In an exclusive interview with Helen Haider, Marketing Director at LUQEL, we learn about the innovative water dispenser designed to deliver an elevated dining experience with aquatic pairings.
Please introduce us to the brand and what it strives to achieve.
At LUQEL, we are committed to redefining the water experience in the hotel industry. Our innovative water dispenser is designed to deliver 30 sommelier-crafted mineralised water recipes, all sourced from a mains-fed supply. With LUQEL, there’s no need to purchase bottles of mineral water from around the world, saving both costs and the environment.
Our state-of-the-art system also utilises a reverse osmosis filter that surpasses ordinary dispensers and hot taps. Not only does it remove chlorine, herbicides, and pesticides, but it also eliminates micro and nano-impurities, including heavy metals, bacteria, viruses, and nano-plastics.
The result? Impeccably clean water with a consistent base taste, 30 water recipes, with adjustable temperature ranging from 4°C to 95°C, and adjustable carbonation.
How does the LUQEL Water system elevate the overall guest experience?
LUQEL looked at what was needed to improve the water experience for hotel guests. Top of the list was the need for variety but without the carbon footprint. The ability to control water temperature despite the external weather was important, as was a way to match water with different food and drink pairings, or for different events, and activities.
There are water recipes that are aimed at a spa guest’s enjoyment and health. The NATURAL BEAUTY recipe is a low mineralised water with a smooth clean taste to encourage hydration.
For gym guests, there is a water called RUNNER’S HEAVEN with a balanced mix of magnesium, potassium and chloride to support the body after an endurance run.
For conference guests, LUQEL sommeliers have designed waters that support a person’s energy levels and hydration. KICK START, a magnesium-rich water gets a meeting off to a great start.
A restaurant guest can now explore a water menu that can be paired with food. SWEET & SALTY is the perfect dessert accompaniment. The slightly salty finish balances the sweetness of a dessert.
In the bar, your guest can choose a water that works perfectly with their glass of whisky or wine. Whisky needs very low mineralised water to allow the aromatics to come through, whereas white wine needs more sulphates and magnesium to balance the acids.
The LUQEL tea waters not only allows the subtle flavours of green tea, oolong tea, or fruit infusions to shine, but the water also improves the clarity of the tea.
With the low and no category rising, please can you tell us about how LUQEL Water works to elevate the non-alcoholic drink experience.
Drinking water is having a renaissance and guests now want more choices than ever, but this means that hotels need to cater for a range of tastes and choices, which makes purchasing, stocking and cooling of water a costly operation, then of course is the recycling and concern on sustainability, which is why LUQEL was created, to give cleanliness, taste and choice without the sustainability issues. How do we create taste and elevate what is essentially tap water?
We can change the taste of water by:
- Changing the temperature. If you drink a glass of chilled water (<15 o C) with your meal sweet, savoury, and bitter tastes will be weaker. However, if you have room-temperature water (15-35 o C), sweet, savoury and bitter flavours will be amplified.
- Adding carbonation creates more acidic water, which often comes through as a citric taste.
- Changing the mineral composition can alter the taste of water. Sodium and chloride add a saltiness to the water, magnesium delivers sweetness, sulphate gives bitter undertones, hydrogen carbonate neutralises acid and calcium can give a drier mouth feel.
- Increasing the mineral dosage, heavier mineralisation gives a heavy mouth feel.
- Since we carbonate at 4 o C we can get higher levels of carbonation into our water, but we enable you to choose low, medium or high carbonation to taste. We are also proud that our bubbles are smaller than most mineral waters. They are similar to the bubbles in champagne in size and liveliness.
As the issue of sustainability continues to grow, how does LUQEL Water work in line with positive sustainable initiatives?
Guests select bottled mineral waters that align with their taste preferences, and that relate to their sense of identity. Switching to tap water as a more sustainable alternative would mean compromising on taste, choice and personality. Guests would not pay for standard tap water, nor would they drink it for fear of what impurities are in the tap water.
With LUQEL, you can preserve that taste experience and choice for people. The system can replicate around 80% of bottled mineral waters. We have 30 mineralised water recipes that cater for all tastes. This means a hotel can reduce not only purchasing, transporting, storing and recycling bottles of mineral water, which aids their sustainability objectives, but they can also offer a more personalised experience.
How can our readers work with you?
Experience the difference that LUQEL offers for your business with a LUQEL Water Station.
Call our team to:
- Book a tasting experience in one of our showrooms
- Discuss pre-set recipes, bottling needs and speed of dispense.
- Look at payment options.
- Visit luqel-water.com
