Why These 3 Award-Winning Hotel Restaurants Matter More Than Ever to Your Clients
As travelers increasingly build itineraries around dining, top hotels are meeting them at the table.
Photo: Courtesy of Four Seasons
For today’s luxury traveler, a great hotel isn’t just a place to rest: It’s a reason to go. And this year’s World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, released on Thursday, underscores that point with three standout inclusions: Sézanne at Four Seasons Tokyo Marunouchi (No. 7), Plénitude at Cheval Blanc Paris (No. 14), and Trèsind Studio at the St. Regis Dubai, The Palm (No. 27). Each one combines world-class gastronomy with immersive, destination-driven hospitality—and each one is redefining what it means to “dine in.”
This shift has become a revenue opportunity more than just a culinary trend. According to a survey conducted by OpenTable, 72% of travelers dine out for every meal while on the road, and 75% of Americans say food is a central part of their travel experience. Among millennials, 88% have planned vacations around culinary activities. Whether it’s a globe-trotting gourmand or a wellness-seeking foodie, dining is now one of the most powerful emotional drivers behind luxury travel decisions.
For travel advisors, that makes world-class restaurants like Sézanne, Plénitude, and Trèsind essential selling points. At Sézanne, Chef Daniel Calvert’s elegant neo-French tasting menu—inflected with Japanese ingredients like Saga saffron and fugu—unfolds with skyline views and a Champagne list to match. In Paris, Plénitude delivers sensory theatre through Chef Arnaud Donckele’s sauce-led cuisine and Maxime Frédéric’s award-winning pastries, all within the historic Cheval Blanc Paris. Trèsind Studio, named the best restaurant in the Middle East, offers a transportive, multi-room experience inspired by the phrase atithi devo bhava (“the guest is god”), blending Indian culinary heritage with high-concept storytelling.
These restaurants not only elevate the hotels in which they sit, but they also extend the guest experience beyond the room, giving advisors a powerful tool to attract culinary travelers, justify premium rates, and drive longer stays. Whether you’re planning a romantic escape, a culture-heavy city break, or a multi-generational itinerary, weaving in these award-winning dining experiences can transform a booking into a journey your client will never forget.
As you build your clients’ next great escape, don’t overlook the table—it just might be the reason they go at all.
