Hotel Restaurants on the Rise

Hotel restaurants are no longer just convenient stops for weary travelers—they’ve become destinations in their own right. Put another way: more and more travelers are choosing where to go and stay based on what they want to eat.

Those are among the conclusions of a recent survey and related research by restaurant booking service OpenTable and travel search engine Kayak. Example: Nearly half of the survey respondents (47%) say they have specifically booked a trip to visit a restaurant, with Kayak data showing a 51% year-over-year increase in the use of its “restaurant” hotel filter, highlighting how travel and dining are becoming increasingly connected.

“Hotel restaurants have become formidable players over the years as hoteliers have recognized the power of serving their guests memorable and locally inspired dining experiences,” said Scott Hudson, OpenTable’s VP of Global Sales & Services. “The hotel restaurants we have on OpenTable are not just attractive to the 60% of diners that use us while on the road – but many are equally as popular among locals too.”

In a similar vein, Kayak Chief Communications Officer Kate Williams says, “Great dining experiences are an essential part of today’s travel itineraries and hotels are rising to the occasion.”

That said, which hotel restaurants are worth treating as a destination? To answer that question, OpenTable and Kayak teamed to compile their first-ever list of the Top 100 Hotel Restaurants in America, based on diner insights.

That list includes James Beard Award winner Chef Greg Vernick’s Vernick Fish at a Four Seasons Hotel in Philadelphia, Michelin-starred restaurants like Addison by William Bradley at the Fairmont Grand del Mar in San Diego and neighborhood favorites like The Lawn Terrace at the Castle Hill Inn in Newport, R.I.

Most such eateries have sophisticated designs to complement their menus. That’s evident if you click here for access to the list of all 100 restaurants, many of which are accompanied by an image of their environments.