Hotels are shifting to “dinner party vibes.”
Turtle Island
Dinner parties bring people together. Sharing meals with friends and loved ones amid conversation and laughter has always been an integral part of how we connect with one another. Whether it’s a casual or formal event with six or sixty people, a dinner party promotes camaraderie.
By many accounts, 2024 has become the year of the dinner party. Whether it’s Gen-Zers yearning for connection, new dinner party cook books with a cult-like following, or seasoned vets looking for ways to entertain with a bang, one thing has become increasingly clear: hotels want in. Surveys indicate that authentic, meaningful connections are of utmost importance when choosing a destination, and what better way to do it than breaking bread and sharing drinks with fellow travelers (and sometimes locals, too).
Here are several examples of hotels shifting to “dinner party vibes” as part of their food & beverage offerings in 2024 and beyond.
Guests are treated to cooking techniques in clay yabba pots.
Sandals Resorts
A Vincentian Dinner Party in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
At the center of the new Sandals Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is Buccan, a novel, large-format dining concept that uses a Vincentian cooking technique done in clay yabba pots over an open hearth. Reminiscent of family hangouts or ‘river cooks’ where food is cooked over fire & rock (aka “three-stone cooking”), the beloved tradition greets guests who arrive as strangers and leave as friends bonded over soul-stirring food, framed by palm fronds and the crackle of solid fuel burning fires. Throughout two coveted seatings each evening, tables of eight enjoy a delicious family-style dining journey of Vincy staples flowing from fire to table in waves. What ensues is a two-hour journey of dishes flowing from the fire in waves: a fresh watermelon and charred tomato salad, crispy provisions like yucca and breadfruit, yabba pot rice, lamb curry, skewered chicken.
Guests often end the day in celebration via dinner parties.
Contiki
A Dinner Party in a 16th Century Beaujolais Chateau
Contiki, the social travel company for ages 18-35, is no stranger to bringing together groups of travelers that leave as friends. Their exclusive palatial property, 16th century Chateau de Cruix, is nestled in the idyllic Beaujolais wine region and offers a one-of-a-kind dining experience for visitors. After a day spent hiking the surrounding vineyards, enjoying yoga on sweeping lawns, and en plein air painting, guests enjoy large, al fresco family-style meals (with wine, of course), noshing on French staples like regional cheeses, meats, local produce and more. Commonly served dishes include garden vegetable ratatouille with zucchini, tomatoes and eggplant, and the iconic crème brûlée to finish off a meal. Putting the “party” in “dinner party,” guests often end the night in celebration in the gorgeous garden pool or at the iconic Le Cave nightclub on the property.
The property credits dinner parties for their returning guests.
Turtle Island
A Floating Dinner Party in Fiji’s Blue Lagoon
Set on a 500-acre private island on Fiji’s Yasawa archipelago, Turtle Island is one of the most sought-out destinations in the world. A whopping 50% of couples end up returning to Turtle Island, and the property credits their dinner party-style dining as one of the top reasons. With only 28 guests on the island at any time, Turtle Island forgoes a traditional restaurant and offers a communal floating table which moves night-to-night to picturesque locations, from the property’s expansive garden to the top of Mount Ford, and invites all guests to get to know one another at dinner parties. Even honeymooners end up joining the table and remain there for the duration of their stay, making new friends. The Fijian food is inspired by a just-harvested island bounty and local specialties, including Kokoda, consisting of raw fish mixed in a refreshing marinade of citrus, coconut milk and spices, or Lovo, the Pacific island’s take on barbecue.
Guests are invited via invitations for the dinner parties.
Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic
7-Course, Zero-Waste Dinner Party on the High Seas
Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic, a global leader and pioneer of expedition cruising, has debuted invite-only concept dinners aboard their two newest ships, the National Geographic Endurance and National Geographic Resolution. Every guest on the luxury expedition ships are invited at least once per cruise via discreet, hand-delivered postcards to join other travelers in an intimate dining room on the ships’ top decks; at Charlie’s Table (Endurance) and Cook’s Nook (Resolution), for the seven-course concept dinners. Each menu is crafted over 300 hours by the chefs, and showcases a commitment to sustainable practices and a brighter future for the planet. Creativity is on full display, with the culinary team presenting dishes ranging from ‘Kelp Forest Soup’ which highlights the importance of kelp to the marine ecosystem and the ‘Ode to the Bees’ dessert nodding to bees’ significance in the global food ecosystems.
The Dinner Parties offer a bespoke dining experience.
Thompson Savannah
Bespoke Dinner Party Experiences
The Thompson Hotels
The Thompson Hotels brand has launched the 2024 ‘A Taste of Thompson’ Dinner Parties, offering a bespoke dinner party experiences in destinations around the U.S. Guests can assemble groups of up to 20 friends and choose from an array of distinctive offerings to enjoy the end of summer and curate the dinner party of their dreams, with fun-filled experiences. Following the epicurean philosophy of Thompson Savannah’s signature restaurant Fleeting, the Taste of Thompson Party features the season’s best bounty from the local coastal landscape and waterways. Celebrating hyper-local ingredients with your choice of a four-course meal or cocktail party with paired bites, with no two parties alike. As an ode to the quintessential New York City hotel stay, Thompson Central Park New York has curated an epicurean dinner party experience in the comfort of their signature suites. The menu celebrates NYC fare with an elevated spin with each room unfolding a new course, finishing with chef-prepared desserts in bed or a champagne toast in a warm bubble bath.
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Publish date : 2024-08-08 23:54:00
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