1. ®®
www.hotelsmag.com
THE MAGAZINE OF THE WORLDWIDE HOTEL INDUSTRY DECEMBER 2014
HILTONCOVERSLIFESTYLE
2015FORECAST
PIPELINE:U.S.,CANADA
INDUSTRIAL
CHICAGO:HOUSESOHO
MEETS
GLAM

2. F&B: HealtHy menus
34 HOTELS December2014 www.hotelsmag.com
T
oday’s travelers are more health-
savvy than ever. Rising public aware-
ness of chronic diseases coupled with
growing interest in how diet impacts
health has redoubled many consumers’
dedication to eating healthfully, even on
the road. The intersection of food and
health presents a big opportunity for
hotel F&B programs, but when it comes
to healthful fare, guests are looking for
more than steamed vegetables.
What constitutes “healthful” food var-
ies depending on whom you ask. Some
guests look for low-calorie or low-sugar
options. Others seek dishes that fit into
specialty diets such as gluten-free, paleo
or vegan. Locally sourced, organic and
eco-friendly food with a sense of place
and authenticity increasingly is an essen-
tial component of healthy eating. Guests
want to know where their food comes
from and what it does for their health.
“The ideal of ‘healthy’ means different
things to different people, and we look
at it from a few different perspectives,”
says Fernando Salazar, vice president of
F&B, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts. “To
us, ‘healthy’ certainly means low-carb,
low-sugar and low-fat items; fresh fruits
and vegetables; and vitamin-rich foods.
But ‘healthy’ should also mean utilizing
organic, locally sourced and sustain-
able ingredients whenever possible. A
truly healthy F&B program considers
the entire food cycle — from purveying
to disposal — and how the menu items
affect the environment.”
“[At Kamu Lodge in Laos] we’ve
made healthy, local dishes a priority on
our menu,” says Coralie Vongsouthi,
sales and marketing manager, Apple
Tree Asia. “As an eco-lodge that cel-
ebrates sustainability, we feel that our
menu should reflect those same values.
We are responding to clients’ feedback;
contributed by Erin Sund
KamuLodgeinLaosislookingtostartan
organicgardennextyeartosupplement
healthfuldishessuchasfriedfishwith
cashewnutsandplentyoffreshvegetables.
healthof
HOTELSarEfindingcrEaTivEwaySTO
dELivErnuTriEnT-ricHcuiSinETOariSing
numbErOfHEaLTH-cOnSciOuSguESTS.
Bill

3. F&B: HealtHy menus
www.hotelsmag.com December2014 HOTELS 35
they want more healthy food options.
We hope to start an organic garden
next year to provide even more local,
healthier ingredients.”
Other F&B programs have taken
a more clinical approach to healthy
menus, including the InterContinental
Hong Kong, which launched its ihealth
menu program in 2007 in partnership
with Hong Kong Adventist Hospital.
The menu, which showcases both Asian
and Western dishes, addresses four
global health concerns — heart disease,
diabetes, hypertension and the need for
antioxidants.
“Our team wanted to create some-
thing innovative and to take a different
approach from the traditional taste-
less calorie-counting healthy menus
one usually finds,” says Nicola Canuti,
executive chef at InterContinental
Hong Kong.
Given the multidimensional nature of
healthful eating, some chefs find the idea
of giving an F&B program a nutritious
facelift daunting. However, according to
Kristy Del Coro, senior culinary
nutritionist at SPE Certified, New York, a
culinary certification and consulting pro-
gram, even small changes in the kitchen
can make a big difference to guests.
“Hotels can start by looking at ways
they can integrate more minimally pro-
cessed ingredients across their menus,
either by making more stocks, dress-
ings and sauces from scratch or by
creating more dishes centered around
whole foods,” Del Coro suggests. “I
recommend encouraging chefs to become
more knowledgeable about nutrition and
healthy food from credible sources so
that they can be excited and inspired by
the challenge of creating healthy dishes
that are not lesser in terms of taste.”
“Listen to your customers and learn
what’s ‘hot’ in your community,”
recommends Adrienne de Vore,
director of public relations at the Hyatt
Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles,
which is home to Breeze Restaurant. “We
allow our chefs to experiment and make
their own vegan cheese or ice cream.
The best ideas come from those that live,
breathe and eat it every day. Allow your
team to experiment and listen to
customer feedback. The return has
been great.”
GiventhatWyndhamHotelsandResortsaimsto
uselocallysourcedproducewhereverpossible,
propertiesincludingWestwardLookWyndham
GrandResortandSpainTucson,Arizona,
featureachef’sgarden.
Theihealthprogram
atInterContinental
HongKong,created
inpartnershipwith
HongKongAdventist
Hospital,includes
cheesecakemade
withorganictofu
andsoymilk.

