Hotel restaurant furniture plays a much more important role than simply giving guests somewhere to sit while they eat; it could ultimately be a contributor towards the long-term success of the town or city in which you are based, from urban city break destinations right through to beach resorts in tourist hot-spots.
Writing in the International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research, a team from the National Research University Higher School of Economics in St Petersburg, Russia, describe the results of their study, which looked at hotel restaurants in destinations ranging from St Petersburg itself, to Catalonia and Parma, to Marseille and Munich, and even Lapland.
This broad cross-section of six very different destinations allowed them to draw conclusions about how hotel restaurants can influence 'gastronomic place branding' and the development of a reputation for cuisine in any given locality.
"The authors studied conceptions of hotel restaurants located in these destinations to see how they reflect local gastronomic brands," they write. "For this purpose, restaurant menus, verbal descriptions of interiors and names of establishments were analysed."
As a result of their analysis, they suggest that the contribution of hotel restaurants to gastronomic branding depends on whether or not the establishment is part of a chain, the type of destination - which may include urban or rural settings, warm or cold climates, and so on - and its star rating.
"The authors argue that gastronomic branding raises attractiveness of hotels, their restaurants, and destinations on the whole," they conclude.
Hotel restaurant furniture is an important element in the interior design and in the practical function of your dining area - making it important to choose the best tables and seating not just for your venue, but to support the image of gastronomy across your local area.
This can be as simple as serving more freshly caught seafood in coastal locations, with a dining environment that reflects this style of menu - but hotels face a specific challenge that other restaurants do not.
"Hotel restaurants differ from other actors of gastronomic branding due to the necessity to comply with [the] hotel's conception, brand, and standards," the study asserts, an indication of why your hotel restaurant furniture may be a decision that demands even more than the usual care and attention.