Marketing & Promotions
How Your Hotel Can Capitalize on the Afternoon Tea Craze
Katelyn Andrews
5 min read
Sep 5, 2024
Katelyn Andrews
5 min read
Sep 5, 2024
Break out the good china because it’s time you added afternoon tea to the menu. We’re talking decadent pastries, dainty sandwiches, artisanal tea, the whole lot.
Why afternoon tea?
Our 2024 restaurant trends report found that afternoon tea is one of the top selling restaurant experiences, along with brunch buffets and holiday events.
It’s also growing in popularity. U.S. search interest for “afternoon tea” has increased by a whopping 79.5% since January 2022.
Most importantly, it’s a chance for your hotel to significantly increase revenue while appealing to a growing demographic that prefers non-alcoholic options.
Below, we’re spilling all the tea on this trend, including how to create a lucrative afternoon tea experience for your hotel and examples to give you inspiration.
With origins dating back to 1840, afternoon tea is a tradition steeped in British history (see what we did there?), but it’s also making a modern comeback.
What’s causing the renewed interest? There could be various factors but guests’ preference for experiences over traditional meals could be a major influence.
According to Eventbrite, 74% of American diners seek a one-of-a-kind experience. Perhaps one that involves freshly brewed tea and tantalizing treats?
A decrease in alcohol consumption could also be a top contributor.
61% of Gen Z plan to drink less in 2024, and afternoon tea offers a sophisticated alternative that isn’t centered around alcohol.
Afternoon tea checks all the boxes — it has serious search interest and gives guests the unique, inclusive experience they crave.
Here’s a look at what else it can do for your hotel:
It’s clear guests have an appetite for afternoon tea. So, let them eat (tiny) cake — and follow these tips for turning your afternoon tea into a revenue-generating powerhouse.
Every great afternoon tea program starts with an equally great landing page. This is where you’ll provide all the essentials, like menus, pricing, address, hours and online booking access.
Consider this stellar example from Baccarat Hotel New York— one look at their landing page, and you’ll see why guests can’t resist booking their afternoon tea.
Baccarat Hotel New York leads with a compelling hero image of the glamorous Grand Salon to showcase the luxuriousness of the setting and experience, persuading guests to make an immediate reservation.
There’s also an enticing summary (they had us at “world’s largest champagne selection”) and vital details like the hotel’s address and map. They also use the SevenRooms’ booking widget to give guests an easy way to make reservations without requiring manual intervention from hotel staff.
Secure those bookings (and get a head start on revenue) by collecting payments or deposits in advance. Asking for a deposit also helps reduce no-shows and cancellations.
For example, guests are asked to pay a per-person deposit when booking afternoon tea at Searcys at the Gherkin in London. Using SevenRooms’ integrated booking widget and hospitality CRM, the Gherkin collects credit card details, email addresses and phone numbers.
They also ask information about guest dietary restrictions and special occasions.
Using this data, SevenRooms CRM automatically builds guest profiles that allows them to track guest preferences, send personalized invitations and offer special promotions via email and text to previous tea-time guests. Whether a VIP invite or an upcoming tea party, this can be an easy way to fill seats and create loyal fans.
According to Eventbrite, 84% of guests are attracted by a surprising theme or menu. While you can’t go wrong with a traditional afternoon tea, a fun theme can appeal to guests’ desire for the unexpected, whether “Star Wars” or “The Great Gatsby.”
Get creative and immerse the guests in the theme, from the food to the decor.
For example, The Homage in the Waldorf Hotel enchants with its “Beauty and the Beast”-themed tea. Guests enjoy magical elements, cameos by Mrs. Potts and Chip and harp music.
There’s nothing like giving diners a little FOMO by hosting limited-time afternoon tea experiences that capitalize on holidays and special events.
For example, when Taylor Swift comes to town, it’s big news. So much so that the Crown Sydney in Australia designed a whole afternoon tea around it — and attracted over 500 guests and a media mention from USA Today.
Splurging is the name of the game when it comes to afternoon tea (hello, clotted cream and scones). Capitalize on this by offering enticing upgrades during the booking process.
This simple change can noticeably increase your incremental revenue. In fact, our 2024 reservations trends report found that reservations with upgrades average 35% more revenue than those without.
Upgrades can also enhance the guest experience, turning tea time into an event guests will never forget.
For example, at the Pump Room in Bath, England, guests can choose from a variety of bubbly add-ons, like champagne and English sparkling wine.
While champagne upgrades will always be crowd-pleasers, The Ritz in England thinks outside the bottle. It offers customized cake upgrades (regular and vegan) and cookbooks.
Packages are also a smart way to boost afternoon tea reservations and hotel stays. Consider offering a one- or two-night stay with afternoon tea included so guests can make an event out of it.
Foster loyalty and boost retention with hyper-targeted email offers. By integrating a CRM like SevenRooms with your hotel’s PMS, you can gather detailed insights into your guests' preferences and behaviors.
For example, SevenRooms allows you to leverage existing data from your PMS — like guest loyalty status — and collect guests’ dining preferences via reservation profiles.
This allows you to craft personalized emails that resonate with each segment of your audience, whether loyal tea lovers, first-time visitors or guests with dietary preferences like vegetarian or gluten-free.
With 7.3 million hashtags for afternoon tea on Instagram and over 113,000 on TikTok, you have an opportunity to reach a massive audience of afternoon tea fans on social media.
Post high-quality images of your afternoon tea spread — think tiers of mouth-watering macarons, savory finger sandwiches and steaming teapots. Use engaging captions and relevant hashtags like #AfternoonTea, #HighTea and #TeaTime.
For example, SevenRooms’ client, Grantley Hall, uses Instagram to promote its afternoon teas, including its adorably delicious Easter-themed tea party.
Tempt users into booking your afternoon tea with videos that highlight everything from tempting treats to champagne and mocktails. Add popular music tracks and use trending hashtags to increase visibility.
Baccarat Hotel New York does this beautifully, as evidenced by this video on its Instagram page:
Not all hotels offer afternoon tea experiences — your job is to find these hotels and connect with the concierge.
This way, if a guest asks for an afternoon tea recommendation, your hotel will be the first they mention.
By visiting these concierges frequently, you stay top-of-mind. Bringing delicious tea party samples is sure to help sweeten the relationship.
Afternoon tea can turn into a beloved tradition at your hotel. But with a little creativity and the right technology, it can also become a notable income stream that keeps your hotel bustling year-round.
Book a demo to learn how SevenRooms’ integrated CRM, reservation and marketing software and can help you create an afternoon tea offering that enhances the guest experience and drives revenue.
With SevenRooms’ software, offering premium upgrades and packages has never been easier. Whether it’s unlimited champagne, rosé, gourmet treats or take-home gifts, you can seamlessly integrate these options into your booking process and allow guests to pre-pay to boost your incremental revenue.
