The Rezidor Hotel Group will strategically exit six hotel contracts under Full Repairing and Insuring lease in the UK in 2017. The hotels are located in regional markets and have been unprofitable for Rezidor due primarily to above-market rental level of the leases. As part of the exit, Rezidor has agreed to a surrender premium payment of £15M (ca. €18M) in 2016 to the landlords.
Award winning Cycas Hospitality has joined The Association of Serviced Apartment Providers(ASAP) - a not for profit trade body dedicated exclusively to championing the servicedapartment sector of the hospitality industry. Cycas Hospitality is a hotel management company specialising in extended-stay hotels in theUK and Europe. The company recently announced its contract with Starwood Capital Groupto manage Starwood's four extended-stay apart-hotels in London, making Cycas the secondlargest operator of serviced apartment/apart-hotels in London. John Wagner, Director of Cycas Hospitality, comments, "ASAP's aim is to build trust forclients by setting a benchmark for the industry and with our growing portfolio it's the righttime for Cycas to collaborate with this mission. The sector is expected to double in size inthe next two years (ASAP and Savills, December 2015) and it is vital we all work together tobuild the credibility and recognition for serviced apartment/extended-stay hotels for thebenefit of our customers." James Foice, Chief Executive of the ASAP comments: "I am absolutely thrilled to welcomeCycas Hospitality into membership of the ASAP. As such a key influential operator in theextended stay hotel sector, it's fantastic they are now part of our Association. They join usat a time of exceptional growth, with a new property set to open in Manchester next yearand a very exciting future pipeline both in the UK and Europe. We very much look forwardto building a strong partnership with them as such a major player in our industry." Founded by John Wagner and Eduard Elias, Cycas Hospitality combines first-handexperience of hotel management with added expertise in real estate investment anddevelopment. Cycas Hospitality has been active in the UK since 2008 when it spearheaded the launch ofthe extended-stay hotel sector into Europe for IHG. Today the company manages Staybridge Suites Hotels in Newcastle, Liverpool, VauxhallLondon, London Stratford City and the Holiday Inn in Stratford City London and is workingon the dual branded Crowne Plaza/Staybridge Suites in Manchester. The company is alsoworking closely with Marriott to grow its extended stay brand with a Moxy/Residence Inn inthe Houthaven's area of Amsterdam, set to be the first extended stay concept for TheNetherlands. Founded in 2002, ASAP currently has 160 active members - serviced apartment operatorsand agencies - responsible for operating over 100,000 serviced apartments globally.
World Travel Awards has recognised St Petersburg's potential for tourism growth, arguing the Russian destination has a bright future on the international hospitality stage. The city earlier claimed the title of the World's Leading Cultural City Destination at the World Travel Awards Grand Final 2016. The event took place at The Sun Siyam Iru Fushi in the Maldives with hundreds of industry leaders in attendance.
Corinthia Hotel London is staging a year-long Neuroscience in Residence, a first for any hotel, to study the human brain. Running between November 2016 and December 2017, the five-star luxury hotel in central London's Whitehall Place has teamed up with renowned neuroscientist Dr Tara Swart. She will research the mental resilience of a selection of hotel staff and loyal business guests of the hotel. An analysis of how they cope with stress will generate a special Brain Power Study at the end of the residency.
When news broke last weekend that the Royal Clarence hotel in Exeter was burning down, it was met with an outpouring of public sympathy – and confusion. The building was repeatedly referred to as the oldest hotel in England, leading some people to wonder: “Hang on – I thought I’d stayed at the oldest hotel in England. And it wasn’t in Exeter.”
Establishments in Norwich, Derbyshire, Cambridgeshire, Gloucestershire and more all claim the title – and at least two, The Old Bell, in Wiltshire and The Olde Bell in Berkshire, even share a name. Which begs the question: just how many oldest hotels in England does England have?
Premier Inn has today been named the UK's top-rated hotel chain for a second consecutive year, having once again achieved the highest score in the annual Which? Hotel Chain Survey. The hotel chain, which has over 740 sites and 60,000 rooms across the UK, was recognised for providing a "first class experience" at "very competitive prices".
This year, GRUPO IBEROSTAR, one of the most important Spanish companies in the world, is celebrating its 60 year anniversary. The anniversary falls on a milestone year for tourism in Spain, with a record number of tourists - 70 million – having visited the country so far this year.
he latest new hotel causing a buzz in Britain is a "miniature luxury hotel” designed to offer hardworking honey bees much-needed rest and relaxation. The dollhouse-sized Bee Hotel, inspired by Wes Anderson’s Oscar-winning film The Grand Budapest Hotel, loosely based on the Corinthia Hotel in Budapest, was created by British tea brand Taylors of Harrogate in partnership with Kew Gardens, in a bid to raise awareness for the importance of bees and the role they play in the production of fruits and vegetables, and their declining population, as well as inspire people to ‘bee’ more “pollinator-friendly” and build bee hotels in their own private gardens.
