A Canadian ice palace welcomes visitors virtually, hotels repurpose guestrooms for private dining experiences, and the 17th annual HD Awards are now accepting project and product submissions. All that and more in this week’s Five on Friday.
Outdoor dining reveals disparities between communities
The Greens at Pier 17; photo by Fred Marcus Studio on behalf of the Howard Hughes Corporation
As New York continues to try to shore up its restaurant scene with creative outdoor concepts during COVID-19, it has become clear that design matters, even in makeshift dining huts. A report from Bon Appetit investigates the disparity between what’s working and what’s not—from string lights and artificial turf to the frequency of street cleaning in different enclaves. The food and entertaining magazine also found that restaurants run by Black and brown people that are located in less affluent neighborhoods are disproportionately suffering, partly because of the lack the infrastructure and access to design resources. For instance, in the 10014 zip code, which spans Manhattan’s 73 percent white Greenwich Village, an estimated 64 percent of restaurants are open for outdoor dining; however, in Crown Heights’ 11213 zip code—a majority Black community—only 16 percent of restaurants are open for outdoor dining.
Quebec’s Hôtel de Glace offers virtual tours
Photo by Matthew Paulson/Flickr
As the only hotel in North America made from snow and ice, there’s a natural timer on how long Quebec’s Hôtel de Glace can stay open for the season. With the border between Canada and the United States closed at least through February 21st, Travel + Leisure reports that a 3D virtual tour experience has been developed so curious Americans don’t miss out on the property’s themed rooms. The idea for the ice hotel was first conceived in 1996 by entrepreneur Jacques Desbois, and the final product features 40,000 tons of snow.
Empty hotel rooms transform into private dining suites
The exterior of Hewing Hotel; photo by Meet Minneapolis/Flickr
As the pandemic continues, hotels are introducing workarounds to help solve their indoor dining problem. In Boston, the Eliot Hotel’s restaurant Uni is serving an a la carte menu in the hotel’s suites, safely away from other diners. And, according to Eater, such features are becoming a trend. Kansas City’s Crossroads Hotel is offering an overnight stay with patrons’ meal, while the rooms at Hewing Hotel in Minneapolis play videos describing each course of the meal. At both properties, only one party is permitted per room each night, to allow for deep cleaning after the fact.
U.S. Department of Transportation puts new airline policies in place
Photo by Orna Wachman from Pixabay
Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Transportation amended a number of airline polices that will, in turn, enhance passengers’ travel experiences. The new rules will now prevent airlines from removing ticketed passengers who have already boarded an overbooked flight, reports the New York Times. Moreover, the maximum compensation paid to passengers who are bumped from their flights has increased, and airlines must now include a cash offer—rather than travel vouchers or mileage—as incentive for passengers to volunteer to take another flight.
Submit to the 17th annual HD Awards!
Hospitality Design is now accepting project and product entries for the 17th annual HD Awards. Eligible entries must have debuted between December 1st, 2019 and March 1st, 2021. The awards’ project and product categories have expanded this year with the newly added New Brand Launch and COVID-19 Solutions, respectively. The deadline for submissions is March 10th. In addition, the third annual HD/West Elm Student Product Design Competition is also accepting submissions now through April 5th. All winners and finalists will be featured in the magazine’s June/July issue, and celebrated on June 8th at a ceremony in New York. For more information and to submit, visit hospitalitydesignawards.com.
