The hospitality is an ever-changing and ever-evolving industry, with new ideas, concepts and developments arriving every year. And 2019 is no exception, with new trends popping up all over the place in restaurants, bars and cafes.

Have you tried any of these themes or trends in your business yet?

Sustainability

One of the most important trends of 2019 has to be building a sustainable business, which is both beneficial to the company owner and the environment. Restaurants, cafes, bars and pubs that replace aspects of their service for eco-friendlier ones will find they attract good attention from customers. For example, one of the main duties hospitality businesses have been carrying out is looking at ways to reduce their plastic usage. This includes replacing plastic straws with paper ones, and plastic, disposable cups with ones that biodegrade instead.

Hospitality businesses also have been switching to LED lighting and incorporating more greenery into their working environment. Looking at ways to reduce both the customer’s and the business’s carbon footprint is at the forefront of the sustainability trend.

New Technology

As with every year, new and bold technology embraces the hospitality world, and 2019 is no different. Businesses, like hotels, have been looking at ways to incorporate augmented and virtual reality technology into the daily running of their company to make their guests’ experiences with the place more interactive. For example, businesses in the hospitality industry can use AR to show a potential customer their room, the hotel, the features of the place and the surrounding area. This means the guest will know exactly what to expect when they arrive, avoiding any confusion or disappointment.

Locality

People travel to experience something new, and that’s where this trend takes its concepts from. Travellers want a new experience and to eat or spend time somewhere that’s different to their usual diet or routine. That’s why hotels, restaurants and bars have been focused on creating an authentic local experience in their businesses. This could involve local food and drinks being served traditionally, or embellishments that make the restaurant or hotel feel as if the city is in a microcosm world. It could even involve hosting activities that take place locally, but right in your business’s backyard.

Back to Basics

According to Trivago, a big trend for 2019 for businesses in the hospitality industry is utilising simple and home-like amenities. A basic way to attract travellers is to create a home from home with simple features that guests can benefit from. These could include a coffee machine, a library of books (or even a few on a shelf), tea ready to be brewed and even a batch of cookies or cakes made fresh!

Personalisation

2019 is the year guests want to be treated more like individuals, than just another name or number in the book. This could be as simple as hospitality workers remembering the name of a returning customer and having their order ready. Alternatively, the trend can be more complex, with hotel workers knowing the exact location of a guest (through GPS technology and data from the booking) and greeting them personally on arrival.