In March, the UK hotel market continued its solid start to the year with South West hoteliers registering a 4.9% increase in total revenues per available room (TRevPAR), and a 6.2% surge in gross operating profit per available room (GOPPAR), according to the latest data from HotStats.
France based hotel price negotiation site Barteo, recently rebranded as 365nights, has integrated with eRevMax, the leading provider of hotel online distribution solutions, to expand connectivity options available to its fast growing portfolio of hotel partners. Accommodation providers will now be able to make immediate ARI (Availability, Rates, and Inventory) updates on the channel through eRevMax's RateTiger solution.
Supranational Hotels, the leading provider of hotel distribution technology and sales and marketing representation, is partnering with trade industry charity Hospitality Action to support vital fundraising initiatives and provide on-the-job training at their London head office.
Marion Ryan has recently been appointed Director of Sales and Marketing for The Savoy and will be responsible for heading up the 30-strong team at the hotel, which celebrates its 125th anniversary this year.
Thompson Hotels, a leading portfolio of boutique hotels, is pleased to announce the appointment of Anjie Keegel as the new Director of Sales & Marketing at its Belgraves hotel in London. Formally Director of Sales & Marketing at the Radisson Blu Edwardian Heathrow, Anjie brings with her over 19 years of experience, as well as a thorough understanding of the hospitality industry.
In her new role, Ms Richards will oversee all sales activity for the brand’s three UK properties: Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire, Four Seasons Hotel London at Canary Wharf and Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane. Reporting to Kristien Deleersnijder, Senior Director of Marketing Four Seasons Hotels UK Collection, Ms Richards will be in charge of leading the sales team, whilst developing and implementing sales strategies across all markets segments for the three hotels. Ms Richards brings with her over 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry and joins from Grosvenor House, A JW Marriott Hotel, where for the past seven year she was Director of Sales & Marketing. Previously in charge of running Marriott International’s London Sales Office, Ms Richards has also held senior sales roles at the London Marriott Park Lane, Renaissance Chancery Court Hotel and the Dorchester. Ms Richards started her career in 1993 – fresh out of college – as Group Sales Coordinator at the London Hilton Park Lane.
Strategic Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: BEE), today announced two significant transactions: The closing of the sale of the Marriott London Grosvenor Square hotel and the acquisition of the remaining 50 percent ownership interest in the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess. Combined with the previously completed sale of the Four Seasons Punta Mita resort, the Company successfully executed over $715 million in transactions in the first quarter of 2014.
eRevMax, the leading hotel online distribution and channel management solutions provider has released an Infographic – 'Meta-search: It's here to stay' shedding key insights on growing influence of meta- search over the hotel online distribution space.
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG®), one of the world's largest hotel companies today announced the signing of two further hotels in London with the Hotel Indigo® London - Barbican and Holiday Inn® - Watford Junction. As a result, over the last nine months IHG signed all six of its current European brands into its Greater London pipeline, further reinforcing IHG's presence in the UK's capital.
The British Hospitality Association today launches its new sector programme for serviced apartments and welcomes its first serviced sector member, Think Apartments.
Global luxury hotel chain Hyatt International has endorsed RateTiger as preferred channel management vendor in Europe, Africa, Middle East and South West Asia. RateTiger's flexible, multi-platform solution to manage online sales and exposure have been used in Hyatt properites throughout the world. This endorsement will help all members of the chain to benefit from rate shopping, channel management, reservation delivery and guest review management to manage online distribution and reach out to luxury travellers throughout eRevMax's Channel Eco-system.
Ian Schrager, 67, opened his third Edition hotel (in association with Marriott) in London's Berners Street in September. Here, the godfather of the "superclub" (he co-owned New York's legendary Studio 54, before going on to create design-led hotels such as Morgans, the Delano and the Mondrian) shares a little of the hard-won wisdom that's earned him the sobriquet "the Warren Buffett of boutique hotels"...
Hospitality management students from Bournemouth University's School of Tourism have won the very first international 'Passion4Hospitality Management Business Game 2014'. In the final – held last week at University College Birmingham – the Bournemouth University team beat off the fierce challenge of hospitality management student teams from runner-up Lucerne-based IMI University Centre Switzerland; and joint third-placed University College Birmingham and Ipswich-based University Campus Suffolk.
iRiS Software Systems, the award-winning interactive guest services applications provider, announced that its new Delegate app will be used at the International Hotel Technology Forum 2014.Taking place from 1st to 3rd April in Barcelona, IHTF is the leading face- to- face event for the hotel technology industry.
Maybourne Hotel Group, owner and operator of renowned luxury hotels Claridge's, the Connaught and the Berkeley, announced the appointment of Knut Wylde as Hotel Manager of Claridge's in Mayfair where is role will officially commence on 17th March, 2014. Knut Wylde joins Claridge's from Coworth Park a 5-star country house hotel, part of the Dorchester Collection where he held the position as Director of Operations since 2011. Prior to joining Cowarth Park, Knut spent 8 years at some of London's most prestigious properties including The Savoy, St Pancreas Renaissance Hotel, 45 Park Lane and The Lanesborough. In addition, Knut has successfully managed a wide range of projects including the One & Only Reethi Rah in the Maldives where he was the Resident Manager and spent five years with Rosewood Hotels and Resorts in a senior capacity at a number of properties around the globe. Wylde started his career at Hotel Vier Jahresziten in Hamburg nearly twenty years ago, where he climbed the ranks through a range of divisions and operations. Wylde brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the position.
Meliá Hotels International announces that Markella Votsi has been appointed Director of Sales and Marketing for ME London, the ME by Meliá brand’s flagship, five-star property. In September 2013, Votsi began her role as the property's manager and this month, she will begin leading the sales and marketing teams at the cutting-edge, design-forward hotel.
eRevMax has completed integration with Rakuten Travel to offer XML connectivity to its growing base of hotel customers. Accommodation providers, selling inventories on Rakuten Travel, will now be able to make real-time ARI (Availability, Rates & Inventory) updates and receive bookings generated on the channel through eRevMax solutions directly into their property management system.
The new sites – on St Swithin's Lane near Bank, EC4, and on Quaker Street, Shoreditch, E1 – take the total number of secured 'hub by Premier Inn' development sites to nine (of which seven are in central London and two in central Edinburgh).
We have high hopes for London as strong demand drives up ADR. We forecast almost 4% growth for RevPAR in 2014 as rates and occupancy hit new highs. Further records are expected to be broken in 2015.
London will be the city of M&A growth in the hotel sector in 2014 according to a new report being launched by international law firm Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) today. The report presents the views of over 400 hotel industry professionals.