For decades the phrase “hotel food” was, if not pejorative, then at least a signal to temper expectations.
But an increasing number of today’s travelers have higher standards, and hotels are making concerted efforts to meet the discriminating demands of travelers and local residents alike.
In recent decades there’s been a shift in what travel and the attendant food and beverage experience is all about, according to Chris Collins, food and beverage vice president at Spartanburg-based OTO Development, part of The Johnson Group.
“It all really comes together in everything from the food to the service to the location to create something that is memorable.” – Albert Mertz, General Manager, Hotel Hartness
Collins said people increasingly want a unique experience when they travel, and that is reflected in where they choose to stay and what they expect when they sit down to enjoy a meal or a cocktail.
OTO Development manages dozens of properties across the country representing some of the most iconic names in the hospitality industry, among them Hyatt, Marriott and Hilton. Collins said his company’s approach to representing such well-known brands involves giving the individual properties — and the food and beverage options available — a unique identity.
“It’s a storyline at the end of the day,” Collins said. “Our offerings tell that story.”
While some of OTO’s properties offer signature third-party concepts like Rick Erwin’s Level 10 rooftop restaurant at Spartanburg’s AC Hotel, many other properties feature the company’s own signature concepts.
For instance, the company’s AC Hotel in St. Petersburg, Florida, is home to Cane & Barrel Rooftop Bar. Collins said this proprietary concept incorporates all of the attention to detail and elevates what would otherwise be an ordinary offering into a setting that provides a memorable experience.
These elements include exceptional service, unique dishes and bespoke cocktails, all centered around an intentional sense of being in a unique place. From its Cuban-inspired menu to its popular “Punchbowl” cocktail using locally distilled rum, Cane & Barrel is rapidly becoming one of the hottest restaurants and gathering spots in St. Pete, Collins said.
A sense of place
Locally, there are a number of notable hotels in Greenville, and a few that manage to embody all that Greenville has become.
Hotel Hartness is one of those places. From the outset, it was designed to provide a unique experience and show off the distinctive energy and geography that define one of the Southeast’s most popular destinations.
Just 15 minutes from downtown, Hotel Hartness is meant to be an oasis that highlights the green in Greenville, according to Albert Mertz, general manager.
Mertz has an extensive background in food and beverage and said the hotel’s Patterson Kitchen + Bar and The Captain lounge were designed to “shatter the mold” of the traditional hotel-dining experience.
“You feel like you’re taken away, but you’re in Greenville,” he said.
While Mertz said the term “farm to table” has been overused, it does represent the kind of elevated, experiential dining Hotel Hartness strives to provide, not only for visiting guests but for local residents who want to taste what the area has to offer.
Whether it’s produce and eggs sourced on the Hartness Farm or duck and vegetables raised on other local, small farms, Patterson’s menu offers the distinctive flavors unique to the area, Mertz said.
“It all really comes together in everything from the food to the service to the location to create something that is memorable,” he said.
For Mertz and Collins, making those memorable experiences is the key to success.
“It’s all part of the story,” Collins said.
