United Kingdom

Half of travellers want more information on hotels’ green practices

29-Jul-2014 By Melodie Michel

Almost half (44 per cent) of European travellers feel that hotels don’t currently provide enough information on their environmental practices, a TripAdvisor survey has found.

Qbic reveals UK expansion plans

21-Jul-2014 By Melodie Michel

Hotel pod specialist Qbic has revealed plans to open two new locations a year in the UK starting next year, after launching its first London venture last November.

Glasgow hotel prices up by £200 during Commonwealth Games

17-Jul-2014 By Carina Perkins

Glasgow hotel prices have risen to an average of £344 per night during the Commonwealth Games, according to the latest figures from travel website trivago.

Number one Mexican soda brand Jarritos launched in UK

16-Jul-2014 By Carina Perkins

Bloomsbury Drinks Limited is introducing the popular Mexican soda Jarritos to the UK for restaurants and pubs looking to capitalise on the popularity of Mexican cuisine.

Raymond Blanc backs Cut Tourism VAT campaign

14-Jul-2014 By Melodie Michel

Celebrity chef and hotelier Raymond Blanc is supporting the campaign to cut VAT on accommodation and attractions in the UK.

Santander commits £100m to Scottish hotel and leisure sectors

08-Jul-2014 By Melodie Michel

Santander has committed another £70m to the Scottish hotel and leisure sectors for 2014 after already lending £30m since the beginning of the year.

Gordon Ramsay backs British food sourcing campaign

03-Jul-2014 By Melodie Michel

Gordon Ramsay is backing the UK Trade and Investment’s (UKTI) ‘Food it GREAT’ campaign and curated a gala menu for its Food & Drink Summit yesterday (3 July).

Cut Tourism VAT campaign hits Westminster

02-Jul-2014 By Carina Perkins

Campaigners drove a ‘mobile beach’ from Downing Street to Parliament Square as part of the ongoing campaign to cut UK tourism VAT to 5 per cent.

UK Restaurant Manager of the Year 2014 competition launches

01-Jul-2014 By Lauren Houghton

The Academy of Food & Wine Service’s UK Restaurant Manager of the Year competition, now in its sixth year, has started its search for the 2014 champion. 

Give Us A Break: New campaign to cut tourism VAT

30-Jun-2014 By Carina Perkins

The Sun newspaper has launched a campaign calling on Chancellor George Osborne to cut VAT on hotel accommodation and attractions to 5 per cent.

Aparthotels Adagio comes to London

27-Jun-2014 By Lauren Houghton

Serviced apartment provider Aparthotels Adagio has just announced its plans to develop two new aparthotels in London, which will mark the company’s first venture into the nation’s capital. 

Summer trends: all about staycations

24-Jun-2014 By Lauren Houghton

TripAdvisor has just released its travel trends for British travellers this summer and results show that staycations are going to be popular, with UK cities taking 6 of the top 15 travel destination spots.

Accor to open its second UK Pullman branded hotel in Liverpool

23-Jun-2014 By Lauren Houghton

Accor has announced it will open a 216 bedroom hotel under its Pullman brand, due to open in summer 2015 at the Kings Dock in Liverpool.

St Giles reveals UK hotel expansion plans

18-Jun-2014 By Melodie Michel

Hotel brand St Giles has revealed plans for a £300m development in Blackfriars, along with expansion of its Heathrow hotel and the potential opening of a small hotel in Richmond.

Hospitality industry welcomes visa changes for Chinese visitors

17-Jun-2014 By Melodie Michel

The government’s decision to streamline UK visa applications from Chinese nationals has been welcomed by the hospitality industry.

Top 10 most visited UK cities 2013

09-Jun-2014 By Melodie Michel

According to figures released by the Office of National Statistics (ONS), 2013 saw the top seven unmoved, with London still unsurprisingly number one. 

Staycity signs deal for Birmingham serviced apartment development

23-May-2014 By Carina Perkins

Serviced apartment operator Staycity has signed a £17m deal to build a block of 170 apartments in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter.

