CREATING A DESTINATION
Malcolm Maitland-Walker, Food and Beverage Manager at NYX Hotel London Holborn, discusses the importance of team culture, evolving guest expectations and sensory-led hospitality, while sharing the ambition behind establishing Sabine Holborn as one of London’s standout rooftop destinations.
You oversee the food and beverage operation at NYX Hotel London Holborn. How would you describe your approach to creating memorable dining and drinking experiences for today’s hotel guests?
For me, memorable hospitality is about creating moments that people genuinely remember long after they've left. Great food and drinks are essential, but what truly sets an experience apart is how a guest feels from the moment they walk through the door and the level of consistency they receive.
At NYX Hotel London Holborn, our guests are incredibly diverse. We welcome business travellers, leisure guests, local Londoners and international visitors who are all looking for something slightly different. My approach has always been to create a work environment that is fun and engaging. To me this is key and ultimately sets us up for long-terms success.
I encourage my team to look beyond simply delivering service and instead focus on creating genuine connections. We want guests to feel recognised, looked after and pleasantly surprised. The goal is always for a guest to feel they are the most important ones in the room. We are very fortunate to work in a very competitive industry and as a result we need to regularly review what we are doing, take both the positives and negatives to see what we can do to continue improving.
The expectations of hotel guests continue to evolve. What trends are you currently seeing in food and beverage, and how is NYX Hotel London Holborn adapting to meet those changing demands?
The number of different hotels, restaurants and bars that are now out there are endless. As a result, this means that guests today are far more informed and adventurous than before. This means we to need to evolve because if we don’t, we will ultimately be left behind. The beauty of hospitality is that there is not one way of going about delivering exceptional service, and, as a result, we need to tailor our approach and understand the power of social media. Ultimately what we deliver and how we get it out there needs to evolve and continue to evolve. Naturally the demand out there is for premium cocktails, extensive low and no alcohol options, aesthetically pleasing menus and dishes, whilst also being incredibly tasty. It’s always important for us to remember that working in a hotel, no guest is necessarily going to be joining us for the same reason.
Building and leading a successful hospitality team is a key part of your role. What qualities do you look for in your team members, and how do you foster a culture of excellent service?
I think first and foremost in this day and age, it is incredibly important that as leaders we remain flexible, empathetic and passionate, as I truly believe this plays a pivotal role in leading a successful team. I have always been a big advocate that in this industry it is far easier to teach someone the technical skills required than to teach them to care. Ultimately, we need to truly have an interest in the service that we are providing in order for this to translate to our guests.
I am of the opinion that if we, as leaders, lead by example in both the good and bad times this will undoubtedly provide a positive culture. It is also so important that we take the time to invest in our team - to understand what motivates them, interests they have and where they see skill gaps, so that as leaders we can tailor our leadership style in order to provide them with all the tools to be successful. For further insight into developing strong hospitality teams, read our feature on training for better hospitality.
Sustainability has become an important focus across the hospitality sector. What initiatives have you introduced within the hotel's food and beverage offering to operate more responsibly while maintaining a high-quality guest experience?
Sustainability is no longer a separate initiative and instead it's becoming part of everyday decision making. The focus now is always on how we can reduce waste, be more efficient with it, make more responsible choices and ensure that we are not compromising the guest experience by doing so. Several elements can fall under this, with careful stock management, proper forecasting to ensure food waste is minimised, collaborating with suppliers and making the wider team aware about responsible consumption and recording. Along with our talented kitchen and bar team, we use menu engineering to ensure ingredients are maximised to their fullest. It is always important to keep in mind that we are not asking guests to compromise but for us to be mindful of the impact that we have and how we can find ways to operate better.
You also manage the newly launched Sabine Holborn. Can you tell us about the concept behind the venue, what makes it unique within London's dining scene, and what guests can expect when they visit?
Sabine Holborn was created to be much more than just a rooftop bar. The goal from the very beginning has been to make it a destination. Sitting on the 10 th floor, it offers amazing views across London's skyline, but what really sets it apart is the complete sensory experience. Every element has been carefully considered; from the music, lighting, fragrance, interiors and, of course, the food and beverage offering. For more on London's rooftop dining scene, see our feature on a new rooftop bar and restaurant in Bloomsbury.
The entire team’s focus is to create an atmosphere that is very much aligned with the city we live in that is bold, sophisticated, energetic and luxurious. We continuously work on ensuring the cocktails are elegant and balanced and the food offering follows a sharing concept of small delicious plates that can satisfy every craving. We want guests when joining us at Sabine Holborn to feel like they’ve just discovered one of London’s hidden rooftop gems.
Looking ahead, what are your ambitions for the food and beverage offering at NYX Hotel London Holborn and Sabine Holborn over the next 12 months?
The next 12 months are incredibly exciting here at NYX, specifically within food and beverage. I count myself incredibly fortunate to be leading a department that has not only so much potential for growth but also so much success to look back on. The ambition is to continue establishing Sabine Holborn as one of the area's standout dining and social destinations while further strengthening the food and beverage experience across the hotel. We want to continue collaborating with brands, elevating our offering and further invest in our team. Naturally commercial growth and revenue is ultimately what every business is measured against, nevertheless, we want to continue striving to ensure we are the name on every guest’s mind when they think of a hotel that goes above and beyond. Ultimately, I want NYX London Holborn and Sabine Holborn to be recognised as one of the ultimate destinations within hospitality across London.
