Conor Toomey has been appointed as Head Chef at Amberley Castle
Amberley Castle has appointed Conor Toomey as executive chef, replacing Robby Jenks who has moved to the Vineyard, near Newbury.
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Karen Johnston has been appointed as General Manager at Hotel Indigo Edinburgh
Splendid Hospitality Group appoints Karen Johnston as General Manager of Hotel Indigo Edinburgh. Joining from the Mercure Hotel, Perth, Karen brings with her over 24 years of experience and will be focusing on delivering outstanding service to all their guests and introducing some new & interesting food and drink concepts.
Doyle's The Kensington re-launches after a complete transformation
Following an extensive renovation, The Kensington - London's finest townhouse hotel - has re-launched. The majestic property sits in the heart of South Kensington, where Queen's Gate meets the Old Brompton Road and comprises four traditional white Victorian townhouses. Set amongst the leafy squares, museums and parks of the Royal borough, The Kensington now feels more like a beautiful private residence than traditional hotel. Its 126 rooms and 14 suites are individually designed with elegant fabrics and custom furnishings to complement the hotel's period architecture.
Mark Tasker has been appointed as General Manager at Hotel Indigo Liverpool
Hotel Indigo Liverpool has appointed hotelier Mark Tasker as its new general manager. Formerly GM of Holiday Inn, Ellesmere Port, Mark, 36, comes with 20 years of hospitality managerial experience, with previous posts including Crowne Plaza, Liverpool, and 62 Castle Street. His appointment comes as the four-star boutique hotel prepares to enter an extensive refurbishment programme later this year.
Tom Biddle has been appointed as Executive Chef at Park Regis Birmingham
Park Regis Birmingham has appointed experienced chef Tom Biddle as Executive Chef, with responsibility for all of the hotels food and beverage offerings.
Charlie Parker has been appointed as General Manager at Four Seasons Hotel London at Ten Trinity Square
Veteran Four Seasons executive Charlie Parker is trading in his tweeds for a Savile Row suit as he makes the move from Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire to the new Four Seasons Hotel London at Ten Trinity Square. “Everyone who knows Charlie knows he is a history lover, so when the opportunity arose to open this magnificent heritage property in England, he was the very best choice for General Manager,” notes Christian Clerc, President, Hotel Operations – Europe, Middle East and Africa. “Charlie is an accomplished hotelier who will lead the team in opening this special hotel and bringing its past – and future – to life for Four Seasons guests.”
Gareth Evans has been appointed as Head of Sales at Tune Hotels
Malaysian-based budget brand Tune Hotels has appointed Gareth Evans as head of sales to oversee the group’s UK portfolio.
HSMAI Region Europe invites you to take part in a survey about Engagement with Future Talent
See Steven Dow, VP Revenue Management Europe at Diamond Resorts International, and David Turnbull, Co-Founder and COO at Snapshot, introduce the initiative in a short video.
Hotel Bulletin Q4 2015
London will see the opening of a massive 7,000 hotel rooms this year, double that of last year's openings, putting additional pressure on occupancy levels and achieved room rates. Across the UK some 16,000 hotel rooms are expected to open this year, compared with 10,000 last year, according to the latest Hotel Bulletin: Q4 2015, which is published by HVS in conjunction with AlixPartners and AM:PM. RevPAR growth across 12 UK cities in Q4 2015 was an average of 2%, significantly lower that the 19% average growth recorded in Q4 2014, with occupancy in the same period falling in eight of the 12 cities. London's occupancy declined for the fourth consecutive quarter. 'The huge amount of openings planned for 2016 in London will be of concern to the city's hoteliers who, while historically are used to robust performance, are currently experiencing limited demand growth,' commented HVS chairman Russell Kett. 'Flat or declining occupancy is historically followed by plateauing rates indicating that a peak in hotel market trading may nearly have been reached,' he added. Over half of the UK's development pipeline opening within the next three years are in the budget sector (51%), made up of hostels, budget and two-star hotels. The second largest growth sector is that of four-star properties at 28%. Some 9% of the development pipeline are apartments, while a further 9% are five-star hotels. 'As has been the case for some time, future openings are heavily biased towards the budget hotel sector as these are relatively quick and cheap to build and offer good returns,' said Kett. 'Demand for budget rooms is still strong from both the leisure and the business sector proving the format is one of the most successful in the hotel business. This growth is likely to continue, particularly with new players emerging such as Premier Inn's super budget hub concept.' The UK's current supply of hotel rooms is split fairly evenly between the key sectors with a third (33%) of supply being budget rooms, 30% being three-star, and 30% being four-star properties. Apartments currently make up just 3% of supply, with five-star properties making up 4%. Notable hotel openings in Q4 2015 included four new hotels under various Hilton brands, totalling 654 bedrooms. Travelodge grew its presence in London to more than 8,000 bedrooms following openings in Hackney and Richmond, while IHG opened the doors at its five-star, 453 bedroom InterContinental London – the O2.
