As summer rolls on, and people enjoy well-earned holidays and getaways - what better time to a deep-dive on all that's new and emerging in the global hotel scene!
Our Hotel 2026 menuwatching report has just gone live on trendhub, and delves into all the things that the world's best hotels and hostelries are doing to make their restaurants, bars, buffets and even poolside cabanas shine!
Three top takeouts from this year's report include:
- Big Kid Vacations – Growing older doesn't need to mean growing up, or that's certainly the message being sent by enterprising operators who are offering a taste – and touch – of childhood in an adult-orientated packaged. From the king size bunk beds to adult-only water slides to adaptogenic s'mores, and much, much more – guests are able to relive their sleepover memories in the comfort of 5-star service!
- Afternoon Cha – Afternoon tea is a firm fixture of many hotels' daily dining options, offering old world charm with a serious dose of sugar to boot. But now an even older, even more traditional form of mid-afternoon pick-me-up is emerging as a contender for its crown: yum cha, the Cantonese custom of taking tea alongside bite-sized dim sum has become part of the dining service across hotels from Melbourne to Madrid, forsaking finger sandwiches and fondant fancies for pot stickers and salted egg tart… with a bottomless serving of the finest tea, of course.
- Butter Up – Forget your crêpe Suzette and tableside tartare, the hottest at-the-table creation being prepared by savvy servers is… butter. The menu mainstay is moving front of house as servers scoop, shape, blend and curl it with theatrical flourish, turning bread's ever-present co-star into the headline act. It's mixed with herbs, truffle and spices, presented as a centrepiece tower or spooned into perfect rocher – all to celebrate the quality on offer and kick off the meal with requisite flair.
Keen to find out more? Check out our full Hotels 2026 report, live on trendhub now.
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