Want to learn how to cook on vacation? Now you can, courtesy of Hestan Cue and Vista Collina resort.
The guided cooking company recently hooked up with Vista Collina to offer the Cue as an amenity in all 39 of the Napa Valley resort’s suites. The Cues in-room go beyond off the shelf features with a customized flourish for guests of the resort:
“Inside your suite, the Hestan Cue Smart Cooking System, featuring instructional videos by the resort’s own Chef Vincent Lesage, stands ready to bring your ingredients–and Napa Valley dish–to life.”
The concept of offering cooking guidance customized for in-resort guests is interesting one. With the hospitality market facing increased competition from home-share platforms like Airbnb, resorts and hotels are looking for new ways to attract guests. By offering in-room cooking and cooking education with the Cue, resorts can entice guests who see cooking as a relaxation activity.
While I don’t think the Cue would be a good fit for the local Holiday or Hampton Inn, a Napa Valley resort seems like a logical place to road test the concept of guided-cooking-as-amenity since guests are likely to have ample leisure time and on the lookout for things to do.
The deal is also interesting in that it shows Hestan expanding into the leisure channel. Consumer markets often take time to develop due to the need for market education and long replacement cycles, so newer channels such as leisure or education (think cooking classes) could be a good place for forward-concept products in an early stage of the market. And by offering customization capabilities that feature a destination’s personality (such a resort’s in-house chef), Hestan Cue has shown itself as a platform for differentiated amenities for hotels and resorts looking to go beyond in-room Wi-Fi.
Go on a holiday and learn something new. Looking forward to the experience.