Sleep tourism is on the rise, Black chefs and restaurateurs are reframing New Orleans dining, and HD Expo + Conference teases details about this year’s show. All that and more in this week’s Five on Friday.
Black chefs shed light on New Orleans’ culinary roots
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A new article from The New York Times examines how Black chefs and restauranteurs in New Orleans are redefining the city’s dining scene. This new generation is delving into New Orleans’ “whitewashed” history to create more authentic concepts that narrate the pivotal role enslaved laborers had in the developing of its cuisine. Chef Serigne Mbaye and his business partner Afua Richardson, for instance, are behind Dakar NOLA, a modern Senegalese restaurant that opened in November. Included within Dakar’s tasting menu is Last Meal, which is inspired by the country’s ndambe dish as well as the stew that was fed to enslaved West Africans before they boarded ships in the U.S. Mbaye shares this story with diners at the start of every meal. “We need to let people know where the food came from,” Mbaye says. “The story isn’t always going to be pleasant.”
Sleep tourism is the latest travel trend
A sleep suite at the Park Hyatt New York
While travel may not always be synonymous with good rest, many hotels and resorts are zeroing in on guests’ sleep experience, according to Condé Nast Traveler. Just take the Park Hyatt New York, located in bustling Midtown Manhattan blocks away from Central Park. The 25-floor hotel unveiled six “sleep suites” last year that feature Bryte mattresses (which control the climate and track a person’s sleep statistics), along with amenities like essential oil diffusers, Nollapelli linens, sleeping masks, and a curated library of books on sleep. Properties like Six Senses Ibiza and the Four Seasons Bali also provide sleep-focused offerings.
Daniel Boulud is bringing Café Boulud back to New York
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Café Boulud, which shuttered in May 2021 after operating for two decades at the Hotel Surrey, will soon make its comeback in New York, Eater reports. The restaurant’s new location, also on the Upper East Side, is expected to open late this year. “It will be a different time, but the same approach,” chef Daniel Boulud says. “It will still be a mix of French and international food, with a lot of seasonality. As always, there will be an emphasis on vegetables, but we will also have French classics.” The reopening will mark Boulud’s 12th restaurant in New York.
Independent hotels continue to compete with big brands
Makeready will open the 198-room Junto hotel this may in Columbus, Ohio
Now more than ever, travelers are looking to experience places in the most genuine way. This shift gives independent hoteliers and hotel groups the opportunity to go head-to-head with hotel giants in many ways, Skift writes. “To create a real strong independent brand, there has to be a strong point of view,” says Christine Magrann, president and chief operating officer of Dallas-based hospitality group Makeready. From hiring processes and giving back to the communities their properties inhabit to enlisting digital marketing strategies and tapping local partners, independent hoteliers get creative and think outside of the box to make welcoming, experience-led environments.
HD Expo reveals 2023 conference schedule
Photo by PWP Studio
With less than three months until HD Expo + Conference kicks off in Las Vegas, the tradeshow has unveiled the conference schedule and topics that will be discussed during the three-day event. Each session will be hosted on the show floor at one of three exciting spaces: the Social Hub, the DesignWell Pavilion, and HD Park (where all CEU-accredited sessions will take place). From HD Idea Exchange: Technology, the Metaverse, and Beyond to HD Workshop: Taking Complexity Out of Sustainability in Guestrooms, this year’s programming will provide insight on where the hospitality industry is headed, including the latest trends and challenges. Check back soon for information on conference speakers and keynotes, and register for #HDExpo2023 today!
