What Skype did for phone calls and Easyjet did for air travel, start-up Bidroom.com now plans to do for hotel reservations – and H&C News will be watching closely to see if and how UK hotels take up the Bidroom proposition… At present, customers using hotel booking sites, and the hotels themselves, are getting a rotten deal. That's because of the enormous commissions that … [Read more...]
Craft Keg beer: growing range, sales and – now – availability
CraftKeg.com has just launched with the specific objective of delivering a range of UK Keg Beers to the on-trade: it will deliver a range of craft keg beers direct from any participating brewer to any UK mainland Pub, Hotel or Restaurant within 48 hours with no minimum order quantity. Hotels and restaurants may find this service of particular interest and value. One Way Kegs: … [Read more...]
The Keys to Growth: 21st Annual General Managers’ Conference
Last week’s Master Innholders Conference was attended by a record number of delegates, who much enjoyed the facilities and both excellent and extensive refreshments provided by the venue – the Park Plaza Westminster – including the ‘sweet stall’, which many found irresistible. As ever, the two day event provided multiple opportunities for networking: this is certainly one of … [Read more...]
Hotel Xenia appoints Giacomo Battafarano as GM
Kensington’s Hotel Xenia has appointed Giacomo Battafarano as new General Manager of the 99-roomed design-led boutique hotel which opened in 2013 in Kensington. Formerly at Hotel Imperiale Taormina in Sicily for the past five years, overseeing its extensive refurbishment and relaunch, Giacomo now brings his broad international experience to Hotel Xenia. His career in the … [Read more...]
Sellers needed as hotel buyers return to market
West Country hotels specialists Colliers International report a significant increase in activity going in to 2014 - and have already chalked up half a dozen sales across the region. Latest figures show hotel transactions across the UK as a whole leapt 66 per cent to £800m in the second half of 2013 and, nationally, Colliers International had its best year since the boom … [Read more...]