Diners are increasingly seeking authenticity and connection across Asia Pacific, excluding China, shows Marriott International’s Future of Food 2027 report.
Demand for genuine local signature dishes is surging, with 95% of surveyed properties identifying this as the biggest trend in their market. At the same time, dining is no longer confined to the traditional restaurant setting. Guests are gathering across bars, lounges and flexible spaces, turning hotels into social and cultural hubs where visitors move fluidly throughout the day.
Key trends include The Spatial Shift, with guests increasingly leaning toward more adaptable, social and experience-led space. Nearly half of the surveyed properties reported a growing demand for casual venues such as lounges, bars and outdoor settings (pictured, Buhi Bar in the Philippines), with emerging concepts embracing 40-60-seat footprints with distinct identities.
. . . Local Advantage
Some of the surveyed properties reported demand for local signature dishes, known as the Local Advantage trend; while 99-Minute Fine Dining replaces four-hour menus with 1.5-2-hour options reported by 58% of properties.
Other report highlights include Eat Well, Eating Your Age, with 97% of properties serving dishes associated with health and longevity. Meanwhile, increased sales of non-alcoholic beverages were reported by 42% of properties surveyed.
Overall, Marriott says Asia Pacific’s F&B landscape is shifting toward authenticity and a regional dining scene that feels less like a global template adaptation and more like a collection of distinctive, culturally rooted experiences. See more HERE.
