How to score points with dog lovers | No surprises at check-in

21-8-2026

The holiday season is drawing to a close, and recently I was out walking with other dog lovers. Only one dog had stayed home, looked after by acquaintances, while the others had either been to a kennel or came along on holiday. My family and I, along with many other dog owners, choose to bring the dog along whenever possible. Finding a destination that works with a dog, however, is a challenge. We always rent a holiday home, and for hotels along the way we often use Booking.com; there, at least, you can indicate that you’re looking for a hotel or holiday home where dogs are welcome. What it actually costs per night, though, remains unclear there too. A blog by Marjolein van Spronsen on how to communicate transparently about welcoming dogs and how that can help you to score points with dog lovers.

2 minutes read

read more

Pet-friendly hospitality | A list of great examples of how to treat your pet guests!

18-8-2026

Your four-legged friend is part of the family, and most families want to take their pets along on holiday. Luxury travel is ready for its new VIP guests, and there is a whole world of business built around taking your best friend on your trip. Airlines allowing pets of all sizes in the cabin are popping up around the world, and luxury pet-friendly hotels are creating all kinds of extras for travelling pet owners. We have written many articles on pet-friendly hospitality offered by hotels and restaurants, and we have even spotted some wonderful terms for it: hosPETality, Bark-cuterie, pup-flight, poochini or a puppicino and dogstronomy. In this article, we have compiled a list of great examples of how to treat your pet guests!

4 minutes read

read more

Trends we spotted | Week 33

14-8-2026

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:

• Ipsos and IWSR published ‘The Consumer Trends Shaping Adult Beverages’, a new whitepaper commissioned by AB InBev. The study examines the choices and behavior of legal-drinking-age consumers.
• Hard Rock Cafe and Coca-Cola recently launched Hard Rock Rising. This music competition takes place in 34 countries and at 64 Hard Rock Cafes, offering emerging artists a stage.
• Fletcher Hotels continues its growth ambitions with the acquisition of Hotel Marktstad and Slot Hotel Schagen.
• Radisson Blu Hotel, Sinaia Cota 1400 brings alpine-inspired design to Romania’s Bucegi Mountains.
• Spotted on the Instagram account of ‘Meilleur Ouvrier de France Charcuterie’ Arnaud Nicolas in Paris: a Croque Monsieur XXL made with pain de mie!
• Also spotted on Instagram: the Caviar Hotline at the Park Lane New York! A fun idea to dedicate a number on your in-room telephone to a specialty of your own.
• And also spotted online: the Pineau des Charentes Spritz.
• Miracle Cocktails Inc., the company behind two of the world’s leading Christmas cocktail pop-ups, Miracle and Sippin’ Santa, unveils The Haunting, its first-ever Halloween pop-up bar experience.
• Burger King Belgium advises all Belgians to leave the flame grilling to them. 😉

Enjoy reading!

read more

Trends we spotted | Week 32

10-8-2026

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:

• DoorDash recently unveiled DoorDash Air, an in-house program that will develop a drone delivery system.
• ‘Twelve Nights of Wonder’ for the 2026 holiday season at Orlando World Center Marriott. Are you already working on your holiday season calendar?
• For one night only, on August 27, 2026, Waldorf Astoria New York’s legendary Grand Ballroom will transform into a full-size tennis court beneath the chandeliers.
• It already sounds delicious in French: “La Brioche Glacée & Toastée célèbre les saveurs Fetish de la Maison: Ispahan et Infiniment Vanille”.
• Avani Hotels & Resorts is inviting guests to celebrate International Dog Day, which takes place on 26 August, with a getaway designed for the whole family.
• Hamburg-based robotics company goodBytz and Leonardo Hotels Central Europe have entered into a strategic partnership.
• Vinyl Voyages: ‘Monkey Shoulder Selects’ spotlights Europe’s trendiest Hi-Fi bars and cocktail neighbourhoods.
• Radisson Hotel Group leverages its strong owner confidence to accelerate global growth.

Enjoy reading!

read more

Snackification | Small bites, big impact

3-8-2026

Snackification is one of the most talked-about trends in the food industry right now, and it’s all about eating smaller portions more frequently. With increasingly busy schedules and the rise of weight loss medicines, more and more people are swapping three square meals for smaller, more intentional bites. This shift is fundamentally changing how brands, chefs and restaurants approach food.

On the consumer side, it’s about smaller, flexible and nutrient-dense snacks on the go — think individual packaging, added vitamins, gut health support and high protein. On the industry side, fine-dining chefs are increasingly embracing casual street food concepts, food trucks and upscale finger foods. This trend even found its way into my kitchen, last weekend I served a lunch with many small, delicious and healthy snack bites portions. ^Marjolein van Spronsen

Many examples in this article!

