#329: How To Develop a Successful Hotel Food & Beverage Program | with Ami Alexander

What does it take to create a hotel food and beverage program that guests remember, and locals actually want to visit? In this episode, David Millili and Steve Carran sit down with Ami Alexander, Managing Partner at Barrel Aged Management, to explore the evolving role of food and beverage in hospitality. Ami shares lessons from her career with Hakkasan, Sydell Group, and Montage International, including the challenges of opening luxury restaurants around the world and leading a major restaurant launch in Dubai. Ami discusses why today's travelers are increasingly drawn to authenticity, local experiences, strong restaurant concepts, and a sense of place. She explains how hotels can create F&B programs that connect with their communities while maintaining a consistent brand identity across different markets. The conversation also covers the financial pressures facing hotel F&B operations, smarter restaurant design and programming, membership clubs, emerging hotel development markets, and ways hospitality teams can continually reinvent their spaces. Ami also shares practical advice for hoteliers, including how to evaluate existing spaces with fresh eyes, create memorable guest experiences, hire for personality and hospitality, and avoid watering down a restaurant concept. In this episode, you'll hear about: The evolution of hotel food and beverage experiences Why local authenticity matters to today's travelers How hotels can attract both travelers and local guests Why hospitality teams should hire for personality and character Lessons from Ami's career opening luxury hotels and restaurants worldwide Watch the FULL EPISODE on YouTube: https://youtu.be/HnEO4pIKZnM Links: Ami on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ami-grilly-alexander-a6989a1a/ Barrel Aged Management: https://www.barrelagedmgmt.com/ For full show notes head to: https://themodernhotelier.com/episode/329 Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-.. Join the conversation on today's episode on The Modern Hotelier LinkedIn page Connect with Steve and David: Steve: https://www.linkedin.com/in/%F0%9F%8E... David: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-mil.