Industry News, September 2009

Sundial’s continuing commitment to offer an outstanding level of service was again recognised by BDRC’s “Venue Verdict”. Sundial’s 2009 ‘year-to-date’ overall score is 82%, nearly two percentage points higher than the second placed brand. In addition to Sundial remaining top of the groups, Barnett Hill in Surrey was the highest placed individual venue in the country for ‘Overall Satisfaction’ for the reporting period June – August 2009. This is the second consecutive period in which it has achieved this position.  BDRC is the leading supplier of marketing research insight to the meetings sector, with a team of research professionals dedicated to this important part of the hospitality industry. Their VenueVerdict survey features the top UK Conference Centre groups, as well as internationally renowned hotel chains.

Having stormed the Insider Business Tourism Awards earlier this year, City Hall Sheffield could be in line for further award success, as the venue has been shortlisted in the category for Business Tourism of the Year for the White Rose Awards 2009. The team has already celebrated some award success this year, winning the Insider Business Tourism Award 2009 for Large Venue of the Year and then taking home the Grand Prix Prize as the overall winner. The venue was also named in The Independent’s Top 10 desirable conference destinations alongside Regency Hotel, London and Aston Villa Football Club.

The Royal College of Physicians has achieved a unique double in the Visit London Annual Awards for 2009. It’s the only venue to have been shortlisted for both the ‘Business Venue of the Year’ and ‘Outstanding Customer Service of the Year’ awards. The awards acknowledge the huge importance of the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions sectors of the tourism industry. In the ‘Business Venue of the Year’ category, judges pay special attention to innovative business tourism products reaching new market segments, as well as the upgrading of or creation of new facilities. The ‘Outstanding Customer Service’ category looks for individuals or teams who have shown exceptional commitment to customer care and service in all aspects of hospitality and contact with guests, and it is the whole of the RCP’s events team that is being considered.

London hotels bed stock is said to grow by 20,000 rooms by 2012.

Grade 2 listed Trinity Square is to be converted into a 131- room hotel and apartments in a £150m project, the neighbouring Mariner Building will open as a 600 room City inn in 2011.

The Radisson Edwardian Hotel Group has been awarded a Gold Award by the London Green 500 organisation for environmental initiatives.

The May Fair Hotel in London has introduced 3D technology in its 201 seat private screening room.

The Tree Gallery is the latest addition to the event space at London’s Natural History Museum. The Gallery can accommodate up to 50 for a seated dinner and 60 for a reception. It is available 7 days a week and bookings are made within a six week period.

Northumberland House State Rooms, just south of Trafalger Square in the heart of London will launch a new venue early next year. The Trafalger Ballroom can seat up to 500 people. There are 2 other large rooms and 10 smaller rooms.

Manor of Groves Ltd is pleased to announce the purchase of the elegant Shendish Manor Hotel.

International Hotel Investments has plans for the Metropole building in Whitehall.  The property will be developed into a 280-room luxury property, due to open in 2011.  Originally built as a hotel in the 1880’s, it was used for government business from 1936, but is now to be restored to its former glory.

Apex Hotels is investing £60m in transforming one of the City’s Inns of Court into a four-star contemporary hotel, set to open in Winter 2010. Situated just off Fleet Street, the property will offer 170 bedrooms, a restaurant, bar and conference facilities. Apex is also investing £35m in another hotel in the City, the Apex Wall, due to open in November 2009.

New meeting facilities will be available at West London Audi car distributors on the Great West Road in Middlesex from 19th October. A £30million plus investment has resulted in the world’s largest Audi Centre – a five-storey curved glass and steel building complete with extensive conference, exhibition and museum space. West London Audi is the group’s second hub with meeting facilities. The first of these – Glasgow Audi – opened in Braehead in 2004.

Hampton by Hilton Liverpool John Lennon Airport is a new 160-bedroom hotel opening on 28th September 2009. Bedrooms are air-conditioned with complimentary wi-fi and broadband access. All room rates include a complimentary hot buffet breakfast and complimentary use of the in-house fitness facilities. A supper menu is available with light snacks available throughout the day.
The hotel has three meeting rooms the largest of which will seat up to twenty delegates boardroom style – all three rooms have natural daylight, air-conditioning and complimentary wi-fi. This will be the second Hampton by Hilton property to open in the UK. The first opened in Corby earlier this year. Other Hampton by Hilton will be opening in future in Derby and Leeds city centre and at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry. Three previous Purple Hotels, in Birmingham, Shrewsbury and Braintree, will also be refurbished and rebranded as Hampton by Hilton properties in the near future.

International

EPIC, a new 411 – room waterfront hotel has opened in downtown Miami. The hotel features more than 11,000 sq ft of indoor event space, as well as a private Marina and waterfront lawn.

Opening in December, the Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas will be a stylish non-gaming hotel with 392 rooms and 227 residences and more than 12,000 sq ft of function space, including a 600 capacity ballroom.

Swissotel, Chicago has opened a new meeting and convention centre comprising of more than 38,000 sq ft of function space including a state of the art 14,000 sq ft ballroom.

A new Waldorf Astoria will launch in Orlando in October. It will offer 28,000 sq ft of meeting space.