Good April growth for UK hotels

21-May-2014 By Melodie Michel

Hotels both in London and in the region saw increases in room yields and occupancy thanks to a good Easter weekend and warmer weather.

Economy segment to push UK hotel performance growth

15-May-2014 By Melodie Michel

Experts have forecast solid growth, led by the economy segment, in the UK hotel sector in 2014.

Egerton House Hotel tops TripAdvisor awards for customer service

13-May-2014 By Carina Perkins

Boutique Knightsbridge property Egerton House Hotel has been rated number one in the UK for customer service by TripAdvisor reviewers.

London more visited in 2013 than in Olympics year

08-May-2014 By Melodie Michel

London welcomed 16.8m international visitors in 2013, surpassing a 2012 performance boosted by the Olympics and the Queen’s Jubilee.

Travelodge pumps up rebranding effort

07-May-2014 By Melodie Michel

Travelodge is launching a £25m TV advertising campaign to promote its new look after a £57m modernisation programme.

Let's get social: Twitter launches #RestaurantWeek to help promote industry

07-May-2014 By Carina Perkins

Twitter has launched a new initiative - #RestaurantWeek - to help the UK restaurant industry boost business and connect with customers.

Accor reports strong Q1 results following business split

22-Apr-2014 By Carina Perkins

Global hotel group Accor is celebrating the success of its new business strategy after recording healthy growth in the first quarter.

Happy Easter: Top 20 staycation destinations revealed

10-Apr-2014 By Luke Nicholls

Hospitality businesses across the UK are set to benefit from a £2bn boost to the economy as British parents will fork out an average of £478.25 over the Easter holiday.

Travellers’ Choice: Top 10 UK tourism hotspots

08-Apr-2014 By Luke Nicholls

London is the third-best travel destination in the world, according to TripAdvisor’s sixth annual Travellers’ Choice awards for Destinations. But which UK cities make up the top 10?

Albion Racing Club targets new generation of whisky drinkers with spiced malt

12-Mar-2014 By Luke Nicholls

Albion Racing Club (ARC) is making its first foray into the world of brown spirits with the UK launch of its eponymous British Spiced Malt to on-trade.

Scottish Tourism Week kicks off in Edinburgh

11-Mar-2014 By Carina Perkins

Scotland’s hospitality operators are gathering in Edinburgh this week to discuss how the region can capitalise on tourism growth.

Marco Pierre White to open 50 new restaurants

03-Mar-2014 By Luke Nicholls

Marco Pierre White has signed a major deal with a hotel development company which will see the ‘godfather of modern cooking’ roll out 50 branded restaurants across the UK and Northern Ireland over the next five years.

Heavy duty griddles added to Q90 modular range

17-Feb-2014 By Luke Nicholls

Twelve gas and seven electric, high performance griddles have been introduced as part of Q90 - the Middleby Group’s 70-piece modular range of 900mm deep commercial catering equipment. 

New initiative calls on foodservice sector to buy British

07-Feb-2014 By Carina Perkins

Foodservice sustainability group Footprint has launched a new initiative to encourage hospitality and catering businesses to source more British food.

Parliament to debate hospitality and tourism VAT

06-Feb-2014 By Carina Perkins

After years of industry campaigning, Parliament will next week hold a debate on VAT rates for tourism and hospitality.

Beer sales rise for second consecutive quarter

28-Jan-2014 By Carina Perkins

For the first time in a decade, British beer sales have increased for two consecutive quarters.

Hampton by Hilton to make Scottish debut

21-Jan-2014 By Emma Eversham

Hilton Worldwide is to open its first hotel in Scotland under its Hampton by Hilton brand after securing a franchise agreement with property company SCOT Sheridan and Curo West Campbell. 

BBPA partners with Pubs of Ulster

18-Dec-2013 By Luke Nicholls

The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has formed a new partnership with Pubs of Ulster, the professional body of the Retail Licensed Trade in Northern Ireland.

UK hotel rates slip as London capitalises on Olympic boost

11-Dec-2013 By Luke Nicholls

Average room prices for hotels in most major cities have dropped in the third quarter of 2013, reflecting the year-on-year changes in demand following last year’s Olympic boost.

