How to Unlock the Power of Your Hotel's F&B

The most forward-thinking hotels today are shaped around their food and drink. 

In many ways, F&B sets the social rhythm of a hotel. It encourages travellers to spend more time on property, draws in locals and defines the overall brand experience. 

Far more than a cost centre, thoughtfully designed hotel restaurants, bars, cafés and other F&B formats can create the energy that defines a destination, becoming the thing people talk about, return to and associate with the spirit of the hotel itself.  

Tip 1: Treat F&B as A Value Generator  

Across global markets, F&B typically accounts for 20–40% of total hotel revenue yet many operators underestimate its broader potential. When managed strategically, F&B can become a powerful lever for both near-term profitability and long-term asset growth. 

To unlock this potential, treat your F&B operation as a high-performance business unit.  

• Approach each of your property's outlets with the same rigour as an independent restaurant, complete with dedicated leadership, performance metrics and business strategy 

• Allocate the resources and processes needed to allow F&B to thrive, from investment in operational talent to dedicated marketing resources that will drive sustained interest and footfall 

• Tighten up procurement and inventory systems to cut waste while maintaining quality 

• Reimagine default or generic offerings such as breakfast buffets and room service so they match the calibre and experience standards of the rest of your property 

Even small improvements can make a difference. In one CBRE study, a 1% increase in F&B profitability boosted hotel value by $136,000.   

With disciplined cost control, gains of 5% or more are well within reach, transforming F&B from what is too often seen as a support function into a strategic asset.  

“The hospitality industry has undergone a transformative shift, with Food & Beverage (F&B) evolving from a secondary amenity to a primary attraction for guests. High-quality and diverse F&B offerings have become central to the guest experience, providing hotels with opportunities to differentiate themselves in an increasingly competitive market.”

— Simon Wright, Founder & Chairman, TGP International 

Learn More About the Strategic Role of F&B in Hotels 

Tip 2: Embed Dining Deeply into the Guest Experience 

F&B is often the deciding factor in hotel and destination choice for guest. In Hilton’s 2024 Travel Trends, 82% of travellers said they prioritise high-quality restaurants when booking hotels.  

Similarly, Skift reports that 70% actively consider F&B offerings in their booking decisions. And for younger travellers, this pull is even stronger with 74% of Millennials and 71% of Gen Z viewing dining as a core part of their travel experience (Accor x Skift, 2025). 

To capitalise on this shift, hotels should weave distinctive culinary experiences throughout the guest journey. This means moving beyond standard offerings and delivering F&B that is both meaningful and memorable: 

• Anchor your F&B concept in a strong identity, delivering consistent brand storytelling across design, interiors, menu and service to create emotional resonance with guests and locals. 

• Design participatory dining experiences, from chef’s tables to pop‑ups, that feel purposefully curated and offer memorable narratives 

• Reimagine the classic hotel minibar with curated, local treats that reflect the destination’s personality 

Dining sets the tone for how guests engage with your property from first impression to final checkout. Done well, this is the thing people go away and talk about and the reason for their friends and family to visit.  

"Food defines the stay. Guests now organise their travel around culinary experiences and hotels that understand this consistently earn long-term loyalty."   

— Yasmijn Baas, Brand Development Consultant  

Tip 3: Build Loyalty Through Distinctive and Localised Dining 

Loyalty is more than points and perks. Emotional loyalty is built through connection, storytelling and experience. And great hotel F&B offers a unique way to deliver all three. 

According to SiteMinder (2025), 86% of travellers say a memorable dining experience influences their decision to return to a destination. For hotels, this makes F&B a powerful tool not only for revenue, but for retention and brand affinity.  

• Create continuity across multiple touch points, offering meaningful F&B experiences throughout the guest journey. 

• Think of loyalty as a relationship, not a programme by rewarding emotional investment with exclusivity, insider access and experiences such as hidden menus, chef meet-and-greets, or priority bookings 

• Create signature menus and dishes that become synonymous with the property and spark word-of-mouth 

• Develop concepts and brands with genuine local relevance to ensure steady footfall, richer feedback loops and grassroots advocacy 

Hotels that embrace distinctive, localised dining concepts are better positioned to build lasting relationships with both travellers and local residents. In many cases, locals not only return more frequently than hotel guests. They’re also more likely to bring others with them, driving organic growth through word-of-mouth. 

The strongest performers create spaces and experiences that locals embrace, becoming part of their daily lives, routines and celebrations.  

Hotel guests are no longer a captive audience for hotel restaurants and are easily swayed into choosing alternative dining places near their accommodation. Hotel restaurants, bars, cafes and other F&B need to adjust their position in the market and expand their target customer segments, including local communities. 

— Kerim Basaran, Regional Director – Central Europe 

Tip 4: Use F&B to Differentiate Your Brand, Marketing and PR 

Today, a hotel’s F&B strategy is one of its most powerful tools for brand elevation and engagement. 

A venue with a story to tell—or several stories in the case of clustered F&B formats that bring together multiple concepts and chefs—are more able to shape perception, spark conversation and build engagement.  

From celebrity chef partnerships to standout signature concepts, exceptional F&B generates PR value that most hotels will find it difficult to match through other property features. 

Synchronising marketing, PR and brand strategy with great F&B can attract media attention, drive social buzz and position hotels as cultural tastemakers within their markets. 

• Give your hotel F&B concept a clear, distinctive personality—generic restaurant brands are difficult to market and rarely gain traction 

• Leverage the existing audiences and reputations of chefs or partner brands placed within your property 

• Dedicate specific resources and processes to manage F&B marketing and PR rather than let these valuable assets get deprioritised within the broader hotel communications mix 

• Design venues with standalone appeal, focusing on visibility, accessibility, and how the space engages the wider public and not just in-house guests. 

• Create memorable, buzz-worthy experiences, from chef collaborations and rotating pop-ups to immersive tasting events that keep the offering fresh and media-worthy 

When done right, F&B can become a strategic lever for brand storytelling, guest loyalty and long-term market presence.  

“For hotel brands, F&B is also an unmatched differentiator. Signature restaurants, chef partnerships, and thoughtfully designed concepts generate outsized PR value and social media visibility. They give the brand a voice far beyond the lobby.” 

— Lola Marseguerra, Brand Development & Advisory Consultant . 

Download the 2025 F&B Trends Report 

Maximising the Potential of Hotel F&B  

F&B remains one of the most powerful levers available to hotels today, driving revenue, strengthening guest loyalty and anchoring hotels within their wider community.  

Those who invest in thoughtful, high-impact F&B strategies now aren’t just improving current performance but are embedding long-term commercial resilience for a sector that increasingly needs it. 

If you’re looking to unlock the full potential of your hotel’s F&B offering, whether it’s rethinking your breakfast service, activating underused spaces, or developing a signature concept, we're a team of specialists who would love to help.  

From placing standout brands to optimising what you already have, we work closely with our hospitality partners to elevate experiences, drive performance and future-proof their F&B strategy.