Trends we spotted | Week 25
Conscious hotels is going to expand in Europe
Finger Sporks at KFC
Fletcher Hotel Rotterdam -Airport
Pike Place - Heritage Market Starbucks - credits Joshua Trujillo
SkyDrop Delivery Drone
The Good Wine collaborates with the Made Blue Foundation
Topping out Maritim Hotel Amsterdam
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’.
German Maritim Hotel group has signed a new 50-year lease with Union Investment for the biggest integrated congress hotel in Europe, The Maritim Hotel, being developed in Amsterdam North, close to the River IJ and opposite the city’s central railway station across the waterway.
Celebrating a milestone 50th anniversary, European-born brand Le Méridien brings glamour back to travel with renovations across its global portfolio. And SkyDrop and Domino’s gear up to launch a commercial drone delivery trial in New Zealand.
Hard Rock International commences partnership with GEK TERNA Group to create a luxury resort and Casino in the Heart of the Athens Riviera. Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Athens is set to open in 2026. And a Heritage Market by Starbucks opened in Seattle, showing the past, present and future of coffee and their community.
KFC US unveils innovative new ‘finger sporks’ to make its side orders as finger lickin’good as its fried chicken. And NIPA Capital & Conscious hotels join forces for sustainable growth of this chain in Europe.
Organic wine form The Good Wine provides one thousand times more clean drinking water in cooperation with Water Made Blue. And the two Fletcher Hotels at Rotterdam The Hague Airport introduce a package deal: ‘The super relaxed travel package’.
In the category Catering, cleaning, security and various business services of the MT500, Hutten is number 1 this year. The MT500 is the reputation research for Dutch companies, based on the opinion of managers, decision makers and executives.
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Maritim Hotel Amsterdam | Topping out for new flagship property
German Maritim Hotels group has signed a new 50-year lease with Union Investment for the biggest integrated congress hotel in Europe, being developed in Amsterdam North, close to the River IJ and opposite the city’s central railway station across the waterway. The hotel, together with the Yvie residential tower being constructed alongside, represent a total investment commitment to the area development project of around €500 million by Union Investment. The agreement was announced at a ‘topping out’ ceremony in the Maritim Hotel tower on 15th of June by the well-known German family-owned hospitality group and Union Investment, one of Europe’s leading real estate investment managers. The Maritim Hotel is due to open its doors in 2023. The four-star hotel will offer 579 rooms in a 110-metre tower, the third highest in Amsterdam, and is combined with a conference and congress center with the capacity to host over 4,400 people in 18 conference rooms, Hall 1 for up to 2,200 people, making it the second largest venue as such in the city after the RAI exhibition and convention center on the Dutch capital’s southern fringe.
SkyDrop, Domino’s gear up to launch commercial drone delivery trial in New Zealand
SkyDrop announced that production of the drone fleet for the commercial drone delivery trial with Domino’s is now complete. SkyDrop (formerly known as Flirtey) and Domino’s Pizza Enterprises Limited (Domino’s), signed an agreement earlier this year to launch the second phase of commercial drone deliveries in New Zealand. This commercial trial with Domino’s is scheduled to launch in New Zealand in the coming months. SkyDrop’s drone delivery system enables delivery of Hot & Fresh pizza from the local Domino’s store to the customer’s home. SkyDrop drones can carry a variety of Domino’s menu options, including popular choices such as: three Extra-Large Domino’s pizzas, or two Large Domino’s pizzas with one soda and one side dish (including dipping sauce). In preparation for the commercial trial, SkyDrop is currently conducting test deliveries at its facilities in Reno, NV.
Hard Rock International commences partnership with GEK TERNA Group to create a luxury resort and Casino in the Heart of the Athens Riviera
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Athens, which is set to open in 2026, will be a unique destination in Europe, combining a 5-Star luxury hotel, a world class gaming floor, a premier meeting and convention space, a state-of-the-art entertainment venue, internationally renowned food and beverages, luxurious Rock® Spa and Pool Complex, and a high-end retail promenade. Construction of the project is expected to begin within the first months of 2023 and last about 3 years.
Heritage Market Starbucks in Seattle | The past, present and future of coffee and community
Starbucks announced the creation of the Heritage Market, connecting three of the company’s most iconic and most visited stores and the partners (employees) who lead them, located at 1912 Pike Place (Starbucks original store), 1st & Pike and also 1st & University. Together, these three distinct locations in Starbucks hometown of Seattle represent the company’s historic past, present, and its re-imagined future. The three stores will offer an elevated experience, steeped in the rich history of coffee, culture and connection that is synonymous with Starbucks. Many more details in their press release, link in the title.
