Skift Take
Hotel brands across the board are improving their food and beverage options to meet the expectations of an increasingly healthy, or at least wanting to appear healthy, guest base. EVEN takes it one step further by branding everything around health and the effect of its emphasis is yet to be determined.
Goji berry granola, kale salad, and paleo dinners are something that most travelers wouldn’t consider eating five years ago.
Today, they’re being celebrated as the perks that come with staying at InterContinental’s new health-conscious brand EVEN.
The brand, whose first two properties are set to open this month in Connecticut and Maryland, created a new food and beverage platform, Cork & Kale, aimed at meeting the needs of today’s business travelers’ increasingly specialized diets.
The company claims the custom dishes were vetted by chefs, culinary nutritionists and a scientific committee of nutrition and health experts to make sure each dish was indeed healthy and tasty.
The concept includes a mix of freshly prepared food and grab-and-go items. Guests will also be able to pre-order meals before 9 pm and pick up their breakfast or lunch the next morning.
The hotel’s staff members will be trained on which items contain super foods, which are calming, and which boost brain power in order to tout the benefits to guests.
For those guests that like their kale with a cocktail, the bar offers “natural mixers” and “organic spirits.”
“We created Cork & Kale based on the idea that whether guests…should have access to good-for-you choices made with simple and natural ingredients that also taste great,” said Adam Glickman, head of EVEN Hotels said in a statement.
“We designed our food and beverage offering to better meet the needs of wellness-minded travelers by consistently offering them tastes and products they are familiar with and trust in a slightly more elevated way than they might enjoy at home.”
Have a confidential tip for Skift? Get in touch
Tags: food and drink, health
Photo credit: A food photo shared on EVEN Hotel's Facebook page to highlight the healthy cuisine available at the brand. EVEN Hotels / Facebook