Opinion Articles

Women in Wine: Careers in the Industry

Wine has long been perceived as a male-dominated world. For centuries, symbolic authority, from inheritance in family domains to the role of the “master winemaker”, has largely been coded as masculine. Women were present, often as vineyard workers or “wine widows” taking over after a husband’s death, but their visibility and recognition were limited. Today, the landscape is changing. In some oenology programs, women now make up the majority of students, and in countries such as Spain and Italy, close to a third of wineries are led or owned by women. Yet this presence is not evenly reflected across positions of leadership and prestige.

Reimagining the Hotel Minibar: How Bartech’s Automation Technology is Powering a Profitable, Guest-Centric Comeback

For decades, the hotel minibar has stood as a symbol of indulgence and convenience in the hospitality industry. For guests, a cold soda or their favorite late-night snack was always within easy reach. With this in-room convenience, there was no need to get dressed to go to the hotel restaurant, lobby bar or grab-and-go counter, or even make a call to room service to satisfy a craving. Yet in recent years, this once-prized hotel amenity has come under fire. A recent CNBC feature, which has been widely circulated in hospitality circles, labeled the minibar a “dying breed,” portraying it as a relic of hospitality’s past. The reporter makes a case that most minibars are overpriced, underused and expensive to maintain.

Artificial Intelligence-Driven Personalization in Restaurant Guest Experiences

Artificial intelligence is fundamentally transforming the restaurant industry, with personalization emerging as perhaps one of the most significant developments. Unlike basic personalization that might simply remember a customer’s name or birthday, Artificial intelligence-driven personalization leverages advanced algorithms, machine learning, and large datasets to anticipate needs, personalize offerings, and create seamless experiences uniquely crafted for each individual. As reported by Statista the global food service market, valued at $2.52 trillion in 2021 and projected to reach $4.43 trillion by 2028, is increasingly embracing these technologies. So how will AI-driven personalization in restaurants reshape guest experiences over the next five years? What are the current applications, emerging trends, technological elements, and implications for businesses and consumers?

The Growing Need for Food Allergy Compliance in Restaurants

Approximately five years ago, when my daughter was just two years old, we confirmed through allergist testing that she had multiple severe food allergies—cashews, pistachios, sesame seeds, peas, and lentils. While some of these would result in immediate and intense gastrointestinal distress, others carried a much graver risk: anaphylaxis.

In-Room Herbal Tea Is the Most Effective Cost-Per-Unit Wellness Amenity

Executive summary: Coffee and tea service, specifically herbal tea, as an in-room wellness amenity represents an area where there’s a strong opportunity for hotels to improve their presentation. This guestroom feature is easily accessible for all hotel categories due to low per-unit costs and scalable due to minimal labor inputs, thus representing a great entry to the wellness market. A hotel’s tea presentation cannot exist in isolation, though, and is best approached as part of a concerted effort to enhance the room’s wellness branding through a cluster of sleep or health-focused amenities.

EHL Innovation Rewind: Anderson Yang on Innovation, Heritage, and the Power of Community

At the EHL Open Innovation Summit in Lausanne, we spoke with Anderson Yang, EAM to the General Manager’s Office at Yun Ding Food & Beverage Co. Ltd, about how artificial intelligence is shaping the future of hospitality, how innovation can thrive when rooted in tradition, and why building genuine community through storytelling is more powerful than conventional marketing in today’s evolving landscape.

The Debut of Appellation as an Immersive Culinary Hotel Brand

For hotel brands near the top of the chain-scale, the requirement for creating meaningful experiences that embrace ‘sense of place’ becomes essential. In the constant pursuit of business growth, offering incredible and ‘peak’ experiences becomes essential for driving ADR and ancillary spend. This is what we call the ‘reason to visit’, inspiring word-of-mouth, boosting occupancy rating, and enhancing overall value in various ways.

The Ultimate Guide to Sous Vide Equipment [for Professional Chefs]

A high-quality sous vide machine is the foundation of precise, reliable sous-vide cooking in any professional kitchen. Whether you're managing a high-volume restaurant or refining your approach to modern gastronomy, selecting the right sous vide equipment is key to achieving consistent texture, precise doneness, and efficient workflow.

8 Common Sous Vide Mistakes [And How To Fix Them]

Sous-vide cooking has redefined precision in professional kitchens. By controlling temperature with unmatched accuracy, this technique ensures that proteins, vegetables, and even delicate ingredients reach their ideal texture without risk of overcooking or drying out. It has become an essential skill for chefs who seek consistency, efficiency, and enhanced flavor retention.

Food & Beverage Innovation: Trending Creativity and Sustainability

F&B is an ever-evolving sector and, in recent years, has been both proactive and reactive to changes in the social and business landscape of the nation. F&B industry operators are steadily evolving, driven by changing consumer preferences and global influences. The pandemic prompted fast action for many operations just to survive. In a high-speed world of change, the F&B sector has become increasingly innovative, as evidenced by its products, service, safety, and technology operations. This discussion will review creative ideas and a variety of trends in innovation and consumer demand for F&B.

Feedback Loops, Happiness, and Hospitality

One of the most incredible things about working in hospitality is the instant feedback loop. I’ve worked across e-commerce, tech, consumer goods, and B2B services, and in every one of those sectors, there was always a goal to make customers happier. But nowhere have I found the kind of rapid, tangible cause-and-effect loop that exists in hospitality.

How open innovation is shaping the future of food

In a world shaped by unprecedented technological advancement, the hospitality sector finds itself at a fascinating intersection of tradition and transformation. At this crossroads, the food system – a sector shaped by human connection and culture – is undergoing a revolution of its own. As AI, climate change and shifting consumer values redefine the rules of engagement, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the transformation we need will not come from isolated breakthroughs, but from radical collaboration.