KFC unveils innovative new finger sporks to make its sides as finger lickin’good as its fried chicken
All fingers point to KFC today as the fried chicken chain unveils an innovative eating utensil that makes all your KFC favorites (literally) finger lickin’ good. Introducing KFC Finger Sporks, KFC’s new ergonomic and gastronomic piece of tableware-tech that’ll bring out the fun in family dinner. It’s sides’ time to shine with KFC Finger Sporks, available now for free with the purchase of a KFC Sides Lovers Meal on the KFC mobile app, KFC.com or in restaurants in the USA while supplies last. More details in their press release, link in the title.
From Bangkok to Mauritius, Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts enters a renovation revival
Underscoring Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts’ momentous 50th anniversary this year, the distinctly European-born brand is celebrating its mid-century modern legacy as it puts a spotlight on renovations that accentuate and elevate this timeless style using design as a foundation to encourage guests to linger longer and savor the good life as travel returns. With this resurgence, Le Méridien unlocks destinations around the world and encourages guests to slow down and grab a rosé during golden hour, enjoy a stroll with a gelato, reconnect in the hub or poolside, and enjoy the simple pleasures of life. Part of Marriott Bonvoy’s portfolio of 30 extraordinary hotel brands, Le Méridien boasts over 105 hotels and resorts in coveted destinations around the world, inviting creative-minded, culture seekers to explore the world in style.
NIPA Capital & Conscious hotels join forces for sustainable growth in Europe
Dutch investment fund NIPA Capital expands and acquires a 75% stake in Amsterdam based hotel group Conscious Hotels. The fund will invest in innovative European hotel concepts targeting Gen Z and millennials from 2021 onwards. Conscious Hotels is the founder of sustainable hospitality in Europe. In Amsterdam, the hotel chain operates four hotels with a total of 318 rooms, two restaurants and two coffee and retail concepts. Marco Lemmers, CEO of Conscious Hotels: ‘Since 2009 we offer our guests stylish, sustainable interiors, 100% organic food and beverages, and the simplest guest journey under the motto ‘doing good, while looking good’.
Together with NIPA Capital and cornerstone investor BORON, the private equity firm of the Fentener van Vlissingen family, Conscious Hotels aims to increase the number of hotel rooms fivefold throughout Europe and in major Dutch cities. NIPA Capital focuses specifically on innovative and unique hospitality concepts for Gen Z and millennials. These travelers want to explore the world, but feel less at home with traditional hotel chains.
Organic wine provides one thousand times more clean drinking water
The organic and vegan wine of the new brand The Good Wine provides one thousand times as much clean drinking water. Through a partnership with the Made Blue Foundation, The Good Wine donates a thousand times its volume of clean drinking water to people in developing countries. The Good Wine is from the makers of The Good Roll. The wine is made without animal additives and during the process, no chemical pesticides are used in the vineyards. The wine is therefore 100% organic and completely vegan. The wine comes in a Sauvignon and a Merlot.
Through this partnership, for every bottle of wine sold, the contents of the bottle are donated times a thousand to various communities in Africa. This means that for every 750 milliliters of wine, 750 liters of clean water are made available elsewhere. For example at schools in Ethiopia. The Good Wine is from the makers of The Good Roll and Robert Eden. The Good Roll is committed to safe and clean toilets by selling recycled toilet paper. With 50% of its net profit, The Good Roll builds toilets in various countries in Africa.
Fletcher Hotels introduces at the Rotterdam The Hague Airport | The super relaxed travel package
Rotterdam The Hague Airport is now offering guests the opportunity to drop off their check-in baggage at the airport the evening before their departure. This allows them to go straight to the security check the next day, making their day of travel very relaxing. Fletcher Hotels has two hotels at Rotterdam The Hague Airport, Fletcher Hotel-Restaurant Wings-Rotterdam and Fletcher Hotel Rotterdam-Airport, with a total of 263 rooms and over 400 parking spaces, and is responding to this with a new package. The ‘Super relaxed travel arrangement’. By making use of this package, guests can drop off their check-in baggage at the airport the evening before they are due to travel and then enjoy a delicious dinner in the attractive à la carte restaurant, spend the night in one of the two hotels and enjoy an extensive breakfast the next morning before departure. To make your holiday completely carefree, it is even possible to reserve a parking space in advance, so that during the holiday the car is safely parked in the covered car park.
Dutch Catering organization Hutten first place in MT500
In the category Catering, cleaning, security and various business services of the MT500, Hutten is number 1 this year. The MT500 is the reputation research for Dutch companies, based on the opinion of managers, decision makers and executives. In the overall list, Hutten is ranked at number 11. A fantastic message for our organization and the industry”, says Hutten’s general manager Peter van den Bosch. “In addition to customer focus, product leadership and quality of execution, good employment practices and sustainable business practices carry equal weight in the study. Precisely the elements with which we want to make an impact and bring change to the market. This appreciation shows that we are on the right track”.
Characteristic of the approach of the MT500 is the peer-to-peer assessment: respondents assess companies that are active in their own sector. A total of 4,428 respondents participated this year. In the category Catering, cleaning, security and various business services, 405 respondents assessed 13 organizations.
