virna17janmar

JANUARY – MARCH 2017
VACATION INDUSTRY REVIEW
RESORTDEVELOPER.COM
RESORT RESTAURANTS
Reimagined
An Appetite for
out-of-the-Ordinary
Dining BY JOYCE HADLEY COPELAND
Sure, vacation owners love their
kitchens, but eating out has always
been a favorite thing to do when
traveling. Nearly 70 percent of
Interval’s U.S. members surveyed
in 2015 said having a restaurant
on-site was important.
What’s new is that today’s foodies, locavores,
and Food Network–savvy diners are hungry for
more than just a good meal. So a growing number
of timeshare resort restaurants are treating guests
to the culinary experience they crave. Menus tell a
story about homegrown and locally sourced ingredients
and innovative flavor combinations. Chefs
come out of the kitchen to demonstrate their
techniques and answer questions. Dinner plates
are showcased on Facebook and Instagram.
“A couple of years ago, if you wanted to serve
somebody tuna carpaccio, they would say, ‘I don’t
eat bait,’” laughs Jeroen Hanlo, vice president
of food and beverage operations for Karisma
Hotels & Resorts. “That’s all changed. People are
open to being experimental. They like trying
different things.”
Blame it on what’s being called the “Experience
Economy.” Today’s vacationers have an appetite
for participation and connection. According to a
study by Eventbrite, a global ticketing and events
marketplace, the experiential diner is driven by
the desire to be immersed in a unique culinary
concept — a memorable location (76 percent),
a surprising menu or theme (84 percent), or a oneof-a-kind
experience (74 percent) — and three out
of four are willing to pay more for it.
That’s where things start to get interesting.