“A majority of business travellers staying in Dubai hotels are skipping breakfast and opting for either a quick cup of coffee or no early morning nourishment of any kind”, says Stuart Deeson, General Manager of Park Hyatt Dubai. And the result of this alarming new trend is that these travellers then suffer from a related nutritional imbalance which causes headaches and general irritability, but can also lead the body’s immune system to breakdown, allowing for a greater likelihood of cold and flu.

“We have long known that hotel guests, especially those travelling on business, tend to rush to appointments in the early morning rather than eating a substantial breakfast, the most important meal of the day. Unfortunately, not all of our guests have time to sit and enjoy a breakfast of hot zatar bread, thick foul moudammas, and fresh garden vegetables,” says Stuart Deeson.

“But what these guests fail to realise is that to perform like a star, one has to eat like a star performer. And the people who get the most out of their days – football stars, for example – focus on nutrition, because it affects their overall health and well-being.” he added.

Global Hyatt Corporation, one of the world’s largest and most prestigious hospitality groups, is piloting a new program that seeks to better educate its valued guests about the importance of nutrition, but also provide them with a practical breakfast alternative that will allow them to both eat well and maintain busy, often frenetic, early morning schedules.

The Hyatt healthy living breakfast programme draws on the years of experience gained by the programme’s chief nutritionist, Brazilian Patricia Teixeira, who has counseled international football stars at clubs in France, Italy, Netherlands, and Spain.

Teixeira says that high-performance energy drinks and ‘smoothies’ are a reliable and nutritional breakfast alternative for hotel guests on the go. She recommends seven types of juices – to address jetlag, digestion, cellulite, high stress, low energy, immune system, and detox – and four types of ‘smoothies’, which are thick, substantial drinks often containing largely blended fruits.

“I am working with Hyatt just as I would any of my other clients – I want their most valued assets to play like star performers. For me, Hyatt guests are the ‘football stars’ that give the Hyatt brand its international reputation for excellence in guest relations,” says Teixeira.