Patrick Hildebrandt, Executive Chef of Valencia Group's Texican Court, talks about how the future of hotel food and beverage requires a shift to new preferences and palates. In "Hotel Food and Beverage Trends: Eat, Drink, Repeat," he discusses local sourcing and what it means to different people; the importance of fresh produce and healthier eating; dairy-free substitutes, ice cream, the all-mighty white mushroom and how celtuce is the new kale; special diets; preferences of Millennials and Generation Z; storytelling through food and beverage; and how social media is shaping the future of hospitality. Texican Court is the 152-room retro-inspired motor court concept in Irving, Texas' Las Colinas Urban Center located across from the Irving Convention Center and Toyota Music Factory. READ MORE

Wellness travel is taking tourism by storm. Growing year-over-year at twice the rate of the global tourism industry, hotels and destinations can't afford to ignore this trend if they are to remain competitive. A place on the field requires a full grasp of the niche traveler's scope of demands. The wellness experience permeates the traveler's daily existence: From their dining choices and sleep habits to their state of mind and spirituality practices. Hotels and destinations that leverage this holistic mind-body movement have an opportunity to better profitability, attract new travelers and potentially build greater brand loyalty. READ MORE

It is undeniable that technology has had immeasurable impact on the world of food & beverage. Suddenly, there is an energetic drive to "keep up" with rapid transformations and reprioritizations in our programming, operations and marketing. The younger generation remains at the forefront of these changes and thus millennial restaurant professionals are having a higher level of impact on our industry than ever before. This generation has the opportunity to tackle new possibilities aggressively and wisely. Food is changing and so is the way we learn about it. How is a millennial chef to understand their possibilities in the context of this modern age? Let's dig in. READ MORE

Pechanga Resort Casino, located in inland Southern California, is the West Coast's largest resort/casino. Its head chefs are nearly all millennials, but they're overseen by one Gen X chef. If he's at the executive chef level, why does he still feel the need to get on the front lines with all of them? Why would he spend the very small amount of free time he has sitting in traffic to get to Los Angeles to check out one restaurant? Duane Owen seeks out culinary knowledge everywhere he goes, and with it, he pushes his proteges to be and do better. READ MORE

Inspiration can be found in the most unexpected places. For instance, senior living facilities are taking their design cues from the hospitality industry, which is not unlike what we have seen in the development of luxury high rise living in the last decade. David Ashen, president & CEO of interior design and brand consulting firm dash design, relays the ways senior living developers are applying lessons learned from the hotel industry to create unique experiences in the senior living space, using case studies to demonstrate how they are realizing innovative public spaces and programing. READ MORE