Choose the format of your bar: at the hotel

A hotel bar is an interesting format for cooperation between a bar and a hotel. Such a bar, as a rule, is located in an isolated hotel room, it is not an ordinary lobby bar located at the reception, where you can drink whiskey and soda or a simple aperitif, but an excellent institution with a bar manager and a quality cocktail list.

Until the 50s of the 20th century, a restaurant in a hotel was a secondary source of income, and often it even became a burden for the hotel owner. Hotel guests preferred to have lunch and dinner outside the hotel, because the food in the restaurants at the hotels was considered not of the best quality. But as the occupancy of hotels decreased and competition among them increased, the role of restaurants and bars at hotels began to increase. The establishments in the hotels have become more luxurious and there are already several places in one hotel – there is a restaurant, and sometimes even 2 or 3, and a bar, and a cafe!

In the last 5 years there have been huge changes in the bar and hotel segment. Only now hotel companies have begun to understand the huge potential that lies in bars, they have begun to realize that it is not only necessary to have a bar in a hotel, because this is what a decent and self-respecting hotel should have, but also brings enormous income! Alex Kratena, bar manager of the Artesian bar at the Langham Hotel in London, is sure. “Now we are seeing an interesting trend, not only hotels “make a name” for bars, but bars as such become a mecca for tourists and guests, sometimes the bar itself can “promote” the hotel. What would the Savoy be without the American Bar, the Connaught without its bar, or the Langham without the Artesian?

Now hotel bars are becoming the highlight of the latter, one might even say “hook” for visitors, many, for example, will choose a bar with a panoramic view, such as, for example, one of the highest bars in the capital City Space Bar and Lounge on the 34th floor “Swiss” of the hotel or “Conservatory” bar on the roof of “Ararat Park Hyatt” overlooking the historical center. When choosing a hotel, many tourists pay attention not only to the location, star rating, service, but also to the availability of bars. CNN TV channel has been compiling lists of the best hotel bars in the world for several years now!

It is worth noting that hotel bars have undeniable advantages. The hotel niche is the most stable and promising segment of the HoReCa market.

The main advantage of the bar at the hotel is the absence of fees for utilities and rental of premises, as a rule, these costs are borne by the hotel itself. The hotel has its own laundry, its own cleaning and transport – everything that worries the owner of an ordinary bar so much and is a huge expense item, simply does not exist in bars located in hotels. It is extremely profitable for the hotel itself to maintain a bar: the sale of drinks makes much more profit than the sale of food.

Although rare, it also happens that the bar at the hotel is rented to some professional bar manager with all the equipment, and the lease agreement stipulates the conditions necessary to meet the needs of hotel guests.

And if a bar exists at a hotel that is part of some worldwide network, then it has access to all the managerial and technological know-how of this “family”. In addition, hotel chains are spreading bar culture around the world faster, gradually involving new countries.

Here’s another benefit Giulio Amodio, head bartender at the Tang Bar at London’s Dorchester Hotel, says bartenders and bar managers at hotel bars have: “When I work in a big city like London, every day I I meet people from different countries and it gives me the feeling that I am in the center of the world. And our conversation at the bar gives me an idea of ​​​​the tastes, traditions, and maybe habits of different countries – I travel around the world without leaving the bar!

It seems that a hotel bar is easier to manage than a single establishment. For example, the flow of guests in such a bar can be predicted with high accuracy based on knowledge of basic information about the hotel guests and the location of the hotel. Luxury hotels are usually located in the center, so accessibility to the public is never a problem.

Experts say that a separate entrance to a hotel bar or restaurant is very important, but practice shows that a separate entrance is completely unnecessary, and sometimes even impossible, if the bar is located on the roof of hotels, like O2 Lounge and City Space, a separate entrance is simply not real, the only way up is a shared hotel elevator.

But the disadvantages cannot be avoided in this format.

According to Alex Kratena, the disadvantages of large hotel corporations include their “bureaucratization” and overly complex management structure, despite the fact that the market is quite elastic, it will take time to restructure these “monsters”. For example, in order to sign a contract with some alcohol brand, you will first need to convince the manager responsible for food and drinks in the hotel, and all other bars and restaurants that are in the hotel.

In fact, the culture of hotel bars is still very undeveloped and this is also a disadvantage of the format. The lack of such bars in Italy prompted Giulio to travel, which is why he ended up in London.

The main feature of the format is a grandiose PR, which receives both the hotel (to a greater extent) and the bar itself. And if you look into history, we will see that most classic cocktails were born precisely at hotels, take at least: Singapore Sling from the Raffles Hotel, Old Fashion from the Waldorf Astoria in Manhattan, White Lady from the Savoy in London or Margarita from the Tijuana Hotel in Tijuana. Now, drinking a classic cocktail in a bar, no, no, and some legendary hotel will pop up in your memory.

Another feature of hotel bars is the requirements for staff. All bartenders and waiters must know English, because this not only allows them to communicate with guests, but also emphasizes their status! In addition to the language, the appearance of the staff is also very important, in the same “City Space Bar and Lounge” all bartenders look like Kens – well-groomed, combed, beautiful, in a word, perfect.

Alex Kratena: “Modern hotel bars are a trend in itself, 10 years ago hardly anyone could have imagined that such bars would be able to adequately prepare classic cocktails, have their own signature ones, that you could find at least 3 varieties in a hotel bar whiskey and what to order there will be anything from gin to rum! The success of Artezian lies in the team, in people who work every day and every night, sleep for 2 hours, then come back here again for training or for a photo shoot, who travel the world in their free time, but never forget about work. We work always and everywhere for our guests!”

Giulio Amodio: “The success of the China Tang bar came along with the “star” visitors, but the bar team also played a huge role. Most of us have been working together for many years – we are a very strong and close-knit team! Each of us has his own charisma and peculiarity, which is why our team is unique! In addition, the prestige and status of the hotel, guests and service play an important role.”

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