Hotels

Interview with Jupiter Hotels’ chief executive Shane Harris

14-May-2014 By Lauren Houghton

In an exclusive interview with BigHospitality, Shane Harris, chief executive of UK hotel management company Jupiter Hotels, talks brand standards, revenue growth and being a catalyst for change. 

New hotel booking website 'gives OTAs the boot'

27-Jan-2014 By Luke Nicholls

The co-founder of a new booking website that allows hotels to bid for guests believes the current Online Travel Agency (OTA) model is an ‘unsustainable, tangled web that only serves the intermediates’.

Andy Townsend: Career Profile

13-Jan-2014 By Emma Eversham

'Serial hotelier' Andy Townsend is chief executive of Legacy Hotels and Resorts, the hotel management company he set up in 2005 following a stint as a divisional director at Macdonald Hotels. The father of five has worked in the industry for...

Bespoke to open Hotel Gotham in Manchester

19-Nov-2013 By Emma Eversham

The Bespoke Hotel Group has announced plans to develop a historic building in Manchester into the 60-bedroom Gotham Hotel, which chairman Robin Sheppard wants to be 'the sexiest hotel in Europe'. 

Qbic: ‘Game-changing’ budget hotel concept hits London

25-Oct-2013 By Luke Nicholls

Qbic, an innovative boutique budget hotel concept that focuses on ‘giving back to the community’, has made its UK debut in the City, with plans to open 10 more properties across the country over the next seven years.  

Independent hotels in coastal areas see greatest number of room closures

14-Oct-2013 By Emma Eversham

A new report has shown that almost 40,000 hotel rooms in the UK closed over the last decade with independent hotels in coastal areas most affected.

glh launches new luxury hotel brand

01-Oct-2013 By Luke Nicholls

Global hotel operator glh has today announced the launch of Clermont – a new international luxury hotel and private residences brand which will make its debut with the conversation of a five-star property in London’s Embankment. 

QHotels completes £150k refurb of Cambridge Belfry hotel

24-Jul-2013 By Peter Ruddick

The Cambridge Belfry hotel re-opens this week following a £150k refurb funded by the property's owner QHotels in order to improve the venue's conference offer.

Grant Hearn to leave Travelodge, new chief executive sought

23-Jul-2013 By Luke Nicholls

Travelodge chief executive Grant Hearn has today announced he will be moving on from the role after 10 years of service with the budget hotel operator.

Hot Hotels: Last-minute hotel booking app launched to fill unoccupied rooms

20-Nov-2012 By Luke Nicholls

Hot Hotels, a new app for the iPhone, Android and BlackBerry platforms, provides hotels with a means of getting rid of their perishable inventory, helping to fill otherwise unoccupied rooms. 

Bloc Hotels to open second property at Gatwick Airport

23-Aug-2012 By Luke Nicholls

Bloc Hotels, the boutique budget hotel operator which opened its first property in Birmingham last year, has secured a second site at Gatwick Airport. 

Heiko Figge: Pearls of Wisdom

19-Jul-2012 By Peter Ruddick

German-born Heiko Figge was appointed managing director of Guoman Hotels and Thistle Hotels at the beginning of 2010 but his association with the hotel industry and the Thistle brand goes much further back as does his commitment to helping employment...

Pearls of Wisdom: Vivien Sirotkin

09-Mar-2012 By Luke Nicholls

In a week that marks International Women’s Day, there is no one better placed to give her thoughts on life, her career and hospitality than Vivien Sirotkin. With over 30 years experience in the industry, Sirotkin - currently director of hotel operations...

London's Cafe Royal to re-open as luxury hotel this summer

24-Feb-2012 By Emma Eversham

Former bar and conference venue Cafe Royal is set to re-open its doors as a 159-bedroom luxury hotel in June following three years of restoration and building work.

Harbour Hotels reveals plans for £25m luxury hotel at Southampton’s Ocean Village

30-Nov-2011 By Luke Nicholls

Harbour Hotels, operator of five hotels along the South Coast, is set to build a brand new, £25m hotel and spa in Southampton’s Ocean Village.

Radisson Edwardian Manchester put up for sale

16-Sep-2011 By Luke Nicholls

Hospitality business advisors Christie + Co have been instructed to market for sale the 5-Star Radisson Edwardian Hotel in Manchester.

Wetherspoon to open three hotels this summer

11-Jul-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Pub group Wetherspoon is preparing to open three new hotels this summer, bringing up the number of hotels in its portfolio to 23.

IDEAS FROM YOUR PEERS

Novak Djokovic-inspired menu at Little Bay and new family policy at Barcelo hotels

01-Jul-2011 By Emma Eversham

Restaurants, pubs and hotels, including Barcelo Hotels and Little Bay restaurants, tell us about the marketing campaigns and promotions they're running this summer to attract customers.

Accor launches All Seasons budget hotel brand

21-Jun-2011 By Lorraine Heller

The Accor Group last week formally launched its budget hotel brand All Seasons in the UK market, ahead of plans to rapidly expand the chain internationally.

Learning from abroad: Hotels

16-Jun-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Many major hotel trends reach our shores after first taking a hold in international markets. In the second part of this month’s feature, BigHospitality takes a look at the latest concepts that have been emerging in hotels abroad.

Von Essen hotel group in administration

21-Apr-2011 By Becky Paskin

Von Essen Hotels Ltd, the holding company of the 28-strong luxury hotel group, has gone into administration after failing to meet its debt repayment schedule.

Zara co-founder to open London Bulgari hotel

02-Feb-2011 By Chris Druce

The co-founder of the Spanish fashion empire that owns Zara is in final-stage talks to invest £350m in a “super-luxury” London hotel bearing the Bulgari name.

Luxury Lanarkshire ""wedding hotel"" up for sale

02-Sep-2010 By Rachel Johnson

A 48 bedroom luxury hotel in south Scotland, touted as an ideal location for weddings, has just gone on the market following a “multi-million pound” redevelopment

Pearls of Wisdom: David Myers

20-Aug-2010 By Chris Druce

David Myers is chief executive of Sleeperz Hotels, which last month secured £7m in funding to build a second hotel in Newcastle as it looks to become a nationwide chain

Starwood Capital’s Louvre Hotels to sell 18 UK properties

16-Jul-2010 By Hamish Smith

Starwood Capital’s Louvre Hotels is to sell its group of 18 UK hotels for £70m, which comprises of 17 Campanile sites and one Première Classe property

New GM for Crewe Hall and education sales director for Elior

07-Apr-2009 By Emma Eversham

QHotels appoints Ian Pollock general manager of Crewe Hall in Cheshire and Elior employs Robert Salmon as education sales director of its Avenance Contracts division