Local and state mandates regarding the operation of restaurants during the pandemic hit the hotel industry hard. Was the hit hard enough to force permanent changes to how hotels deliver food and beverage service? Could such changes fundamentally alter the hotel industry as currently segmented? How will hotel guests react to these changes?
This year, J.D. Power’s Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study turned 25. During that time, hotel food and beverage (F&B) operations adapted relatively quickly to changing consumer expectations. Competition accelerated in what is now the Upscale segment due to the emergence of lifestyle brands and the bar/bistro model. In Upper Midscale, complimentary breakfast became a differentiator in the value equation for consumers.
