Alpinetrekker

Not to be at all political, but about what you would expect from a red state. I have not personally seen any hostility here. As anywhere, it varies significantly from area to area. Hailey is part of greater Sun Valley and is one of the more liberal parts of the state along with Boise. It was also one of the early pandemic hot spots in country, which makes it all the more surprising to see a full buffet.

That said, lots of hotels have had self service coffee over the last few months in which everyone has to touch the same pump or spigot so I don't really see how serving coffee or food is that different.

rstruthe

I saw a restaurant in Utah last week with a salad bar buffet open. Not pre-packaged...full help yourself...back to the good old days, buffet!

Governator

The Club Lounge at the Ritz-Carlton Naples is pretty much completely open. The morning eggs and bacon, mid-day scones, evening hot items, etc. were all large, self-serve pans. The Covid concession was a disposable glove requirement to handle the serving spoons, they had a clever dispenser/blower at the beginning of the buffet where you held out your hand, the glove dispenser inflated and you could slide in, single handed. Most people used them as did most had masks, but not all. Pretty low key about it in any case. Food and booze were excellent - love that hotel!

lamphs

Not Marriott, but I was in a large chain grocery store in Delaware today and I noticed its self-service wing bar was reopened (not open two weeks ago).

SkyTeam777

This is being done elsewhere, too, and is a brilliant solution to getting buffets back on track. https://www.forbes.com/sites/ramseyq...eep-them-safe/

DJ_Iceman

That's just it--the "science" hasn't been at all clear, and we've learned as we went over the past year. Remember when no one was supposed to wear masks because of, you know... science? If your friends are otherwise smart people, then perhaps give them a little benefit of the doubt that they ARE following "science", just not in the same way you are. Science (statistics, actually) also tells us that COVID-19 is not much a real risk to the vast majority of the population. I just don't like to see you thinking your friends aren't smart because they're not behaving the same way you are, that's all.

And I live in Los Angeles County, where we've had what are arguably the most draconian restrictions in the country and quite good compliance with masking, social distancing, and all that. Yet we remain the hotbed of infections, ICU bed usage, and deaths in the country. Why is that? If it was as simple as the "science" you claim to follow, that wouldn't be the case.

skywalkerLAX

Had a great buffet yesterday at the Marriott Marquis Bangkok. Business as usual, great quality. No nonsense.

Out of my Element

So let's say those early reports were due to Science, and not due to a lack of PPE and wanting to reserve it for Healthcare Workers and First Responders. Doesn't the fact that all the later announcements were that everyone SHOULD wear masks suggest that research was done that caused this determination?

It's not as if they flipped a coin in March and it came up No masks and then flipped it again later and said Masks. It is because, at a minimum, they had more time to study the causes of transmission of the disease and came up with Masks as an improvement over no masks

DJ_Iceman

I'd like to believe that's true. But your smart friends (and I'm going on the assumption they're just as smart as they were before) are presumably intelligent enough to take that advice and then make their own decisions. Experts have also done things like set speed limits on highways, which some of us do not always follow. Is it riskier? Yes, without question--simple laws of physics (so "science"). But if you found out that some of your friends whom you thought were smart were also speeders, would that lessen your opinion of their intelligence?

Heck, some people would say that science has proven planes can crash for a multitude of reasons, therefore no one should fly. Or cross a street. Or get out of bed. But smart people do those things, and even riskier things, every day. We all set our own thresholds of risk tolerance, and the way we respond to COVID-19 is the same. If the cultural norm in their area is no masks, no social distancing, etc. I agree it would seem strange to those of us conditioned in California to behave very differently right now. But it doesn't lessen their intelligence to have a different outlook or take on the situation.

Hey, I've enjoyed this discussion but I know we're off-topic. Feel free to chime in with a reply, but I'm going to step out of the thread after this. Thanks for letting me editorialize, though.

SHLTP

Here in China buffets have been open since last spring - full, glorious buffets. My favorite benefit of Titanium status is full on breakfast buffets at St. Regis and similar properties

I have great memories at buffets and Starwood. I hope in cost-cutting mode properties don't cut them as a benefit.

But if they were profit makers before covid, they'll return (though I could see Marriott cutting it as a benefit for standardization purposes and only offering Continental or grab and go).

China has largely normalized and I expect the rest of the world to do so as well

escapefromphl

Because the measures aren't that draconian and people aren't really practicing and there is no enforcement. Families still meet up, people have backyard bbq's and social distancing goes out the window. I see people wearing thin buffs as masks to go shopping. Funny how the science has worked great in other countries like Australia, China etc.

teddybear99

I have gone to different Asian buffet restaurants since they have been reopened.

One has employees serving you on your plate with a plexiglass panel starting a foot above the food and a second section extending out. You put your plate on the counter next to the food and they spoon it on to it.

The other has disposable plastic gloves on the tables that you must put on to serve your self. You must dispose of the used gloves after each "run."

Both require you to wear your mask unless seated and consuming food. You must also use a clean plate each time you go to the buffet line and request it from your masked/gloved server before you get up. There is hand sanitizer on each table as well. I feel comfortable eating at both, but prefer to serve my self as I prefer to choose which items (for example I prefer the PEI mussels that are pink versus tan) and how much I want to get (less food more often).

ftrichard

My experience at various buffets in Shenzhen is that they are largely normal. They ask you to wear masks but enforcement is variable.

The most rigorous (that I've been to) is the Shangri-La in Futian that enforces masks when collecting food, has sanitiser and alcohol wipes on the table, and many of the food stations require a table number so the actual food is brought to your table by a server. Sushi, roasts, puddings, etc. are served for you by a server while you wait.

If anyone's in Shenzhen and not tried this one then it's excellent value at the weekend for lunch at RMB288 pre-paid on the WeChat app including freeflow Prosecco, and red and white wine.

teddybear99

I should clarify that these buffets are in North Miami Beach, FL USA

margarita girl

Until humans stop mass producing meat and find more ethical ways to raise animals, history is doomed to repeat itself.