Search - Hospitality Net

October 8, 2010

The Savoy: under pressure as competition intensifies

“There will be a huge interest in The Savoy from people keen to experience and see the result of this refurbishment, so bookings will be strong into Christmas. And guests won’t be disappointed. The hotel has been restored to its former glory - what was needed to be done has been done. What remains to be seen is how Fairmont can drive and maintain business at an average room rate the hotel was never able to operate at previously.

By Russell Kett, Chairman at HVS - London Office, HVS

London, United Kingdom

Press Release Development

October 7, 2010

Sol Melia to Open ME London Hotel in 2012

Leading Spanish hotel and resort operator Sol Melia is pleased to announce the arrival of ME London as the sixth "experience-based," personality hotel to the ME Hotels brand. Formerly the site of the City Bank building, ME London will be designed as a cutting-edge, contemporary hotel by renowned British architect Sir Norman Foster, making the hotel an icon of the London hotel industry for both business and leisure travelers. The property's announcement comes on the heels of ME Hotel's May 2010 groundbreaking of ME Vienna, in addition to its existing properties; ME Madrid, ME Barcelona, ME Cancun and ME Cabo.

Melia

London, United Kingdom

Press Release Development

October 6, 2010

The Savoy London Reopens And A New Era Of Luxury Begins

The Savoy, A Fairmont Managed Hotel, will reopen its doors on Sunday, October 10, 2010. One of this year's most eagerly anticipated openings, The Savoy has been undergoing one of the most ambitious restorations in British history. The hotel closed in December 2007 for a restoration program that encompasses the entire building from the iconic entrance and the American Bar to Savoy Grill and the 268 guestrooms and suites.

FRHI

London, United Kingdom

Report Markets & Performance

October 1, 2010

London’s RevPAR is defying gravity

While the rest of the world’s hotels have struggled to rebound from the global economic downturn, London hotels have defied expectations as rates and occupancies continue to grow. July 2010 marked the highest achieved revenue per available room (RevPAR) reported during the past 11 years in London.

STR Global

London, United Kingdom

Appointment

September 29, 2010

Andrew McPherson has been appointed as General Manager at the Holbeck Ghyll, Country House Hotel

McPherson comes to the hotel after five years at the Swinton Park Hotel in North Yorkshire, which was winner of several local hospitality and green business awards during his time there. Prior to that, McPherson was general manager at celebrity hotspot Skibo Castle for seven years, where he oversaw the wedding of Madonna and Guy Ritchie in 2000. McPherson said: “This is a very exciting opportunity for me, an opportunity I simply could not turn down. Holbeck Ghyll is one of the UK’s leading hotels and attracts guests from all over the world. There’s something very special about the place and I’m looking forward to working with an excellent team in such a beautiful part of the country.”

the Holbeck Ghyll, Country House Hotel

Windermere, Cumbria, United Kingdom

External Article Food & Beverage

September 28, 2010

Do hotels really need full-service restaurants? | londonhotelsinsight.com

London hotels have contrasting views on this particular topic. Flagship hotel restaurants are often seen as a selling point. This especially applies to luxury hotels, with Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester and Gordon Ramsay at Art Deco gem Claridge’s notable examples, along with Galvin at Windows (Hilton on Park Lane) and Apsley’s at the Lanesborough.

londonhotelsinsight.com

London, United Kingdom

Press Release Sales & Marketing

September 27, 2010

Channel 4 ‘Undercover Boss’ to feature on Hotel CEOs Panel Forum on ‘Challenges and Trends for Industry’s Future’ at 5th Annual BAHA Hospitality Finance Conference and IT Exhibition

Some of the hotel industry’s most distinguished chief executives – including a starring participant in Channel 4’s recent TV series ‘Undercover Boss’ – will be putting the ‘Challenges and Trends for the Hotel Industry’s Future’ under the microscope at a Panel Forum on the opening morning of the 5th Annual BAHA Hospitality Finance, Revenue Management and IT Professionals Conference and Exhibition, to be held on Thursday, 25 November 2010 at the Sofitel Hotel, London Heathrow at Terminal 5.

HOSPA

London, United Kingdom

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Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP)

External Article Sales & Marketing

September 21, 2010

Best London hotel blogs dissected | londonhotelsinsight.com

As someone who blogs obsessively about London hotels, I’m sometimes asked by hoteliers if starting a blog makes business sense for them too. My answer is “yes, but only if you are fully committed”. The web is littered with abandoned blogs and the world certainly doesn’t need more of them. What then defines a good hotel blog?

londonhotelsinsight.com

London, United Kingdom

Report Markets & Performance

September 21, 2010

London back on the podium as hotels smash occupancy records

Improving economic conditions, the return of the business traveller and international demand should lift the London rate seven per cent for 2010, with the average room rate (ARR) for the Capital reaching £124 (up from £116 in 2009). This should boost a 2010 RevPAR gain of almost nine per cent.

