Antonio Sanchez has been appointed as General Manager at Malmaison Cheltenham
Antonio Sanchez has been promoted to GM of Malmaison Cheltenham, having previously held the position of deputy GM at Malmaison Oxford, a role he held for a year.
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Final Flourish Secures Annual Profit Growth for UK Hotels
A strong finish to 2018 secured a second consecutive year of GOPPAR growth for UK's hotels, as they sidestepped challenging economic and political conditions, according to the latest data tracking full-service hotels from HotStats.
Supply Increase Impacts Occupancy in UK’s Provincial Hotels
The fortunes of London's hotels compared with those in the provinces widened in Q4 2018 as occupancy in London rose by 5% year-on-year compared with a more modest 1% increase in hotels outside the capital.
Hilton and Dominvs Group Strengthen Partnership with Four New UK Hotels
Hilton (NYSE: HLT) and Dominvs Group have today announced plans to extend their partnership with new hotels planned in Bath and London. The news follows confirmation that the first hotel under Motto by Hilton - Hilton's new urban lifestyle brand - is under construction with Dominvs Group in Marylebone, Central London.
London's Paddington Neighborhood Prepares For Dual-brand Hotel
London's Paddington neighborhood is getting a new 620-room hotel and hybrid "aparthotel" complex. The dual-brand Premier Inn and Staycity property is expected to open by 2021. UK-based investment manager M&G has acquired the long-leasehold interest of the development site and will finance the development of the hotel complex. The construction will be carried out by development consortium Concierge 3 Limited (a joint venture partnership of The Pickstock Group, Staycity and BSW Land & Property Ltd.). The capital is provided by the £4.1-billion M&G Secured Property Income Fund, which invests in UK real-estate assets rented on long-term leases, usually with rents that increase in line with inflation.
Alex Caetano has been promoted to Hotel Manager at Park Plaza London Park Royal
PPHE Hotel Group ("PPHE" or the "Group"), an international hospitality real estate group which owns and develops hotels and resorts, operates the Park Plaza® Hotels & Resorts brand in EMEA and owns the art'otel® brand, is pleased to announce the promotion of Alex Caetano to Hotel Manager at Park Plaza London Park Royal.
Chris Rooney has been named Talent and Culture Manager at InterContinental London – The O2
InterContinental London - The O2, managed and operated by the Arora Group, has announced the appointment of Chris Rooney as Talent and Culture Manager. Chris joins the Greenwich-Peninsula based InterContinental London - The O2 from his previous role as People and Culture Manager for Primark in Westfield Stratford City, where he managed the HR function for approximately 650 employees.
Travelodge Launches New Recruitment Programme To Help Unemployed Mums & Dads Return To Work
Travelodge, the UK's first budget hotel chain, today launches a new recruitment programme targeting mums and dads looking to get back into work by offering: jobs with hours that fit around the school run, a work buddy and access to management training.
Barnaby Kean has been appointed as General Manager at Holiday Inn Express Bridgwater
In anticipation of the Holiday Inn Express Bridgwater opening in spring 2019, Barnaby Kean has been newly appointed as General Manager. Barnaby (37) will lead the team at the new 138-bedroom hotel, which is operated by the UK's leading independent hotel management company, RBH.
How authentic and alternative accommodations are fuelling the UK traveller
London - Ever dreamt of staying in a lodge to observe wildlife in its natural habitat? Or of spending a holiday in an idyllic country house to reconnect with nature? Research from Booking.com has uncovered that one fifth of UK travellers (26%)* plan to stay in one of the aforementioned types of accommodation in 2019.
Staybridge Suites® Opens At Heathrow Airport
Designed to meet the needs of guests who may be staying for extended periods of time, Staybridge Suites London- Heathrow Bath Road has 145 spacious studio rooms and 45 one-bedroom suites that are all equipped with a fully-fitted kitchen, allowing people to enjoy a flexible space to relax, play and work. As with all Staybridge Suites® hotels globally, the hotel has a pantry-style food store, called The Pantry, providing guests with everything from snacks and ready-made meals, to toiletries and washing detergent for the complimentary on-site launderette.
Mondrian London To Become Sea Containers London
As of today, January 15, 2019, award-winning South Bank design hotel, Mondrian London will officially become Sea Containers London. Paying homage to the history of the iconic building in which the hotel sits, the new name will also mark the hotel's independent status, as it will now be managed by Lore Group, as part of its collection of independent hotels.
STR: Preliminary December data for London hotels
STR's preliminary December 2018 data for London, England, indicates higher performance levels. Based on daily data from the month, London reported the following in year-over-year comparisons:
Inn-charge: Premier Inn Trials UK’s First Battery-powered Hotel
The Gyle at Edinburgh Park, Premier Inn, has become the UK's first battery-powered hotel in a bid to improve energy efficiency, secure power supply and enable energy cost savings on-site.
