A Rush to Build Hotels Around Food: Minor Hotels Joins Trend

Minor Hotels’ launch on Wednesday of Colbert Collection, a soft brand aimed at independent operators, is the latest example of a push to make food-led hotels a core growth strategy rather than just an amenity.

The Bangkok-based company is also building The Wolseley Hotels, a hotel brand extension of the iconic London restaurant, which it said earlier this month will open first in New York and then in Dubai.

“[The new brands are] deliberately aligned with a deeper shift in traveller expectations towards experiences that are local, shared, and culturally rooted,” said Ian Di Tullio, chief commercial officer. “Food is perhaps the purest expression of that connection.”

Together, the two brands represent distinct models in a trend that’s speeding up. Hoteliers aim to attract a growing cohort of travelers who choose where to stay based on where they want to eat.

Why It Matters Now

Minor’s new brands are a signal of a broader proxy war for culina