http://www.hotelview.net/news/ en david.simpson@seaview.co.uk Copyright 2012 2012-01-26T11:08:46+00:00 http://www.hotelview.net/news/article/december-blues-take-the-shine-of-2011-profits-for-london-hotels/ http://www.hotelview.net/news/article/december-blues-take-the-shine-of-2011-profits-for-london-hotels/#When:10:08:46Z Despite a difficult end to the year, London hoteliers recorded a second consecutive year of profitability growth, according to the latest HotStats survey.The 4.7% increase in profit per room in the capital in 2011 was primarily due to a 6.1% increase in Revenue per Available Room (RevPAR), which was led by a 7% increase in the achieved average room rate for London hotels to £131.03 from £122.45 during the same period in 2010. “Despite a challenging economic backdrop, London hotels have again outperformed expectations by showing profit growth in 2011. While the profit growth was more moderate than in 2010, it shows that hotels can buck the economic trends,” said Jonathan Langston, managing director of TRI Hospitality Consulting who surveyed 550 full-service hotels across the UK. The 13.9% increase in profitability levels achieved in 2010 was always going to be a hard act to follow, but London hoteliers have managed to exceed expectations, primarily due to a strong period of operation during the second quarter of the year. However, the annual increase for hotels in the capital was tainted by the 9.2% decline in profit per room in the city in December, which represented the third consecutive month of year-on-year profit decline for London hoteliers in 2011 and was the greatest monthly year-on-year drop in this measure for hotels in the capital since August 2009. “Following a strong start to the year, London hotels limped to the finish line with a 4.6% decline in profitability recorded in the fourth quarter of 2011, said Langston. “And while industry commentators will continue to speculate about the forecasted performance for London hotels during 2012, it is increasingly evident that the loss of demand due to postponed and cancelled business and regular visitors to the city choosing an alternative destination, will be offset by the considerable demand created by major events in the capital throughout the year, including the Queen’s Jubilee, the Farnborough Air Show, and of course the Olympics,” While growth in both occupancy and average room rate contributed to a 1.5% increase in RevPAR, overall profit per room for Provincial hoteliers declined by 3.2% during 2011. “The hangover from ‘The Big Freeze’ in December 2010 and the fresh snowfall in February 2011 meant that Provincial hoteliers failed to get started. And with the timing of the Royal Wedding and the Easter break there was little chance for them to create any sort of momentum,” said Langston. As a result of a 0.7 percentage point increase in room occupancy, to 69.6%, and a 0.6% increase in achieved average room rate, Provincial hoteliers were once again able to achieve an increase in RevPAR levels in 2011. But for the second consecutive year, the growth in achieved average room rate was primarily due to increases in the Best Available Rate (+2.8%), leisure (+0.2%) and group (+2.6%) segments, with further declines suffered in the corporate (-0.3%) and conference (-1.7%) segments, highlighting the challenges which remain in the commercial sector. “Despite the overall decline in headline performance levels across the Provinces, there continues to be some good news in primary locations such as Manchester, Brighton and Edinburgh, which all finished the year with positive results. While Provincial hoteliers will continue to face challenges, it is hoped that 2012 will provide the opportunity to recover some lost ground,” added Langston. Hotel News 2012-01-26T10:08:46+00:00 http://www.hotelview.net/news/article/happy-new-year-for-new-york-hoteliers/ http://www.hotelview.net/news/article/happy-new-year-for-new-york-hoteliers/#When:15:34:09Z It is certainly a Happy New Year Eve for hoteliers in New York ... they have been charging a whacking 700 per cent premium for anyone who thught they might find a last-minute bargain.New analysis compiled by NewYorkHotels.org found that a few hotel rooms still had rooms available in and around the city,  but only if revellers are willing to paythe earth. Staying in the heart of the New Year’s celebration in Manhattan will cost travelers the most. There, 50 hotels are still posting room vacancies, but on average, they’re charging more than triple their regular rates. The Central Park area and the Financial District are particularly expensive if one wants to see the New Year’s Eve ball drop in person. The prize for the largest overall price increase goes to The Red Carpet Inn, near the Brooklyn Bridge. It is charging $1,000 for a room on New Year’s Eve - 740 