Industry News, December 2010

Akkeron Hotels Group Limited (“Akkeron” or “the Group”) is pleased to announce that, through a subsidiary, it has completed the acquisition of Forestdale Hotels Limited (“Forestdale”), which owns 18 hotels across England. This transaction will increase the number of Akkeron’s hotels to 26 and will make it one of the largest regional hotel operators in the UK by number of hotels. Forestdale is a privately-owned collection of three star hotels spread across England. The hotels are located in both key business destinations, such as Cambridge, Bristol, Southampton and Winchester, and attractive leisure destinations including the New Forest, Bath and the Cotswolds. Akkeron will invest in all the Forestdale hotels to improve the quality of their offerings to customers and the Group will make significant investment in a number of the hotels in particular to reposition them in their local markets. Akkeron will also make large investments in people, training and systems to ensure that the Group is well-placed to provide its customers with a first-class service.

Gatwick Airport will see a new 192 room Hampton by Hilton property in time for the 2012 Olympics. As well as bedrooms it will have event and conference facilities

Planning permission for the redevelopment of Earls Court is on course for submission in the second quarter of 2011.

The Hurlingham Club in London has come top of the Eventia Awards 2010 for being the best venue with a capacity of 751 or more.

Property developer Peel Group, has launched a new 25,000sqm events space in a former Argos warehouse near to The Trafford Centre in Manchester.

IHG plans to open 37 new hotels in Britain over the next two years with the intention of creating 3,000 jobs from the £500m expansion. Ten of the openings will be in London including a five star property in Westminster.

Norton House Hotel and Spa in Edinburgh has won the four red star hotel rating award in the AA’s recognition scheme for exceptional levels of accommodation quality.

Holiday Inn London Heathrow M4J4 has reopened as part of the two year investment that has rebranded all 57 Holiday Inn’s.

The Institute of Travel and Meetings raised more than £9,000 for the charity Meetings Industry Meeting Needs at its annual conference.

The University of Nottingham has announced plans to develop a 200-bed, 4 star equivalent hotel on its main University Park campus. The eco-friendly hotel will be sited next to the East Midlands Conference Centre and will feature at least 50 executive-style rooms, four boardrooms and a gym as well as a restaurant and bar which will be open to the public. Building work is expected to commence in 2011, with completion due autumn 2012.  Funded by The University of Nottingham, the new hotel will complement the existing facilities provided by the EMCC, which celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2010. It will also provide a much needed resource for visitors to the University.

A four-star 109-bedroom hotel, based in the historic quarter of Bloomsbury, opened under the Mercure banner following an extensive refurbishment. The new Mercure London Bloomsbury opened on 20th December, offering guests a comfortable retreat in the heart of the city for business trips or simply for a break away with friends or family. The extensive refurbishment has included the replacement of all carpets, furnishings and decorations throughout the building whilst staying faithful to its character. Each Mercure bedroom has been designed to allow guests to relax, with natural materials and warm tones used in the décor.  The hotel corridors have been refurbished and reception completely redesigned to offer guests distinctly modern surroundings. A new bar has been created and the restaurant and kitchen’s revamp will be completed by March 2011.

Luxury hotel brand, Dorchester Collection is set to open a new 45 room hotel, to be called 45 Park Lane, in the heart of London’s Mayfair. The hotel, which will open in summer 2011, will be the ninth hotel in the Collection. The current portfolio of iconic hotels includes The Dorchester in London, The Beverly Hills Hotel and Hotel Bel-Air in LA, Le Meurice and Hotel Plaza Athénée in Paris, the Hotel Principe di Savoia in Milan, The New York Palace in New York, and Coworth Park which opened September 2010. 45 Park Lane will have 45 rooms and a Pent House suite as well as an all-day dining restaurant. Only yards away from its sister hotel, The Dorchester, 45 Park Lane will be more contemporary in style with world-renowned designer, Thierry Despont appointed to work on the project. Externally, the concrete-clad façade will be revamped to incorporate specialist eco-friendly ‘fins’ which will diminish solar gain to the building thereby significantly reducing the power required to run the air-conditioning system.

Kings Place has been awarded London Business Venue of the Year at the BT Visit London Awards, which celebrates and recognises the people, places and experiences that make London such an outstanding destination. Kings Place beat fierce competition from other, major London venues including ExCel London, Barbican, Cavendish Court Venues, Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, and Science Museum.

In February 2011, W London – Leicester Square will open its coveted doors to the public. The story sees W Hotels Worldwide – industry innovator in pursuit of the world’s most intriguing destinations – premiering the new flagship hotel, W London – Leicester Square to a global audience of jetsetters and local tastemakers. The building stands 10-storeys tall, veiled in translucent glass, which will change colour according to the time of day, the ambience of the area, or happenings in the hotel or the city. The hotel will include a modern Screening Room with seating for 38 and W Studio Spaces dynamic enough to host a cocktail reception, board meeting or cosy dinner, 192 guest rooms, including 17 suites, 3 WOW suites and 1 Extreme WOW suite.

Accor has opened the doors of a newly refurbished, 139-room hotel, The All Seasons London Leyton. As part of the new international brand of economy hotels, the second All Seasons hotel to open in the UK will appeal to both business and leisure customers visiting the city, offering fantastic value-for-money services with en-suite rooms from just £45 a night. Previously known as the Sleeping Beauty Motel, the All Seasons London Leyton is located less than five miles from the Olympic Stadium for 2012, in the heart of vibrant East London.

Accor UK and Ireland has ambitious expansion plans over the coming years and has just announced the forthcoming opening of two new establishments in central London: Novotel London Blackfriars and Ibis London Blackfriars. These two openings are perfectly timed to be ready for the much-awaited 2012 Olympic Games, a major business and tourism event for the UK.  The hotels’ central London addresses in the Southbank area are just a stone’s throw from some London’s key attractions, including Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, the Tate Modern and Hayward art galleries, the National Theatre and Royal Festival Hall. The hotels will add close to 500 new rooms to Accor’s London portfolio. Novotel London Blackfriars, a four star establishment, will feature 12 business suites, six conference rooms, a swimming pool and a wide range of upscale facilities. Ibis London Blackfriars will offer nearly 300 rooms, bar and restaurant facilities and a 24 hour snack and drinks service.

International

Officials in Rome have imposed a tax on the nine million people who visit the city each year. The Contributo di Soggiorno levy will apply at a rate of €3 per night  for four and five-star hotels and €2 for all other accommodation, except youth hostels. The levy will boost under-strain city finances, but could ultimately harm tourism. It is understood five per cent of the income generated by the tax will be used to improve tourist facilities in the Eternal City, although further details have not been released. Councillor Federico Guidi, from Rome City Council, said: “In order for the city of Rome not to tax Romans, we have decided to tax the tourists.”  The European Tour Operators Association (ETOA) has criticised the levy, likening it to ‘being on a plane and then being charged to leave.’ The fee would normally be paid at check-out by the person staying at the hotel, although many guests will probably end up paying through their tour operator. The maximum number of nights taxable per stay is ten.

Langham Hotels is set to open Langham Place in Doha, Qatar in late 2012.

 
Movenpick Hotels is opening the Royal Amwaj Resort & Spa in summer 2011 on the Crescent of the Palm in Dubai. This five star hotel will have 293 bedrooms, four meeting rooms and a ballroom for 300 people