Hot hotel in-room trends
Judging by the latest international hotel trends, you don’t need to leave your room to have an amazing stay any more. By James Wilkinson
Housemade ice cream
OK, so the idea of ice cream in rooms is nothing new, and nor is the notion of the product being made in-house in hotels. But a trend we are loving is the huge range of flavours on offer. Hotels at the forefront right now include the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, the Intercontinental Los Angeles Century City and Loews Regency New York. It’s time Australian hotels got a scoop of the action.
Cocktails in bed
In the mood for an Old Fashioned, but can’t be bothered getting up? Just call room service and the drink shall be delivered fresh from the bar. Some hotels like the Intercontinental Los Angeles Century City have a dedicated cocktail list for room service that pairs up with the in-room menu, while others like QT Sydney and QT Melbourne have a DIY cocktail kit waiting in your room as a welcome amenity.
Watch your own movies
A trend that’s becoming increasingly a standard offering is device mirroring, so you can watch your own movies on a hotel TV rather than your laptop or iphone. Hotels that have set the standard have been the Darling in Sydney and now many Four Seasons Hotels across the world, including in Maui ( see p19). Some hotels require you to download an app, while others also offer it through Apple TV, including the Waldorf Astoria in Berlin.
Locally sourced minibar
Locally sourced produce is the global food-and-beverage theme for hotels at present and increasingly, properties are doing away with the big suppliers to feature local products in mini bars. The recently opened Peppers Kings Square in Perth has an entirely locally sourced mini bar with chocolates from Freemantle, cider from Donnybrook and craft beer from Margaret River.
Fresh flowers daily
Luxury hotels across the globe have always had fresh daily flowers on a grand scale – think the Dorchester and Rosewood in London, the Plaza in New York and Le Meurice in Paris – but many are now also changing the flowers daily in the rooms, even if you are staying for several days. Florists are busy at the markets at 3am sourcing flowers and then supplying them fresh for you a few hours later at no extra charge.