First European Hotel to Join Hilton’s New Luxury Collection Prepares to Welcome Guests in Spring 2019
The Biltmore, Mayfair is set to open as LXR Hotels & Resorts' first UK property, following an agreement between Hilton (NYSE: HLT) and Millennium & Copthorne Hotels plc (LSE: MLC). The luxury hotel, situated in a super prime location in the heart of Mayfair on Grosvenor Square, will open for business in Spring 2019, marking the new brand's European debut.
Syed Hossain has been appointed as General Manager at Holiday Inn Express London – Limehouse
A new General Manager has joined the team at the capital's Holiday Inn Express London - Limehouse.Hotelier Syed Hossain has taken the reins at the 150-bed hotel at London's Docklands, which is operated by RBH, the UK's leading independent hotel management company.
Developing a concept with blood, sweat and expertise
Growing up in a family who owned and operated a fast food business, I spent most of my early years working in the family business; from weekend shifts during school term and remembering my school holidays as days in the shop rather than on the beach. Unknowingly I was learning valuable lessons in business operations and management. When completing high school, I continued to work in the family business for some time, whilst studying part time to obtain the theoretical techniques in business which I felt were missing. I finally moved away from the family business and began developing a career in the hotel industry, focusing on F&B. With the ten years of experience I gained, my life savings, and a loan from the bank which my parents were kind enough to guarantee, I decided to open my first café. Having a strong eagerness to succeed, an entrepreneurial approach, much motivation, lots of hard work and initiative, the small café business grew to a company of twelve restaurants, cafes and retail over a six year period. Three restaurants were accoladed with a one hat rating (Michelin star equivalent in Australia), which I was most proud of. In a quick paragraph, it sounds quite simple, however there were so many factors to obtaining this achievement and success; a great team, an open mindedness, many long hours and stress and most importantly, creative ideas.I later sold the company, and utilised my education, sixteen years hospitality experience and proven track record, to spend the next ten years travelling the world and working in some of the m ost amazing cities at senior level for some great company's. The past ten years has been much about advising and strategizing for companies and individuals; implementing, developing and creating cool concepts globally; and managing organisations with many talented individuals. Savvy IQ (the consulting company I founded), creates concepts and advises in operations on a regular basis to many restaurant groups, hotel chains and small and large businesses. After much advising and a long pause in self-employment, I decided to step back into ownership and implement everything I have been mentoring others. Hence the birth of Bao & Bing in Marylebone, London.I discovered an Italian deli/cafe in Marylebone that was on the market which I managed to turn it into a Taiwanese restaurant in just under ten weeks; which was a challenge to say the least. Now with three weeks of trading, we have been blessed with success and the feedback has been amazing. Everyone is rav ing about the food, the service is on par, the ambience (lighting and music) is exciting and we have created a cool, fun vibe in a neighbourhood that was crying out for something different. The systems (POS, HR, Cost control etc) all running perfectly. The social media is exciting and the reviews have been great. So why is that so? The idea, passion and hunger to succeed was there, coupled with personally touching all aspects of the concept; from design, food, uniforms, lighting, music choice, strategy, IT etc etc....... And all on a budget!Where are we now? We are developing phase two of our menu. Adding our specials that will launch in the new year; creating our secret menu dish which is revealed to guests with a code word written in Mandarin on a light-box on the wall; planning the launch of our prosecco bao brunch; And in the first quarter of 2019, we will launch our breakfast offering. Constant innovation, development and creativity.Creativity breeds excitement and innovation. Constant development and the need to keep touching the business personally. How did we create Bao & Bing?First of all was to let the creativity flow. I had to develop a concept where the gap in the market existed. The need to consider a cuisine that is well renowned for its flavours; and above all, develop a price point so that the venue could become an affordable everyday dining experience; whilst considering a simplified model for operations, cost management and scalability.Ideas were thrown around our 'Savvy IQ think tank', from Cuban, Mexican, Chinese, Italian, Indian; and then together we redefined every cuisine idea to specific localised regions of each country. But then it came to me! I travel to Taiwan regularly, I love the food, I love the culture and I am passionate about the country. Most probably heavily influenced from the beautiful Taiwanese girl I married ten years ago, who I now have two fun loving kids with. Now it was time to develop the idea further and create the concept.To begin, I considered a simple formula many of you may know and one I have lived by: Good food, good service, fun ambience all at the right price. So here are some points on how to develop and create ideas.Write ideas down straight away when they come to mind. In this day and age where we carry our smartphones everywhere, we can take pictures, write notes and record ideas. I have lost so many ideas in my time; and am reminded of them after I see it again a second time round; most times it's too late to use. I now tend to use Pinterest to grab ideas for lighting, finishes, décor, food and beverage; And I look at what attracts me to a picture and constantly update my boards. So begin the concept creation by collating as many inspirations as possible through your travels, the internet or any other form that inspires you.In Bao & Bing, we have a 'Bingo Wh eel'. When your bill