4. F&B: HealtHy menus
36 HOTELS December2014 www.hotelsmag.com
Executive Wellbeing Chef Gabriele Kurz, Talise Wellness, Jumeirah
Group, Dubai, thrives where fine dining meets wellness. With creden-
tials including a Master Hotelier degree from Steigenberger College of
Hotel Management in Germany, a certificate for diabetic and obesity
consultation, and several celebrated vegetarian cookbooks to her
name, Kurz dedicates herself to creative food and beverages that help
guests embrace wellness.
What is Talise Nutrition?
Talise Nutrition is one of the three core pillars of Talise Wellness,
Jumeirah Group’s flagship wellness brand. We offer a general healthier
line in the hotels’ all-day dining restaurants, private dining, banquets
and kids’ offerings, and [specialty dishes] at Talise spas and fitness
facilities made to reset the body to a healthier eating pattern. Talise
Nutrition also offers gusts and clients support with individual meal
plans, nutrition consultations and practical cooking classes.
What are some challenges when implementing healthier F&B programs?
Chefs and service colleagues need to be trained and need to under-
stand and embrace healthy lifestyles themselves. It was difficult in the
past to persuade hoteliers and restaurateurs to add healthy options to
their menus, but … we see a shift towards a healthier lifestyle in our
clientele everywhere. I believe this is a trend that will persist.
What are your priorities when creating a healthier menu?
The base is the quality of ingredients; I choose organic whenever
possible. Variety is key in a menu and gives way to much creativity and
deliciousness. I always try to add a few new things … we introduced
kamut and quinoa when it was not yet popular, and served herbal
macerations at functions next to Champagne.
In the past, a cocktail was
an indulgence and juice
was for kids, but now
juice is all grown up and
cocktails pack a nutrition-
al punch.
Noting the popularity
of fresh juice at local street food stalls, Executive
Chef Giovanni Parrella and his team at The Reverie
Saigon created a “healthy corner” menu section
filled with fresh juice. “Most of the fruits [we use]
are local, fresh, nutrition-centric and energy-
centric,” he says. “Rock melons are believed to
prevent cancer and reduce stress, and oranges and
pineapples energize, reduce cholesterol, rebuild
cells and help the immune system.”
“Weserveallfreshjuices,”saysMichaelReich,
executivechefattheJWMarriottChicago.“Thequal-
itydifferenceisnightandday.Wealsostartedafresh
juiceprogramforbreakfast.Wehaveaselectionof
threejuicesmadefresheachmorningat5a.m.”
Guests also are looking to cocktails to pack
a nutritious punch with ingredients such as gin-
ger, fresh herbs, agave nectar and apple cider.
Sometimes, a healthy cocktail is about more than
its calorie content, and an increasing number of
guests gravitate toward organic and biodynamic
drinks. Vdara Hotel & Spa in Las Vegas recently
debuted a line of organic wines. “We wanted to tie
into some of our core initiatives, including sustain-
ability and being a leader in eco-friendly work
environments,” says Michael Vorsanger, the hotel’s
director of food and beverage.
A
total-nutrition
ApproAch
Q+A
Fresh-squeezed
juicesatJW
MarriottChicago
include“Be
Healthy”with
kale,parsley,
parsnips,red
beetsandbrae-
burnapple.
cheers
togood
health
Chef
Gabriele
Kurz