“We are a team of passionate people, and with passion you’re naturally protective of your business, your team, your product,” says Tristan, when asked what defines the F&B community. “Other teams might think we are a little rigid, but in reality we’re always looking for the best solution – for the guest and for the company. Everything comes back to the guest and the experience they will have, so we won’t say yes to something unless we can deliver it at the highest level.”

Echoing Tristan’s sentiment, Eglė adds that meeting such high standards also requires adaptability. “In hospitality, especially food and beverage, things change quickly and often when you least expect them,” she says. “The key is flexibility, keeping an open mind and being creative. Sometimes the changes aren’t what you’d personally choose, but you have to adapt and find the best solution. Our guests expect something unique every time they come through our doors. Even something as simple as serving tea has to meet, and exceed, their expectations. The key is using tradition as our foundation, but adapting it to what guests want.”

As well as listening closely to guests, Tristan believes that the F&B community’s success comes from listening to one another. Since taking on the role in January 2024, he has focused on building strong connections across hotels, ensuring colleagues feel part of one team despite being spread across countries and time zones. To keep best practice moving across borders, he hosts regular calls where chefs, directors and F&B leads share insights and spark new initiatives, with the whole team meeting in person once a year for a week of strategy and team-building. “One thing I’ve been keen to do is share success stories,” Tristan adds. “For example, we took the afternoon tea from The Dorchester to The Beverly Hills Hotel, and it worked so well that it inspired them to make it an all-year-round experience.”

Eglė, who has been in her role since February 2025, points to the SevenRooms champions she trains and supports at each property as another success story. SevenRooms champions use the all-in-one CRM, marketing and operations platform to manage guest experiences, boost sales and build lasting loyalty. “Each hotel has SevenRooms champions who own the system locally, and supporting them so they feel empowered and confident has been really important,” she explains. “What might look like a simple booking platform is actually a crucial tool for generating revenue, promoting events and enhancing guest experience. So sharing best practice is vital, because something that works in one hotel might be a success elsewhere, too. And just as important is being open about mistakes and learning from them.”

“Mistakes are invaluable,” Tristan agrees. “The best way to learn is to fall and get back up. If you don’t fall, it means you don’t try, and then you never move forward. So I push them to try, and I back them when they fail. What matters is reflection. If it fails, it fails, it doesn’t matter. We learn from it, we move forward and we try something else.”

That willingness to try new things, Tristan says, is rooted in a culture of trust, one that gives his teams the freedom to be creative in their own markets. “There is no one better placed than the manager of the team who is there 365 days per year, who knows their team and their guests. This is why empowerment is so important. I cannot do everything. I cannot manage ten hotels, 1,900 people. I need the team. This year, the team has been more agile than ever, adapting better to situations and showing greater awareness of each challenge. We’ve also seen a shift in mindset since the beginning of the year, from thinking ‘This idea won’t change the world’ to ‘Every little bit helps.’”