Cheers Winter 2024 | Page 12

Overall Winner

Hilton Hotels & Resorts

Hilton For The Win

Presenting the 2024 Cheers BevX Award Winners

Overall Winner : Hilton Hotels & Resorts p . 12
Single-Concept Restaurant Beverage Program :
Maggiano ’ s Little Italy p . 14
Single-Concept Hospitality Beverage Program : Tempo by Hilton p . 15
Multi-Concept Hospitality Beverage Program : Hyatt Hotels p . 16
Innovative Independents : Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar p . 17 Xiquita Restaurante y Bar p . 18
Beverage Training Provider : Adventure Wine p . 19
Raising the Bar Award : Alex Jump p . 19
A massive global hotel chain founded more than 100 years ago doesn ’ t exactly sound like a hot spot for drinks . Yet Hilton Hotels & Resorts takes beverage seriously . Its more recent program spotlights current trends and seasonality , among other factors , and has earned Hilton the Best Overall Award this year .
Hilton designed the beverage program to help the properties bring each of their food and beverage venues to life by featuring products that help tell the story of the concept . With more than 8,300 properties , how does the company manage this ?
It uses a three-tier beverage program unique to the hotel brands and guests the company serves : Luxury , Full-Service , DoubleTree / Embassy Suites . Luxury encompasses the Waldorf Astoria , Conrad , Curio and Signia properties , while the Full-Service tier encompasses Hilton , Tapestry , Tempo and Canopy properties . Within the same hotel brand , each property has a unique restaurant and / or bar concept , often multiple within the same property .
In developing the beverage program every two years , Hilton takes into consideration guest demographics and overlapping trends ; brand messaging ; diversity and inclusion ; all relevant beverage categories and business metrics / goals . Each program focuses on four key venues : Bars , Restaurants , Grab & Go and Catering & Events .
DRINKS WITH A SENSE OF PLACE
Cocktail programs for Luxury and Full-Service allow for property selection and flexibility , with drink menus adapted to the needs of the guests within each property venue and location / market while also maintaining the property ’ s brand . Hilton took steps in 2023 to re-engineer its Luxury cocktail program to make these properties a draw for drinks by using locally inspired storytelling to develop beverages unique to each location , providing a sense of place not otherwise accessible .
For example , the cocktail menu at Conrad New York Midtown is based on drinks that reflect local neighborhoods , such as the Highline Sour , which takes inspiration from the High Line park built on a former freight rail
The Margarita Royale , created in collaboration with New York cocktail bar Dante .
12 Cheers • Winter 2024 www . cheersonline . com