PwC (UK)

London, United Kingdom

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Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP)

External Article Sales & Marketing

September 17, 2010

U.K. Opens Probe of Online Hotel Bookers | wsj.com

The U.K. Office of Fair Trading said Thursday that it has opened a formal investigation into possible breaches of competition law in the hotel online booking sector. "The investigation is at a very early stage and the OFT will not be in a position to conclude whether it considers the law has been infringed until it has completed its investigation and assessed the available evidence," the agency said in an emailed statement.

WSJ

United Kingdom

Supplier News Sustainability

September 15, 2010

Check Safety First tackles the problem of greenwashing amongst hotels

Hoteliers can now measure their green impact throughCheck Safety First's new environmental module, an add-on to its existing E-Cristal risk management system. The solution will provide the hotel industry with an independent accreditation of their green policies to avoid accusations of "greenwashing".

Check Safety First

United Kingdom

Press Release Sales & Marketing

September 14, 2010

Magnuson Hotels double UK booking volume

Good news for 55 UK affiliates of Magnuson Hotels, the world largest independent hotel group. September 2010 UK hotel bookings are already more than 100% over August. Magnuson Hotels further reports overall UK average room rates in September have already risen by 19% over August, and 9.55% above the comparable national set. These figures are particularly notable as August is traditionally the highest revenue month of the year for most lodging properties.

Magnuson Hotels

United Kingdom

Appointment

September 13, 2010

Marcus Verberne has been appointed as Executive Chef at Rocco Forte's Brown's Hotel

Marcus Verberne has worked alongside Mark Hix for the last 10 years, previously at Le Caprice, J Sheekey and The Ivy, before joining Rocco Forte's Brown's Hotel in February 2008 as Head Chef.

Rocco Forte Hotels

London, United Kingdom

Appointment

September 13, 2010

Joe Ferry has been appointed as Senior Vice President, Global Guest Experience and Design at InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG)

Based in the IHG head office in Denham, just outside London, he will report to Tom Seddon, Chief Marketing Officer. In this new role, Joe will be responsible for ensuring the seven IHG brands including Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza and Hotel Indigo remain unique and innovative, while delivering what guests need and want from their hotel stay.

IHG

Denham, United Kingdom

Supplier News Technology

September 9, 2010

Reliable internet connection is almost as important as a comfy hotel bed

A slow, unreliable internet connection is a source of huge frustration for today's business traveller when staying in hotels, according to independent research of 1,000 UK business travellers conducted by Quadriga. 62 per cent of respondents found having a reliable internet connection was almost as important as a comfortable bed (70 per cent) and decent bathroom facilities (68 per cent).

London, United Kingdom

Appointment

September 7, 2010

John Hazard has been appointed as General Manager at The London Marriott Grosvenor Square

John Hazard, previously general manager at Bristol Royal Marriott, joins the Mayfair hotel with further experience gleaned from Comfort Inn, Choice Hotels and Premier Lodge. He is also joined by Georgina Evagora, director of sales and marketing, and Moira Azzopardi, the new director of revenue strategy.

The London Marriott Grosvenor Square

London, United Kingdom

External Article Sales & Marketing

September 6, 2010

The Crafty Traveller: No-frills hotels - budget brilliance or more than you bargained for? | dailymail.co.uk

Heard about the hotel that charges extra if you want your room cleaned? It sounds like a (bad) joke, doesn't it? But such a hotel actually exists, and it's in London. Last week, Tune Hotels, an Asian chain of budget hotels with properties in Malaysia and Indonesia, opened its first UK hotel, near Waterloo station. The company has plans to open 15 more hotels in the capital over the next seven years.

dailymail.co.uk

London, United Kingdom

Press Release Development

September 6, 2010

citizenM goes international with a new hotel in Scotland | Group confirms four new hotels and more than 1100 rooms in London and New York

On September 9, 2010, the award-winning citizenM hotel group officially opens the doors to its first property outside Amsterdam in the very heart of Glasgow’s city centre, an area bustling with theatre, music, shopping, art and vibrant street life.

Another Star

Glasgow, United Kingdom

Press Release Sales & Marketing

September 6, 2010

Revenue Management ‘Question Time’ to take centre stage at the 5th Annual BAHA Hospitality Finance Conference and IT Exhibition

‘Growing Profitability in an Uncertain Market – The Challenges to Come’ is the title of the 5th Annual BAHA Hospitality Finance Conference and IT Exhibition - to be held on Thursday, 25 November 2010 at the Sofitel Hotel, London Heathrow at Terminal 5

HOSPA

London, United Kingdom

Appointment

September 3, 2010

Tim Cordon has been named General Manager at The Cumberland Hotel

Guoman Hotels has announced the appointment of Tim Cordon as general manager of The Cumberland hotel with immediate effect. Dynamic, passionate and forward thinking, Cordon comes on board with Guoman to further establish the iconic, contemporary, highly design-led, Oxford Street Hotel property as a unique, leading destination in central London. With a successful ten-year track record in developing flagship properties within the Radisson SAS portfolio, including the leading Radisson Blu Portman Square. Cordon will employ his proven expertise to drive forward the hotel's wide-ranging appeal and continually enhance The Cumberland guest experience in its entirety; delivered from the many bedrooms and ample meetings & events space, to the hotel's late-night destination venue, Carbon.

Guoman Hotel Management

London, United Kingdom