per cent more than its typical rate of $119. Hotel News 2011-12-31T15:34:09+00:00 http://www.hotelview.net/news/article/tuck-into-the-thursday-like-mum-used-to-make-menu-at-park-plaza-count-hall/ http://www.hotelview.net/news/article/tuck-into-the-thursday-like-mum-used-to-make-menu-at-park-plaza-count-hall/#When:14:56:01Z After trialling eight traditional dishes over 14 days, Park Plaza County Hall found that guests were more likely to crave home-cooked meals on a Thursday.So as a result the hotel, in Addington St, London, is introducing the eight dishes permanently on Thursdays in 2012. Nearly 33 per cent of all orders taken over the two-week period were taken on the two Thursdays, with beef stew and dumplings and lamb shanks being the most popular of eight dishes. Sausage, mash and onion gravy, shepherd’s pie, sausage casserole, fisherman’s pie and lamb shank are all included in the limited edition menu; guests are sure to find a hearty treat for the great value price of £8.95 per dish. “We were surprised to see such a jump in orders on a Thursday, but we are delighted to be able to offer something different to guests and have decided to introduce the menu as a permanent Thursday feature so hotel guests and Londoners can enjoy more traditional dishes,” said Simon Mahon, County Hall’s general manager. Available each Thursday in the in-hotel restaurant, Spectrum, the menu will run from 5:30pm until 10:30pm. Spectrum is located on the mezzanine level. The normal seasonal menu will be available in addition to the ‘like mum used to make’ dishes. Hotel News 2011-12-21T14:56:01+00:00 http://www.hotelview.net/news/article/london-hotels-suffer-october-fall-in-occupancy-rates/ http://www.hotelview.net/news/article/london-hotels-suffer-october-fall-in-occupancy-rates/#When:16:11:18Z Despite continued growth in achieved average room rate, hotels in London suffered a 0.7% decline in Revenue per Available Room (RevPAR) this month as year-on-year room occupancy levels dropped by 2.4%. In addition to the decline in rooms revenue, hotels in London endured unfamiliar declines across all ancillary departments, including a 7.9% drop in food and beverage revenue to £30.23 per available room and a 4.6% decline in meeting room hire revenue to £7.64 per available room. While Total Revenue per Available Room (TrevPAR) levels for the month remain approximately 10% above the year-to-date average (£145.77), illustrating the strength that remains in the London hotel market at this time of year, as a result of the downward departmental movement, total revenue levels in the capital dropped by 2.2% during October to £159.46. In line with the decline in TrevPAR, year-on-year profitability levels in London dropped by 3% this month to £80.87 from £83.41 during the same period in 2010. This is only the second month in 2011 in which profit per room has declined in the capital, with the first being August, according to the latest HotStats survey of approximately 550 full-service hotels across the UK by TRI Hospitality Consulting. “Although a decline in profit levels for the city could not be ruled out following the 16% year-on-year increase in profit per room in October 2010, it goes against the robust performance in the city last month when Gross Operating Profit per Room (GOPPAR) London hoteliers record a decline in RevPAR for the first time in 2011 grew by 10.4%,” said Jonathan Langston, managing director of TRI Hospitality Consulting. Despite the increase in achieved average room rate in October, London hoteliers were faced with another unfamiliar situation of a softening in both the achieved rate in the corporate (-0.9%) and leisure (-0.3%) sectors. The decline in these segments this month are in contrast to an increase in achieved sector rates of 5.4% in the corporate sector and a 5% increase in the leisure sector in the previous nine months. Hotel News 2011-12-19T16:11:18+00:00 http://www.hotelview.net/news/article/hotel.com-welcome-rewards-programme-earn-free-nights/ http://www.hotelview.net/news/article/hotel.com-welcome-rewards-programme-earn-free-nights/#When:16:19:24Z Join Hotels.com's new Welcome Rewards loyalty programme when you make a booking and you will be on your way to making even more savings on your travels .. and even accumulate FREE nights.The scheme benefits both leisure and business travellers and offers Book 10 nights through hotels.com (either as one booking or multiple) and get one night free! Available on over 65,000 hotels worldwide No blackout dates No points to collect So when you make your next booking with Hotels.com, iign up for a hotels.com account and enroll for Welcome Rewards™. But be sure to sign intol your new account BEFORE you making a boking or else you will miss out on the benefits. Credits towards a free night are automatically added to your account after the stay is completed.  