Industry News, October 2009

QHotels is celebrating their recognition at the 2009 Caterer & Hotelkeeper ‘Best Places to Work in Hospitality’ awards after receiving the ‘Excellence in Training’ accreditation.

Pontin’s Blackpool officially ceased trading on October 2, forcing the closure of on-site venue The Dunes Conference Complex. Ocean Parcs has opted not to renew the current lease on the land, citing an 8% drop in visitor numbers to the Blackpool Park.

The phase two development at ExCeL London has been named as the official International Conference Centre (ICC) for London, with the support of Mayor Boris Johnson.

Radisson Edwardian – One in every ten spaces on the daily or 24-hour delegate rate packages is now complimentary until April 2010. Due to popular demand, this offer now applies to all bookings arriving up to and including April 19, 2010 when booked and contracted by 31 December, and there is no limit to the number of delegates attending.

Firoka Group is investing £50m in developing Heythrop Park into an international standard conference venue and hotel.  They aim to have the first two phases of the project completed by the end of Autumn, including a 7,156 yard golf course.  Phase two will bring six meeting rooms and adjoining syndicates.  A Crowne Plaza hotel will be built with a function room for 450 guests, and a further 197 four-star bedrooms.  The existing conference theatre will also undergo a makeover.

The Connaught Mayfair Hotel has been renovated as part of a £70m programme.  The hotel has a number of new event spaces which was completed on 18th October.  There is a Ballroom with sprung parquet floor offering dining for 100 guests.

Qhotels is celebrating the news that all its 21 properties in the UK were accredited with at least a bronze accreditation with the ‘Green Tourism Business Scheme,’ with nine receiving a silver award.  Another scheme award was given to the Radisson SAS Hotel Stansted Airport, which won gold.

The Corinthia Hotel is set to open late 2010 in London with 300 rooms, 3 restaurants, ballroom and conference facilities.

London is set to receive a boost of 20,000 new rooms.  Opening properties in time for the Olympic Games are Hilton, Starwood, Park Plaza, Corinthia and Shangri La.

The Rendezvous Hotel in Skipton, North Yorkshire, has completed a £1.5m refurbishment.  It has nine function rooms to accommodate up to 400 people, 80 bedrooms, restaurant and leisure club.

The New Hall Hotel & Spa in Sutton Coldfield, part of the Hand Picked Hotel group, has completed a £1.3m renovation. This 800-year old, fine country house now boasts 21st century fabrics, design and technology blended with its antiques and medieval heritage.

A new conference space has opened at the Porsche Experience Centre, near the Silverstone race circuit, which can seat up to 150 theatre style.  Facilities at the centre include a boardroom for 30, a 19 seat cinema and an atrium seating 150.  The roof terrace can accommodate up to 100 people for a reception and offers great views of the circuit.

Blythswood Square will open in Glasgow city centre on the 26th October 2009. The Monte Carlo Suite includes a bespoke designed oak table which seats 52 people for a meeting or dinner to remember! There is also a private screening room and The Rally Bar, which is perfect for pre and post event drinks. The hotel will have 100 bedrooms.
   

The Auditorium at One Bishops Square in London is now available for corporate hire. The Auditorium can be found in the Allen and Overy offices, designed by Sir Norman Foster and located in Spitalfields in the City of London. The Auditorium is on the lower-ground floor accessed by escalator from the foyer. It will seat a maximum of 320 delegates theatre style, or can be used as three separate rooms with the plenary seating 170 delegates plus two breakout areas seating up to 60. The lobby area features specially commissioned works of electronic art. It is an ultra-modern, sophisticated space equipped with the latest communication and AV technology.

The Legacy Cardiff International Hotel opens in Cardiff on 2nd November. Formerly the Quality Cardiff Hotel, it has 95 three-star standard bedrooms – 54 of which will have been fully refurbished in time for the relaunch, with the balance completed shortly afterwards. All rooms are equipped with a satellite television, hospitality tray and internet connection. The hotel has a full restaurant, bar and extensive meeting and exhibition facilities. Legacy Hotels took up the management contract on the hotel in June. It is their second property in Cardiff and their seventh hotel in Wales. The Legacy Cardiff International is located just off the M4 Motorway at junction 32, within 10 minutes of central Cardiff.

