Hong Kong’s hotel restaurants offer ‘experiences’, steep discounts to lure diners put off by Covid-19 restrictions

F&B revenue has plummeted at Hong Kong’s hotels, prompting them to drop their prices and innovate with offerings such as cocktail workshops and special menus

Takeaway services have become more common while some hotels have introduced ‘experience’ packages related to F&B, such as cocktail workshops

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The Nina Hotel in Tsuen Wan has taken a major hit as the popular daily banquets in its Chinese restaurant had to be cancelled. Photo: Winson Wong

Published: 8:30am, 22 Feb 2022

Food and beverage revenue has dropped through the floor at Hong Kong’s hotels, prompting them to come up with innovative services and special discounts to draw customers to their restaurants as a fifth coronavirus outbreak rages.

Weddings and banquets, previously a decent F&B earner, are off the menu amid tight restrictions and an uncertain outlook, said Donald Choi, the CEO of Chinachem Group, a developer that operates hotels in the city.

He said the company’s Nina Hotel Tsuen Wan West had taken a major hit as its popular banquets had to be cancelled.

“The present situation is unprecedented,” said Choi.

“The Nina Hotel in Tsuen Wan does not have a lot of F&B, with only one Chinese restaurant and one Western. In this case, the impact is big. We lost half the business.

“Now that it has to close at night, banquets cannot be held. Our ballrooms also lost all the weddings and large banquets. Actually, you can say there is virtually no business.”

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