You can also check your account balance by signing in to their Hotels.com account and checking the Welcome Rewards™ Activity page. After you have accumulated a total of 10 nights at one or more partner hotels, you’ll automatically be awarded a free night at one of the Hotels.com partner properties. The maximum value of the free night is the average daily rate of the ten nights. The free night can be used for a higher rate room if the difference is paid. Simply log into your account before making a booking, and you’ll will be given the option to use the free night. Welcome Rewards also gives you additional benefit on top of the great deals and price match guarantees. Hotel News 2011-11-30T16:19:24+00:00 http://www.hotelview.net/news/article/greeces-whizkid-chef-heads-for-the-uk/ http://www.hotelview.net/news/article/greeces-whizkid-chef-heads-for-the-uk/#When:08:50:40Z Greek cooking whizkid Athinagoras Kostakos is heading to the UK for two weeks in 2012.He will be Guest Chef in Residence at London’s The Capital Hotel for one week and at in residence the 5 star Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa near Bath. At the age of just 27, Kostakos, pictured, is the youngest executive chef in Greece. Earlier this year he also became his home nation’s best known after winning Top Chef in which leading chefs compete against each other in a series of challenges. Kostakos’s formidable talent has long been recognised by visitors to the Bill & Coo Suites and Lounge, a luxury boutique hotel on the Greek island of Mykonos. His week-long tenure at The Capital from March 5 will give diners a rare opportunity to sample some of his signature creations. Athinagoras Kostakos will be at The Capital Restaurant in London in March The previous week he will be at the Lucknam Park Hotel. Opened in May 1971 by David Levin, The Capital is one of the last family-run, 5 star hotels in London. Located just yards from arrods and Harvey Nichols, this perennially popular boutique establishment continues to offer the best of British hospitality and service. The Capital Restaurant is one of the leading dining addresses in London, and its four-decade history has seen some of the UK’s best regarded chefs head up its kitchens. Hotel News 2011-11-24T08:50:40+00:00 http://www.hotelview.net/news/article/hotels-across-europe-stage-september-recovery/ http://www.hotelview.net/news/article/hotels-across-europe-stage-september-recovery/#When:17:14:01Z Hotel occupancy rate levels throughout the 27 countries in the European Union staged a recovery in September, reaching or bettering the same month last year.  According to European Cities Marketing,  the overall occupancy rate hovered around 75 per cent, and in some markets pushed 80 per cnt and higher. In London, Venice, Amsterdam, Paris, Ghent, Zurich, Munich, San Sebastian or Berlin, the rate reach even more than 85 per cent. Meanwhile, budget and economy segments performed best, leaping 5 per cent. Hotel News 2011-11-15T17:14:01+00:00 http://www.hotelview.net/news/article/free-internet-now-more-important-than-free-breakfast-with-hotel-guests/ http://www.hotelview.net/news/article/free-internet-now-more-important-than-free-breakfast-with-hotel-guests/#When:10:52:15Z Complimentary Internet access has surpassed complimentary breakfast as the most important amenity in a new study of hotel guest satisfaction published today. Complimentary Internet access has surpassed complimentary breakfast as the most important amenity in a new study of hotel guest satisfaction published today. The study, by J D Power and Associates, now in its seventh year, examines the overall satisfaction of European hotel guests based on seven measures (in order of importance): guest room; costs and fees; hotel facilities; check-in/check-out; food and beverage; hotel services; and reservation. Forty-five hotel brands are measured and ranked in four segments[1]: upper upscale, upscale, midscale and economy. Overall satisfaction averages 735 on a 1,000-point scale in 2011, down by 10 points from 2010. While satisfaction has decreased across all measures from 2010, the largest decline occurs in the cost and fees measure.  Cost and fees satisfaction averages 682 in 2011, down by 32 points from 2010. Cost and fees satisfaction in 2011 is comparable to 2009 levels (681). However, in 2009, overall satisfaction averaged 746 - 11 points higher than in 2011. This indicates that aspects of the guest experience outside of cost and fees have deteriorated considerably from 2009. Prior to the economic downturn, hoteliers improved their offerings, increasing satisfaction with the overall guest experience as well as cost and fees satisfaction.  