The Hospitality Show featured a range of educational sessions covering nearly every aspect of the industry, from technology and operations to food and beverage and staffing. The session “What Hotel Guests Actually Value: New Consumer Insights,” moderated by Brandy Rand, vice president and market leader of hospitality at Forge, explored guest behavior through the lens of Questex consumer research. Davidson Hospitality Chief Operating Officer Jason Reader, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Chief Commercial Officer Scott Strickland, and The Ritz-Carlton Bal Harbour General Manager Fabien Gnemmi discussed topics including loyalty, booking habits, and the evolving role of hotel food and beverage programs. Their insights highlighted how hotels can position their restaurants and bars as standalone destinations while navigating competition from third-party delivery platforms.

Onsite Dining

Questex’s research found that 44 percent of guests said they don’t choose a hotel’s food and beverage program, primarily because they want to explore local offerings. As a result, hoteliers face the challenge of making their properties attractive destinations for both guests and local diners while recognizing that visitors also want to experience the surrounding community.

Gnemmi noted that trying to be “gatekeepers” may not be the best approach, as the ultimate goal is to provide guests with the best possible experience. “I believe that people want to venture out, and we’re here to accommodate them and be their guide,” he said. “The better guide we are, the better you’re going to be able to bring [the guest] back to visit again. It’s all about retention.” He added that luxury hotels often partner with restaurant groups to strengthen their brands through association, drawing guests to their in-house culinary concepts and capturing additional revenue.

Reader echoed Gnemmi’s perspective, explaining that hotels cannot realistically expect guests to remain on property throughout their stays. Instead, he emphasized the importance of establishing a distinct identity for hotel restaurants and bars. “One of the key things we do is, we don’t use the word ‘outlet.’ We use restaurants and bars,” he said. “So, the key is to make the hotel restaurant feel like a regular restaurant. Part of how you get that guest to go to your restaurant is to run a really good restaurant.”

Because many consumers turn to online platforms to research local dining options, Reader explained that hotels have a better chance of capturing demand when their restaurants maintain strong ratings on sites such as Yelp. This gives owners and operators some control over whether guests choose to dine on property. “You can control some of that based on how well you run it,” Reader said.

Even when guests venture off property, hotels still have opportunities to capture food and beverage revenue. Reader offered hypothetical examples of guests stopping for a drink at the lobby bar before heading out or returning for a nightcap. He also highlighted how live entertainment at hotel restaurants and bars can encourage guests to stay on property, creating additional opportunities to generate revenue.

Room Service vs. Third-Party Delivery

Citing Questex’s findings, Rand explained that guests who were more likely to order room service also ranked highly for third-party delivery. This presents a challenge for hotels, particularly those that make significant investments in their food and beverage programs. Guests clearly value the convenience of delivery, leaving hotels to compete with third-party platforms on cost, ease, and selection.

Gnemmi acknowledged that this can be a pain point, particularly in the luxury segment, where hotels want guests to take advantage of their amenities. However, he reiterated that the priority should remain serving guests and helping them explore the destination. Hoteliers, he said, “have to look at it from the guest’s standpoint.” Third-party platforms give guests access to authentic local cuisine, and their popularity could also motivate hotel teams to innovate their own offerings to attract more diners.

Reader explained that the dynamic varies depending on the property and its location, drawing a connection to the broader conversation about onsite dining. “You’re not going to capture every meal,” he said. He pointed to airport hotels as an example, noting that guests frequently arrive late at night and may be more inclined to order delivery. “It really depends on the hotel and location,” Reader said. “But I think it’s the reality…of our world today.”

Strickland explained that Wyndham has embraced third-party delivery partnerships in the select-service segment. “We partnered with Grubhub,” he said. “We have Grubhub stickers in many of our rooms or at check-in to remind people they can earn loyalty points if they use it.”

He also emphasized the importance of helping select-service hotel staff accommodate delivery orders, particularly when it comes to storage. “Do they have a cubby environment, a place where they can keep it warm or cold,” Strickland said. “So, we absolutely embrace the idea.”

Expectation vs. Luxury Offering

The discussion also turned to breakfast and its role in the guest experience. Rand cited Questex research showing that 57 percent of guests dined on property for their first meal of the day.

Gnemmi noted that hotels sometimes struggle to distinguish between amenities guests expect as part of their stay and offerings that genuinely elevate the experience. He pointed to one property’s decision to eliminate complimentary coffee for financial reasons. The move prompted “Horrendous” backlash, ultimately forcing the hotel to reinstate the offering after guests made clear how much they valued it. “The feedback was just so overwhelming that we had to look at the situation and say, clearly we have a need for this, and it has become an expectation,” he said. “We just had to put it back in place.”

Strickland shared a similar example from Wyndham’s select-service portfolio. During the pandemic, the company removed breakfast offerings for safety reasons, taking out waffle-makers and replacing the traditional setup with a grab-and-go program. The change was initially expected to reduce costs for owners by simplifying breakfast service. “We thought that our owners are going to be able to make a little more money now because all they need to provide is a grab-and-go coffee service,” Strickland said.

However, Wyndham soon realized that guest expectations had not changed. Guests still wanted the waffle-makers and the ability to prepare their own omelets, prompting the company to bring those offerings back. “It’s an expectation, even at the select-service level.”