Interstate Hotels & Resorts - the leading U.S.-based global hotel management company - announces the addition of three new hotels to its international portfolio, including the Company's first entry into Germany. Building upon global relationships, the Company will manage the hotels with development and lease partner Odyssey Hotel Group, based in the Netherlands, with continued expansion potential for Germany, Netherlands and other Western European countries.The three hotels are Glow Hotel Eindhoven and Hotel Nassau Breda, Autograph Collection in The Netherlands; and the under-construction AC by Marriott Hotel in Mainz, Germany, anticipated to open August 2016."Our confidence in entering these markets is heightened by our partnership with Odyssey Hotel Group, and it is rewarding to see our portfolio grow in this region through a new relationship with an exceptional developer and lease partner," said Jim Abrahamson, chief executive officer of Interstate Hotels & Resorts. "Building trusted relationships through our breadth of experience and depth of resources, Interstate is strategically broadening our geographic portfolio with proven performance and an incomparable level of global diversity."With 55 years of experience globally and more than 20 years in Europe, Interstate's European-based hotel management platform includes more than 75 hotels currently under management in nine countries."It is gratifying to develop a strategic alliance with Odyssey Hotel Group," said Aaron Greenman, Interstate's executive vice president, development and acquisitions for Europe. "We look forward to providing focused owner support, generating exceptional value, and continuing to expand together in key markets in Western Europe."Odyssey Hotel Group is a hotel development and leasing company with a significant project pipeline in Europe. Maintaining a commitment to senior-level accessibility and a focus on building long-term relationships with investors, clients, lenders, and guests, Odyssey Hotel Group brings 20 years of experience in various segments of both the lodging and real-estate industry."This strategic alliance with Interstate enables us to accelerate our planned growth. Together with our brand partners Marriott International and IHG, we will concentrate on developing new hotels in our focus countries," said Rick van Erp, chief executive officer of the Odyssey Hotel Group.Spanning North America, the U.K., Europe, Russia and CIS, Interstate is the leading U.S.-based global hotel management company. The Company's comprehensive services are built on large-scale company resources, delivered with the personalized and focused attention of a small company. Including an owner-aligned organizational structure, experienced corporate support, and expansive industry and global knowledge, Interstate uses its 55 years of experience to contribute to each owner's success.For more information about Interstate Hotels & Resorts in the U.K. and Europe, please visitwww.interstatehotels.co.uk.
Brexit has sent shockwaves across the hospitality industry, but operators attending the British Hospitality Association’s (BHA) Hospitality and Tourism Summit have been urged to embrace change and see the potential positives.
On Wednesday night, the time had come to put the spotlight on and award diplomas to Scandic's future senior leaders. For the sixth consecutive year, around 20 high-potential team members from Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Germany were recognized for their efforts and achievements from CEO Frank Fiskers.
In his speech at general assembly of the Greek Tourism Confederation (SETE) on Thursday, the Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras underlined that Greece will remain a stable and secure country, despite the turmoil in neighboring areas. The Prime Minister also announced that the planned tax on overnight stays in hotels and room rentals will come into effect in 2018. The Prime Minister also underlined that tourism will be at the forefront of Greece's return to growth, as it provides employment to over 200 professions.
Cycas Hospitality, hotel management company specialising in the extended stay market, has introduced the National Living Wage to all full-time UK employees irrespective of age.* Voted Best Employers in Hospitality Award 2015 (Caterer.com), Cycas Hospitality continues to commit to recruiting and retaining the best talent in hospitality.
Law firm Edwin Coe LLP has announced it is representing 487 claimants in a class action lawsuit to be heard in the High Court in London next week, "Abbot & Others v RCI Europe". The case, which is listed as a 10 day trial, concerns claims of detriment suffered by members of the RCI worldwide timeshare exchange club, part of the Wyndham Worldwide Corporation.
A guide to the best five-star hotels in Rome, featuring the top places to stay for glamorous interiors, great views, Michelin-starred dining and pampering service.
A scant majority of European hotel professionals believe M&A activity and RevPAR would be adversely affected if Great Britain left the European Union. The latest European Hotel Market Survey by international law firm Berwin Leighton Paisner asked 200 hotel professionals from more than 20 countries what they thought about the EU referendum set for June 23 in the U.K., and 54% said Britons should vote against exiting.
Iceland is spectacular, mystical, mythical and beautiful, and tourists in ever higher numbers have discovered this. Is it time to put the brakes on a little? Iceland’s lodging and tourism industry is at a crossroads, if my recent conversations with its movers and shakers are anything to go by.
Kempinski Hotels SA, the international luxury hotel group has today reached an amicable, out-of-court settlement with Reto Wittwer, to resolve their mutual litigation. Kempinski Hotels SA states that the unfortunate allegations made in its press statement on November 2, 2015 were unfortunate and should not have been published. Both parties agreed they would put an end to these unfortunate accusations allegations, and would refrain from any action against each other, once the facts became clear and understood.
This June U.K. citizens get to vote on whether to remain in the European Union. The government is split and voters have their concerns, but hoteliers and businesses would rather not go through any more upheaval. After months and months of speculation—and, apparently, government politicians and civil servants sacrificing sleep during marathon negotiation sessions at the European Union headquarters in Brussels—the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister David Cameron came back to London with what he claimed was good news.
Today the German competition authority, the Bundeskartellamt (BKartA) issued a prohibition decision against Booking.com, an operating business of The Priceline Group [NASDAQ: PCLN], in respect of its narrow MFN clauses in its agreements with accommodation partners in Germany. Booking.com strongly contests the BKartA's arguments and intends to appeal the BKartA's decision.