4 minutes read

read more

Trends we spotted | Week 30

24-7-2026

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:

• American Express and ALL Accor expand the power of membership with new global partnership.
• Eberhardjes and Dolly Bellefleur launch limited edition ‘Liefde (love) NOW’, available at all STACH stores in Amsterdam.
• Registration for the Horecava Awards 2027 is now open. Since July 23rd, companies, startups, and entrepreneurs in the foodservice industry are able to submit their most innovative product or concept.
• Claridge’s has announced the publication of its first-ever book, Claridge’s: Queen of Hotels, Hotel of Kings.
• POP+BARK and Rooftop Cinema Club UK are bringing dogs to the movies for a full day of dog-friendly rooftop cinema action on Sunday, August 16.
• The McDonald’s restaurant in Breukelen, operated by the new franchisee Ronen van ’t Hoog, is the Dutch flagship location for the international ‘World Menu Heist’-campaign.
• Are you already thinking about how to create a festive Christmas atmosphere in your hotel? The Immersive Christmas Experience, ice!™ at the Gaylord Hotels has already been announced!

Enjoy reading!

read more

Trends we spotted | Week 27

6-7-2026

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:

• The Lounges chain with 250+ venues in the UK will open its first location overseas in Essen, Germany.
• After weather codes yellow, orange and red, there’s one more colour to watch this summer – Code Purple at Bagels & Beans.
• Brouwerij (brewery) Homeland in Amsterdam launched its own lager, Homeland Puur Pils.
• Pick up your pizza by kayak at the ‘Paddle In’ at Otomat in Ghent.
• Handwritten Collection, a characterful collection of bespoke hotels launched by Accor in 2023, recently announced a significant milestone with the opening of its 50th address.
• At McDonald’s Germany, you can enjoy 23 international product highlights during ‘Mission: World Menu’.
• Travel And Tour World (TTW) recently unveiled its Top 100 Luxury Hotels in the World 2026, a global ranking honouring exceptional properties redefining modern hospitality.
• Great news for Belgian fries lovers heading to Paris, chef Mallory Gabsi has opened his Fry Shop 140 Degrés.
• Wonder, a leading food technology platform, and Zipline, an autonomous delivery service, recently announced a partnership to bring on-demand drone delivery to Wonder locations across Texas.
• Inspiration for ice cream parlours: we spotted ‘Cookies Cloud Cups’ at Ovis Coffees in London.

Enjoy reading!

read more

Trends we spotted | Week 26

30-6-2026

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:

• Two acquisitions in a single week underscore Fletcher Hotels’ pace of growth in Germany, Berghotel Astenkrone in Winterberg-Altastenberg and Fletcher Hotel-Restaurant Sundern-Sorpesee.
• Restaurant Jondani has been honoured with a Best of Award of Excellence from the Wine Spectator, the leading international American wine magazine.
• Restaurant SMAEK in Geldrop has recruited Rowin Geurts and Marcia de Bruijn. The couple will take up their posts as respectively head chef and maître d’ in September 2026.
• New strategic initiative ‘Buurthotel’ connects Amsterdam hotels, the local council and residents through a new concept: ‘co-tourism’.
• Restaurant Noor in Groningen has opted for a proactive solution to a commercial dispute by applying for a suspension of payments and will remain open till the end of 2026.
• The Berkeley and Summerill & Bischop announced a collaboration celebrating the art of entertaining in your suite.
• Duke of Tokyo De Pijp opens its doors this week (July 2) on Ferdinand Bolstraat in Amsterdam.
• Spotted on the Instagram account of We Like Côte d’Azur – When designers take over the Riviera.
• Inspiration for ice cream parlours: Leiden welcomed ice cream parlour and chocolatier Madaq, where visitors can pull up by boat for an ice cream, an actual ‘ice cream float-through’! And a great, luxury gelato gift box by Zona.

Enjoy reading!

read more

How can you make your hotel more attractive to solo women travellers?

26-6-2026

We recently came across an article about Preferred Small Hotels, that, together with several boutique hotels in Palm Springs, has seen a growing number of solo women travellers and is actively responding to their needs. It reminded me of a recent holiday of mine in Sicily, where I noticed several women travelling on their own. It made me wonder if hotels know what today’s female traveller looks for when choosing a hotel or destination.

As a former flight attendant, I understand the most important requirement better than most: safety. I still remember how relieved I always felt when my hotel room had a security latch on the door. In this article, we’ve put together a list of simple tips and practical ideas to help you better accommodate this, growing group of solo women travellers. ^Marjolein van Spronsen

4 minutes read

read more

NYX Hotel Amsterdam Rembrandt Square opens as a cultural meeting place in the city

26-6-2026

With the opening of NYX Hotel Amsterdam Rembrandt Square on June 25, Amsterdam is gaining more than just a new hotel. The first NYX Hotel in the Benelux combines hospitality, art and culture in a destination designed to bring people together. Located near Rembrandt Square, the hotel embraces a role that extends beyond accommodation. Through a dedicated cultural programme, a permanent art collection and hospitality concepts focused on connection and experience, the hotel aims to contribute to the city’s creative energy. The concept reflects a broader hospitality trend in which hotels are increasingly evolving into destinations, community hubs and platforms for local talent.

2 minutes read

read more