The BTA Strivesto Boost Travel Industry Talent
The Business Travel Association (BTA) today releases a careers brochure titled ‘Your Career Can Travel’ to target those looking to start or return to a career in the business travel industry.
News
From Covid To Cost Hikes, How U.K. Hospitality Entrepreneurs Are Surviving
It has been a torrid few years for hospitality, battling Brexit-driven staff shortages, the pandemic, and now spiraling business costs.
Welcome to the Mille Club: Four Figure Luxury
Over the past year, we’ve bolted out from the gates in the aftermath of the pandemic, staying at multiple properties with daily rates in excess of 1,000 dollars, euros or pounds as part of our consultancy work auditing luxury hotels to improve their topline performance. The fact is that any four-figure guest daily hit propels your property into a new snack bracket, and one that plays by a slightly different set of service and amenity requirements. There’s prestige, but much, much higher expectations that you must surpass each and every day.
By Adam Mogelonsky and Larry Mogelonsky
IHG Hotels & Resorts opens global headquarters in Windsor
IHG Hotels & Resorts, one of the world’s leading hotel companies, is delighted to formally open its new global headquarters in Windsor, UK. Having started life as FTSE-listed company in Windsor in 2003, IHG returns to the historic town for its next chapter after being based for the past 15 years in Denham, Buckinghamshire.
Primestar Group expands its hotel portfolio in Berlin: Mercure Hotel Berlin Mitte acquired by Primestar
With the acquisition of the successful Mercure Hotel Berlin Mitte, the hotel operating company Primestar expands its hotel portfolio in the German capital to 3 hotels. The hotel with 120 rooms near Potsdamer Platz and Gleisdreieck is the first joint franchise project with Accor and the first hotel of the Primestar Group operated under Mercure brand.
The weak pound is set to drive demand for UK staycations
As the cost-of-living crisis continues apace, and the value of pound remains low, affordable staycations are back on the agenda with people choosing to holiday near UK tourist hotspots, instead of taking trips abroad. With this in mind, AGO Hotels is looking at what this means for its own business and the wider UK hospitality market.
By Lionel Benjamin, Co-Founder, AGO Hotels
Post-Covid hotel growth sector – odds now on independents and non -traditional brands
In a presentation to the UK House of Lords last June, we raised the alarm that the UK independent hotelier share of market was declining rapidly, falling from 78% in 2010 to a projected 22% by 2026.
Championing hospitality for positive action and change
In the latest episode of the new season of Accor’s industry leading podcast, Heart of Hospitality, Duncan O’Rourke, host and CEO Accor Northern Europe, speaks to Kate Nicholls, CEO UKHospitality. They discuss UKHospitality’s role championing the hospitality sector in the UK and lobbying the Government for positive action and change, including the impact a VAT cut and greater training flexibility would have on the sector.
Swiss hotels and their uneven Covid impact
The hospitality industry and Swiss hotels are a clear example of the unbalanced effect of Covid-19 in a specific industry. For instance, while social distancing might have handicapped revenue for a three-star Michelin restaurant downtown, it may have represented an opportunity for the basic take-away. Why and how is it that some fractions of the same industry have come out winning from the crisis, with others losing?
Orient Express makes a grand return to Italy with La Dolce Vita train
More than 150 years ago, Georges Nagelmackers turned a dream into a reality when he launched the first luxury Orient Express train. Soon, Orient Express will head back on track to offer travellers an unforgettable journey through one of the world’s most beloved countries: Italy.
Slovenia could become the adventure tourism capital of Europe, says GlobalData
Inspired by its recent international tourism campaign focusing on adventure tourism, Slovenia is expected to see inbound tourism rise to 5.7 million arrivals by 2024, a 22% increase on pre-pandemic levels, according to GlobalData. The leading data and analytics company notes that ‘adventure and sport’ is the fifth most popular holiday type, and has particular resonance with Slovenia’s traditional visitors: Czechs and the Dutch.
Kew Green Hotels partners with Othership to offer Flexible Co-Working Spaces at all UK Hotels
Kew Green Hotels, one of the leading international hotel management companies, with over 55 hotels in its portfolio, has launched a partnership with Othership, providing co-working lobby spaces and private alternatives to home working in all 47 of their UK hotels. This comes at a time when 9 out of 10 job seekers are looking for increased flexibility and 60% of people are looking for remote working. With the Minister for Women and Equalities calling for flexible working to be “normalised” as part of the UK econ omy’s Covid-19 recovery, flexible working is set to become a permanent feature of life post-pandemic.
Can business travel bounce back to boost the hard hit hotel sector?
After many months of video calls replacing in-person meetings, business travellers are slowly getting back on the road.
The West End Is Ready To Roar Again
Westminster’s 3,700 bars, restaurants and pubs, 56 theatres, 21 LGBTQI+ night time venues and world-class retail and cultural offerings are ready to jump back to life. The hotel industry will be playing a vital part in contributing to the safe and successful reopening this summer.
NH Hotel Group Offers Free Medical Assistance In All Its Spanish Hotels
Within this service, multilingual face-to-face and telephone health assistance is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Hilton embraces pent-up demand for a safe summer of travel as hotels celebrate re-opening across England
Today, Hilton is celebrating hotels reopening across England and welcoming back leisure guests for the first time in months, marking a significant milestone in the hospitality industry’s recovery from the pandemic.
Kempinski Hotel Frankfurt Offers Mobile Rapid Coronavirus Testing Station For Business And Event Guests
Added safety for conferences: Anyone holding a meeting, conference, trade fair or even a wedding at Kempinski Hotel Frankfurt can book rapid antigen tests for participants. "We have set up a mobile rapid testing station in the treatment rooms of our Country Club & Spa, where guests can be tested directly before an event or a meeting to determine whether they are infected with the coronavirus," reports Hotel Director Karina Ansos. "This significantly increases safety for all participants, and is in line with the German federal government's testing strategy."
Free COVID-19 Self-Tests For Staff
Deutsche Hospitality is the first major hotel company in Germany to instigate free rapid testing for all its front-line staff. The project will be launched over the next two weeks. A weekly nasal swab or saliva specimen test will be made available to around 3,500 staff who work for the group's brands that are represented in Germany - Steigenberger Hotels & Resorts, MAXX by Steigenberger, Jaz in the City and IntercityHotel. Hotel guests will be able to acquire the tests at the reception if they wish. All tests used will meet the standards of and will have been certified by the Paul-Ehrlich-Institute.
WTTC Praises Greek Government For Its Clear Roadmap For Recovery
Gloria Guevara, President & CEO, WTTC said: "The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and its Members praise the Greek government for its tremendous efforts and strategic steps taken to restart international travel from 14 May."
Hospitality Knows No Bounds: Rome Cavalieri, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel Surprises Texas Man With Trip To Europe After Braving Texas Power Outages
During the widespread power outages that swept through Texas in February, Dallas resident Ezell Holley was displaced from his home and stayed at a local hotel, which the family jokingly nicknamed the "Waldorf Astoria." Holley would end up receiving an incredible surprise when Rome Cavalieri, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel, one of Waldorf Astoria's 32 global luxury properties, gifted him with a future multi-night stay at the hotel.