Rafayel on the Left Bank is a new 65-bedroom 5 star hotel opening on Battersea’s new bohemian Left Bank in London. It is set to be one of the world’s first ‘green’ hotels. Officially opening in December 2009, this 5-star hotel is part of the pioneering Falcon Wharf Development, and aims to be a blueprint for future hotels. The hotel will showcase the latest technological advances in LED lightings, air-conditioning and VDA efficiencies. Rafayel aims to minimise impact on the environment by reducing each guest’s carbon footprint dramatically as well as significantly reducing electricity usage and cost. The hotel’s curved design will allow 360 degree views of London from the roof terrace. All rooms will have floor to ceiling windows with views of the river and the city. The hotel will feature two restaurants, offering formal and casual dining, breakfast, morning brunches, and traditional afternoon tea, with indoor and outdoor dining. There is a spa, gym and pool. Meeting room and conference facilities will accommodate up to 150 delegates.

Events booked to take place at The Savoy this autumn are being rehoused at venues across London as the hotel’s reopening is pushed back yet again. The hotel was due to relaunch in May, with the date then moving to autumn. That has now been delayed to spring 2010 due to ‘challenges’ with the iconic building’s restoration, which included removal of deadly asbestos. A spokeswoman for Fairmont Hotels, which manages the property, said of the £100m development: “The scale of the project is huge, particularly with an infrastructure that has not been touched in 120 years. With an iconic property such as The Savoy, it’s important not to rush the process and to be sensitive to its history whilst making it relevant to today’s market.” However, fearful that the delays would permanently put off organisers who use the hotel for annual events, the events team has been working with clients to offer alternatives.
International

International

Brazil is set to invest £9.5bn in infrastructure ahead of hosting the Fifa World Cup in 2014 and the 2016 Olympic Games. The country expects to see a rise in the number of congresses and corporate events in the run up to these sporting events and a 15% increase in overall visitor figures. Rio de Janeiro was announced as the 2016 Olympic Games host city last Friday, seeing off bids from Chicago, Madrid and Tokyo.

The Marriott Miami Airport Campus will next week unveil a £44m renovation project, which includes the upgrade of 430sqm of meeting space. The campus, which comprises three hotels within a mile of Miami International Airport, officially reopened on 5 October. Courtyard Miami Airport South will offer 270sqm of meeting space spread over six rooms, while the Miami Airport Marriott boasts a newly-renovated lobby and 158sqm of meeting space.

Fairmont Bab Al Bahr opened on 1st October in Abu Dhabi featuring a Marco Pierre White restaurant. The property is located 15 miles from Abu Dhabi International Airport and offers 396 rooms, eight restaurants and bars including the Marco Pierre White Steakhouse & Grill. Fairmont Bab Al Bahr will open more than 2,500sqm of meeting space early next year, including a 1,070sqm ballroom and six meeting rooms ranging in size from 22sqm to 186sqm. The property’s Willow Stream Spa is also set to open in 2010, offering men’s and women’s treatment rooms, salons and pools.

Fairmont Nile City also opened on 1st October in Cairo with 567 rooms, Nile views and Art Deco furnishings.

UK based Firmdale Hotels opened its first US property in September, the Crosby Street Hotel. In the heart of Soho, it features 86 rooms with high ceilings and full length warehouse style windows. A bar, guest lounge, private courtyard garden, gym, 3 meeting spaces and a 99 seat screening room.

Four Points by Sheraton has made its Indian debut in September.  151 rooms, bar, all day dining restaurant, 24 hour fitness centre and swimming pool, nine meeting spaces, the largest of which holds 500 delegates.  The Jaipur City Square is also due to open this month.