arrives, the customer picks a number between 1 and 90 for the chance to have the check on the house. Was it my idea? No. I noted a similar game in an Italian concept during my travels in Beirut. The restaurant used a container with 90 balls, and the game was called tombola. The numbers were shaken in a container and you had a chance to have the meal on the house. it was all very subtle when the waiter came about and there was no real impact from this great offering. My part was document this great idea, for a potential later use. So what did we do differently? We made it a little more exciting. We invite the guests to come to the bar where the Bingo wheel is sitting in top of an old stereo and ask them to pick a number between 1 and 90. When the customer comes to the bar, we turn on the stereo to play an old Taiwanese song (quite loudly to gain attention of the other guests) and slowly spin the wheel. I have never seen so many people happy to see the bill arrive!Stop doing the same thing over and over. Focus on doing something different. Not to say you should not practice and implement everything you have learnt or been taught. However, as I previously mentioned my initiation into the hospitality industry was through my parents business. I soon realised after working in the hotel industry and studying management, that there were many ways my parents could have of improved their business model. Not to say they were not successful, but they did the same thing day in day out for so many years and could have possibly grown their business further if they perhaps made some changes. Look at the success stories in life and in business and put together a pool of items that will make your concept successful. Ideas are always recycled, amended and perfected. But there is always a starting point that sparks the idea. Use people around you to bounce ideas. At Savvy IQ, we have a regular think ta nk on ideas for different focuses. Be it concept creation, marketing, IT systems, business development or just a general catch up as to how we can do things better. In these meetings I have been the developer of many bad ideas; however, around a group of talented people, we have turned an initial not so good idea into an amazing idea. Sometimes it requires a spark to get things going. Everyone involved in generating ideas should know everything about the brief. Do not hold anything back and be transparent. Even if there's something that you think is not relevant, it still should bel included to get ideas moving.Read magazines, articles and industry news. Reading is the best way for creating new thoughts and stimulating great ideas. I constantly read and I subscribe to many publications. Even when I am time poor, I make an effort to skim through magazines or articles on the web. I have added business books to my routine over the years, which has helped me learn more and expand my way of thinking. Try and make time for reading. I am just as guilty as the next person with distraction of social media. However, put a pause on the social media an you'll find plenty of thought stimulation with a book.
By Paul Sarlas, Founder/CEO, Savvy IQ
New Hometel Concept room2 Receives Industry Recognition
Property developer Lamington Group has received industry recognition at The Association of Serviced Apartment Providers (ASAP) Awards, winning two awards for its new hometel concept room2.Lamington Group won the Industry Breakthrough and Innovation Award for the room2 hometel concept, awarded to a company which demonstrates a product or service innovation that has led to commercial success or had a significant impact on the Servi ced Apartment Sector. The company also won the SME Business of the Year Award, which recognises an outstanding small business over the last financial year thanks also to the performance of Lamington Serviced Apartments, its London-based portfolio.The room2 brand was created by Lamington Group, which opened room2 Hammersmith in 2016. The site was used as a pilot to test and refine the hometel concept, which was launched with the UK's first fully-fledged hometel in Southampton in 2018.Although it's only been six months since opening, the initial commercial signs and guest feedback for room2 Southampton have been highly positive. Occupancy forecasts for the first financial year have been revised upwards, surpassing expectations, and guests are not only advocates of the concept but are also keen to see further expansion across the UK.Robert Godwin, Managing Director, commented, "We are thrilled to be awarded the 2018 Innovation Award, which h as helped us to continue to grow and develop Lamington Group. This industry recognition confirms the support for and excitement around the hometel concept."A lot of hard work went into creating the concept and it was designed to push the boundaries of the hospitality sector and this has clearly been recognised by the industry as a real breakthrough. We thank the judges and ASAP for this recognition and their ongoing support, and we are looking forward to continuing to develop the room2 brand throughout the UK over the next few years." room2 has gone above and beyond the usual new hotel market requirements, such as modern design, quality bedding and free wifi. It has focused on creating memorable experiences for guests: the 24 hour stay; check-in via one of three methods; multiple dining options that include full in-room kitchens, as well as more traditional dining options; communal guest laundry, and long-stay lockers. Above all, the emphasis is o n allowing guests to utilise the space as if it were their own home, with flexibility and freedom.Following the success of room2 Southampton, the company is currently working on plans to open more hometels across the UK, with planning permission agreed for further hometels in Chiswick and Manchester.
Premier Inn secures 400-bedroom hotel in east London
Premier Inn secures 400-bedroom hotel in east London
Travelodge Opens New Flagship Hotel In Lincoln City Centre
Today, Travelodge, Lincolnshire's first budget hotel brand celebrates 30 years of trading in the county with a hat trick of growth and investment announcements. This includes the official opening of its new Lincolnshire flagship hotel, Lincoln City Centre Travelodge.