In a city with a growing fine dining scene, the recognition of Tables Grill and Erawan Tea Room as Michelin Plate restaurants in the inaugural Michelin Guide Bangkok 2017 has enabled Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok to take a bigger bite out of a competitive business events and functions pie.

“Our corporate bookings at Erawan Tea Room remain strong, and the recognition from Michelin has given us a slight uptick in this type of business. Specifically for Tables Grill, we are utilising this recognition to further highlight our new chef, Hans Zahner, who achieved a Michelin star in Shanghai previously,” said Frederic Kolde, the hotel’s director of F&B.

“Many of the business event leads we receive are in direct relation to Michelin Plates,” he added.

A contemporary French restaurant designed by renowned interior designer Tony Chi, Tables Grill features three areas for events: the main area, which can be transformed into a versatile space for 100 guests; the Chamber is suitable for intimate gatherings and wine-and-dine meetups of less than 12; while the light-filled Cellar can seat bigger groups of 32 guests.

At the same time that events planners are paying more attention to dining well, Kolde also observes an uptick in demand for environmentally friendly practices such as eliminating the use of plastic straws with biodegradable versions.

“To reduce wastage in meetings, we have partnered with Thailand’s Scholars of Sustenance foundation to donate surplus food to communities in need and compostable food to local family farms,” he shared.

“Another trend is supporting local community products, so we have worked with a few local community projects in Thailand, such as The Royal Project Foundation to improve the quality of life of hill-tribe people.”

Beyond the restaurants, food still occupies a key theme at Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok’s three event facilities.

The residence is a multifunction event facility with a seven-metre-high open kitchen that can accommodate up to 700 pax for receptions. A recent revamp added a connecting door between rooms 304 and 305, allowing the two function spaces to be connected and facilitating events of bigger scale, according to Kolde.

The Campus, featuring a collection of seven event rooms, is suitable as a bespoke event concept ideal for networking and collaborative meetings, while the pillarless Grand Ballroom can accommodate up to 1,500 pax for receptions.