wine in a limited edition of just 438 bottles.
• Le Pain Quotidien is opening a location at Designer Outlet Roermond, thereby expanding its presence in the Netherlands.
• HEINEKEN has reached 1,500 alcohol-free tap points in The Netherlands and is promoting responsible 0.0 draught beer consumption at sports clubs.
• Het Noorden celebrates its 160th anniversary with Noorden Blond, a speciality beer brewed by Brouwerij Wentersch.
• Nine new properties join the global Relais & Châteaux collection.

Enjoy reading!

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Chocolate Hotel Suite opens its doors to the “sweetest person” in the world

5-3-2026

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Tony’s Chocolonely and The Social Hub, two leading B Corp brands committed to making the world fairer and more inclusive, have joined forces to create a chocolate-covered hotel room. But there’s a twist. A stay in the new chocolate pop-up suite at The Social Hub Amsterdam cannot be booked (or paid for). Guests can only stay there if they are nominated as the sweetest person in the world.

2 min read:

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DAPPER. cooks field-fresh hop shoots straight from the source

3-3-2026

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For chef Nick Dapper, hop shoots are something exceptional. Not only because of their flavour, but because of what they demand from a chef: speed, focus, and a refusal to take shortcuts. Their season is short. They oxidise quickly. And they don’t submit to routine. At DAPPER., he works with hop shoots harvested from the fields of Paul Temmerman.

Are hop shoots on your menu in the season?

3 minutes read

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