As so many hotel owners and operators can attest, food-focused travel is on the rise. The trend is unmistakable: more and more hotel guests are selecting destinations and planning itineraries around regional, local, or even restaurant-specific food and beverage options. These guests, referred to as culinary travelers, not only make food and drink experiences a priority during their travels, they are often willing to go well out of their way to make those experiences happen. Experience is the key word here. We are in an experience economy and consumers are placing a great deal of value on the F&B experience. Look at the trend in roof top bars for example. READ MORE

The dining experience in the hotel and resort environment has been changing for decades. Gone are the days when most Americans eat meat and potatoes, and the occasional salad, for dinner. Immigrants from all over the world who settled into the urban areas of our country brought culturally significant dishes that opened up a whole new supply chain of ingredients, and introduced flavor profiles unfamiliar to the food scene. Before this cultural transformation, American families eating out seemed to be more interested in socializing outside of the home than in having a culinary experience. As new foods appeared on the scene, dining out became more focused on exploring new fads and flavors. READ MORE

We, as Chefs, respectfully kick around the terms Hybrid, Old-World, and Artisanal often enough. Chefs know that hybrid, old-world, artisanal, or obscure ingredient usage in dishes bring a particular wow-factor to the plate. Sourcing and utilizing artisanal grains, starches, legumes or vegetables which are under-appreciated and under-utilized, or quite possibly forgotten about over time, is a highlight feature of today's creative chefs, many of whom will grow the ingredients themselves and feature on special menus, unlike any other. READ MORE

When I travel for business, I often return to the same city frequently - and when I do, I usually check into my favorite hotel. No matter how many times I return to that hotel, however, the front desk agents always treat me as if it's my first stay. They acknowledge my platinum status, certainly, and welcome me by name. After that, however, the desk agent will ask for my photo ID and credit card - just as they did the last ten times I checked into the same hotel. READ MORE

Though Argentina has always sparked interest from investors around the world, some of the economic measures and political scandals related to the party that held the power for a decade (until December 2015) did not represent the best scenario for international investment. The more recent election of President Mauricio Macri, undoubtedly represents an important task of rebuilding the Argentinian economy and restoring its international credibility. Macri, already in his short stint thus far as president, has partially succeed with inroads here, and as such has been given the honor to host the World Trade Organization meeting in December 2017 along with the G20 Summit in 2018. READ MORE