Britannia’s profits plunge as recession takes its toll

22-Nov-2013 By Luke Nicholls

Less than a month after being named as ‘the worst hotel chain in the UK’ by consumer watchdog Which?, Britannia hotels has reported a 69 per cent fall in pre-tax profits due to ‘additional demands on the business’.

Hospitable nation: Britain ranks in top 10 of most welcoming countries

19-Nov-2013 By Emma Eversham

Britain has ranked for the first time within the top 10 most welcoming nations while also retaining its third place as Overall Nation Brand for the third year running. 

Accor makes ‘significant progress' in 2013 as UK hotels outperform rest of world

18-Oct-2013 By Luke Nicholls

Hotel giant Accor says its portfolio of brands ‘has continued to gain traction’ across the UK, with six hotels opened so far this year and a ‘healthy’ development pipeline. 

The Middleby Corporation brings Q90 modular range to the UK

25-Sep-2013 By Emma Eversham

Foodservice equipment provider The Middleby Corporation is intent on bringing 'European style' to the UK with the launch of the Q90, a 70-piece modular range of 900mm deep commercial catering equipment. 

Itsu heads to Oxford for first site outside London

24-Sep-2013 By Emma Eversham

Julian Metcalfe's Asian-inspired restaurant brand Itsu will open its first site outside London - in Oxford - this week as it looks to grow the business further in the UK and abroad.

FriFri launches 'Super Easy' built-in fryer range

29-Jul-2013 By Luke Nicholls

Commercial deep-fat fryer manufacturer FriFri has launched three new, high quality built-in fryers to form its ‘Super Easy’ range, which focuses on reliability and ease of use.

Andrew Fairlie and Beppo Buchanan Smith to debate impact of Scottish independence on hospitality

24-Jul-2013 By Emma Eversham

Chef Andrew Fairlie and hotelier Beppo Buchanan Smith are to take part in a debate that will study the impact Scottish independence could have on the nation's food, drink and hospitality sectors. 

Fifteen UK hotels make Expedia Insiders' Select list

24-Jul-2013 By Emma Eversham

Fifteen hotels in the UK, including The Knight Residence in Edinburgh and The Chancery Court Hotel in London, have made this year's Expedia's Insider Select list, the online travel agency's annual ranking of the 650 best hotels across the...

The Cavendish drops room rates by 15% to back Cut Tourism VAT campaign

24-Jul-2013 By Emma Eversham

The Cavendish in London is cutting its room rates by 15 per cent this summer to simulate the effect reducing VAT to 5 per cent throughout the hospitality and tourism sectors would have on the UK economy. 

South Lakes MP supports Cut Tourism VAT campaign

25-Jun-2013 By Emma Eversham

South Lakes MP Tim Farron has pledged his support of the Cut Tourism VAT campaign and is putting pressure on the Treasury to bring tax rates for hotels, restaurants and other hospitality and leisure businesses into line with those in other European countries. 

Two-thirds of Brits to holiday at home this summer says Travelodge survey

20-May-2013 By Emma Eversham

A survey by budget hotel operator Travelodge has revealed that almost two thirds (65 per cent) of Brits will be spending their summer holiday on home turf this year with London replacing Cornwall as the top holiday destination for domestic tourists. 

St Ermin's hotel joins Marriott's Autograph Collection

03-May-2013 By Peter Ruddick

St Ermin's hotel in Westminster has become the third UK hotel to join Marriott International's Autograph Collection of venues ending a relationship the property had with global operator Accor.

Nestle Toque d'Or 2013 finalists announced

29-Apr-2013 By Emma Eversham

The eight catering colleges with teams going through to the final of the 2013 Nestle Toque d'Or competition have been revealed following intense regional heats.

Premier Inn secures four hotel sites in Scotland

10-Apr-2013 By Peter Ruddick

Budget hotel operator Premier Inn has announced it has secured sites for four new hotels in Scotland, adding nearly 400 bedrooms north of the border.