By Russell Kett, Chairman at HVS - London Office, HVS
Pauline Houston has been appointed as Global Director - Hotel Communities at American Express Global Business Travel
American Express Global Business Travel (GBT) today announces the appointment of Pauline Houston as Global Director of Hotel Community, based in the United Kingdom. In this role, Pauline is responsible for the management of the hotel community team and for leading American Express’ hotel value proposition, development and delivery.
HSMAI European Best in Class Marketing laureates 2015 and “Top 20 Extraordinary Minds In Sales, Marketing & Technology across Europe 2015” named
"The TOP 20 EXTRAORDINARY MINDS IN SALES, MARKETING & TECHNOLOGY across Europe" were appointed during a festive event in London Wednesday 10 February 2016, in which also Best in Class winners were named in several categories.
"The 2015 Top 20 laureates are judged for their recent work, based on the following criteria: creativity and innovation, cutting edge sales, marketing, revenue and technology campaigns, achievement in challenging situations, and sales efforts resulting in significant gains, by a panel of senior executives. We are deeply impressed by, and proud to presents this year's winners," says Ingunn Hofseth, President & CEO of HSMAI Region Europe.
Luxury Hotels Group to Host the Women in Travel (WINiT) European Networking Event
Luxury Hotels Group is delighted to host the WINiT European conference and networking event at the Montcalm London Marble Arch on February 22nd, 2016. With various travel managers and UK hotels in attendance – with Craig Kreeger, Chief Executive, Virgin Atlantic Airways, as Keynote Speaker for their European half-day Conference in London in conjunction with the Business Travel Show - the inspiring half-day conference will deliver discussions on negotiating skills and dealing with challenging people. This is an exceptional opportunity to debate and take away resources on key issues in the industry. Networking will follow the conference, with drinks and canapés from 5 to 7pm.
HOSPA announces joint membership agreement with international association - Hotel Technology Next Generation (HTNG)
HOSPA – the Hospitality Finance, Revenue Management and IT Professionals Association – is delighted to announce that it has formed a 'Joint Membership Agreement' with Chicago-based Hotel Technology Next Generation (HTNG), the global trade association dedicated to defining technology solutions and their deployment in hotels.
IHG signs dual branded hotel development near Heathrow Airport
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), one of the world's leading hotel companies, has announced the signing of a dual branded hotel development near Heathrow Airport, London. The two hotels Holiday Inn® London - Heathrow Bath Road and Staybridge Suites® London - Heathrow Bath Road will operate under a franchise agreement with Bathroad Corp Sarl.
Richard Finn has been appointed as General Manager at Hilton Cambridge City Centre
Prior to his new role in Cambridge, Richard has spent the past year on secondment as cluster director of business development for Hilton, UK. During his secondment, Richard was responsible for development and strategy at 14 regional UK Hilton Hotels, covering all segments and channels to maximise revenue and profit.
Moustafa ElGayar has been appointed as Director of Food & Beverage at Shangri-La Hotel, At The Shard
Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts is delighted to announce the appointment of Moustafa Elgayar to the role of Director of Food & Beverage, at Shangri-La Hotel, At The Shard, London. Elgayar arrives at Shangri-La London from sister hotel Shangri-La Vancouver where he was previously the Director of Food & Beverage.
Starwood Inks Deal for Fourth UK Aloft Hotel
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) today announced it has entered into a franchise agreement with Brighton and Hove Albion to open a new Aloft hotel in the popular southern England coastal city. The 150-room Aloft Brighton, which is due to open in September 2017, will expand the brand's growing footprint to four hotels in the UK, including two in London (Aloft London Tobacco Dock opens 2018), one in Liverpool and now one in Brighton.
Donna Paraliticci has been appointed as General Manager at Embassy Suites Amarillo Downtown
NewcrestImage, owner and developer of the new Embassy Suites Amarillo Downtown here, has named Donna Paraliticci as general manager.
Gareth Bowen has been appointed as Executive Head Chef at Shangri-La Hotel, At The Shard
The Shangri-La Hotel, At The Shard, has appointed Gareth Bowen as executive chef, replacing Emil Minev who has headed the kitchens at London’s first elevated hotel since opening in May 2014.
Three graphics to Help Plan your Hotel Stay
The most & least expensive capital cities in Europe. To help plan your next hotel stay, hotel search website trivago.co.uk has created three money-saving infographics: the first showing the most popular destinations among UK travellers, the second showing the cheapest and most expensive city breaks and the third showing the cheapest beach towns – perfect for planning your next summer holiday.