Subsequently, during the recession, hotel chains reduced prices to stimulate demand which continued to improve satisfaction with cost and until higher rates began driving satisfaction back down in 2010. Hoteliers also made cutbacks in staffing levels, services and investment in the property to reduce operating costs during this period, which led to the deterioration of satisfaction with the broader guest experience. “As guests have been coming back, so have their expectations,” said Stuart Greif of J.D. Power and Associates. “Hoteliers, like many businesses, are feeling the strain of trying to maintain lower cost structures until they see more sustainable levels of demand. There is danger, however, in allowing their product and service to continue to deteriorate. It is critically important that hoteliers focus on improving the guest experience.  If not, they risk losing customers, market share and financial viability.” The study also finds that the availability of Internet service at hotels has has surpassed complimentary breakfast as the most important amenity. In addition, Internet use by hotel guests has nearly tripled during the past six years, with 47 percent of guests saying they used their hotel’s Internet connection in 2011, compared with 17 percent in 2005. “Guests increasingly expect hotels to offer Internet access that is consistently available and working properly, particularly since Internet access is becoming more widely available in non-hotel settings, such as restaurants and cafes,” said Greif. ”We have reached a point where problems with Internet access will more severely impact guest satisfaction levels with each passing year.” Hotel guests who are required to pay a separate fee for Internet connectivity are considerably less satisfied with costs and fees, compared with guests who receive Internet access for free or as part of their room rate. In addition, among guests who indicate they experienced a problem with Internet connectivity at their hotel, only 13 percent say they would return to the property for a future stay. In contrast, 28 percent of customers who did not experience a problem with the Internet say they would return. Hotel News 2011-10-27T10:52:15+00:00 http://www.hotelview.net/news/article/el-gounas-new-liquid-park-is-a-splash-hit/ http://www.hotelview.net/news/article/el-gounas-new-liquid-park-is-a-splash-hit/#When:09:56:31Z Red Sea leisure destination El Gouna has boosted its water attractions with Liquid Park, the first inflatable water park in the Middle East.With slides, trampolines, and a number of other activities right on the water, Liquid Park’s lagoon location gives it a truly original setting for fun in the sun that can be enjoyed by both the young and the young at heart. Liquid Park is the Middle East’s first inflatible water attraction Open daily from 10am to 6pm, Liquid Park costs £10 per person and comes complete with an animation team, life guards and mandatory life vests. While the minimum age to enter is six years old, younger children can enter if accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. El Gouna is recognised as Egypt’s most environmentally-friendly holiday destination, with unspoilt lagoons and miles of sandy beaches. After enjoying the sun on the thrilling new Liquid Park, water sport enthusiasts can visit one of El Gouna’s five kitestations to try their hand at kitesurfing, or splash into The Orange Concept, El Gouna’s water sports specialist, for a range of water sports including wakeboarding, waterskiing and wakesurfing. For some dry-land action, visitors can take part in one of the many leisure activities on offer including golf, horseback and camel riding, or relax in the Mövenpick or Steigenberger’s Angsana Spas. Hotel News 2011-10-26T09:56:31+00:00 http://www.hotelview.net/news/article/london-hotels-bounce-back-to-smash-records/ http://www.hotelview.net/news/article/london-hotels-bounce-back-to-smash-records/#When:09:09:40Z Following a dip in August, London hotels bounced back in September, according to the latest HotStats survey.There was a 10.4 per cent increase in profit per room as the capital continued to smash records, the TRI Hospitality Consulting survey of approximately 550 full-service hotels across the UK showed. The increase in September contributed to year to-date profit growth of 8.4 per cent to £69.15 from £63.79 during the same period in 2010. For the month, at £85.64, profit per room at London hotels was approximately 24 per cent above the year-to-date average and approximately14 per cent above the pre-recession high of £74.84, achieved in September 2007. “The increase in headline performance levels this month is further evidence, if it was needed, that hoteliers in the capital have put the memory of the crash in the hotel market in September 2008 firmly behind them,” said Jonathan Langston, managing director of TRI Hospitality Consulting. Hotel News 2011-10-26T09:09:40+00:00