Trends We Hope Stay Behind in 2024

Rethinking Influencer Partnerships in Hotels & Restaurants

The influencer culture in hotels and restaurants needs a reevaluation. While some influencers genuinely contribute to an establishment’s visibility and guest experience, many others seem to prioritize freebies over genuine promotion. TikTok food reviewers are often written off as unqualified to do the job of a critic, but nevertheless they wield enormous influence over their followers. Restaurants, meanwhile, are bending both toward and away from the trend, with some cashing in on Instagram-friendly, maximalist branding and others banning influencers altogether. At LEVELS, we are advocates for authenticity in marketing and believe that true popularity stems from exceptional service, culinary excellence, and heartfelt hospitality, not just social media exposure.

Simplifying Cocktail Menus

It's time to bid farewell to overly complex cocktail menus. The trend of simplifying cocktail menus represents a significant shift in the hospitality industry, moving away from the complexity that has come to characterize many modern cocktail offerings. In recent years, the trend towards overly intricate and elaborate cocktail menus has escalated, often featuring a dizzying array of exotic ingredients and elaborate preparation methods. While these menus aim to showcase creativity and expertise, they can inadvertently create a barrier between guests and their enjoyment of the experience. Guests stepping into a bar or restaurant are typically looking for relaxation and entertainment, a chance to unwind and socialize, not to be overwhelmed by a confusing array of choices. They want to relax and be entertained, not earn a botany degree at midnight on a Saturday!

(Photo: Ruka Restobar, USA)

QR Code Menus

While many establishments introduced QR code menus out of necessity during the pandemic, they have now become too common at most restaurants and in our opinion have become a detriment to the guest experience. Call us traditionalists but nothing sucks the life out of an experience more than sitting down to a restaurant or bar with friends then everyone scanning a QR code and getting lost in their phones for an extended period of time. While they may be here to stay, we hope that electronic menus are limited to QSR and fast casual restaurants while finer dining establishments go back to traditional print menus.