http://www.hotelview.net/news/ en david.simpson@seaview.co.uk Copyright 2012 2012-05-16T09:28:28+00:00 http://www.hotelview.net/news/article/new-all-inclusive-soco-hotel-brings-miami-beach-chic-to-barbados/ http://www.hotelview.net/news/article/new-all-inclusive-soco-hotel-brings-miami-beach-chic-to-barbados/#When:08:28:28Z Tropical Sky, one of the UK’s leading independent providers of luxury holidays to the Caribbean, has announced the opening date of its SoCo Hotel, an Art Deco-inspired 3*+ offering located near Bridgetown on the southern coast of Barbados.The new and completely all-inclusive hotel is exclusively featured by Tropical Sky, who took the decision to invest in the project after predicting rising customer demand for great value and quality holidays on the island. Situated at the start of the popular South Coast Board Walk, the elegant Miami Beach-style hotel is set to open on August 15 and is just a short stroll away from an excellent choice of restaurants and trendy bars. The Boardwalk leading to the SoCo Hotel in Barbados Each of the 24 rooms offers expansive views over the Caribbean Sea from either their balconies or terraces. When ready for guests, the rooms and restaurant will be completed to a very high standard with modern furnishings throughout. The bar and pool deck are just metres away from the lapping waves of the Caribbean Sea, helping to carry the relaxed and chic atmosphere that will be the hotel’s hallmark. The atmosphere is informal, suiting guests looking to simply relax and get away from it all. In addition, the hotel provides a fantastic location for those more active guests wishing to explore the beautiful island, while still receiving all the benefits of an all-inclusive hotel. Mike Collins, managing director of Tropical Sky, predicts demand for holidays in Barbados will grow rapidly over the next few years, as much-needed investment is being made into the island’s hotels.  “Customers are increasingly demanding higher quality as well as exceptional value and the island has needed to respond to this. The SoCo Hotel is set to meet these demands and we are delighted to be the driving force behind this.  It is often the most simple of things that the modern traveller requires that makes the difference, such as Wi-Fi, and that is why we are including free Wi-Fi connectivity for our guests. “When it opens, The SoCo Hotel, Barbados will offer a laid-back, quality experience and will maintain one of the very best all-inclusive rates anywhere on the island. It’s a very exciting project for us and we are sure that our customers will love it too.” He went on to say: “With the recent news that some high street mortgage providers will be increasing their rates soon, further squeezing everyone’s budgets. This will obviously affect many people’s ability to go on holidays where they need a lot of spending money. Tropical Sky and The SoCo Hotel, Barbados, with its all-inclusive offering responds very proactively to a changing market and customers’ needs.” To celebrate the opening of The SoCo Hotel, Barbados, Tropical Sky is offering a special, introductory rate for the opening period of £849 per person for seven nights all-inclusive, based on two people sharing a room. Hotel News 2012-05-16T08:28:28+00:00 http://www.hotelview.net/news/article/russia-tipped-for-major-hotel-growth-in-2012/ http://www.hotelview.net/news/article/russia-tipped-for-major-hotel-growth-in-2012/#When:19:51:09Z Russia is predicted to be one of the key markets for growth in the hotel sector for 2012.Leading industry experts at the International Hotel Investment Forum in Berlin examined the global hotel performance and real estate markets, looking to see what regions showed strong potential for growth over the coming 12 months. Michael O’Hare, md for Horwath HTL Russia, pointed to a number of strong contributing factors that lead to his assessment of the region, specifically highlighting the strong price of oil and above all the chronic undersupply of hotels, particularly in the secondary and tertiary markets in the midmarket and budget sectors. O’Hare who has been active in Russia and the CIS for over 20 years, said that these conditions are combining to create one of the few hot spots for hotel development outside of Asia Pac, saying: ” We have seen a real increase in the number of projects coming on stream that we have been asked to look at, which is always a good sign of confidence in the market. “The second indication is to look at the number of deals that have been announced, signed or under consideration by the major hotel groups, which shows not only a strong pipeline but also a real investment in the region to roll out their brands. “It’s no secret that there is a chronic undersupply of bedrooms in Russia and the Ukraine and that demand will have to be met over the coming years. Add to the mix the winter Olympics and the World cup and you have all the conditions for sustained growth.” Hotel News 2012-03-09T19:51:09+00:00 http://www.hotelview.net/news/article/park-plaza-county-hall-celebrates-007-with-miss-moneypenny-martinis/ http://www.hotelview.net/news/article/park-plaza-county-hall-celebrates-007-with-miss-moneypenny-martinis/#When:16:27:04Z To celebrate Ian Fleming and 50 years of James Bond films, Park Plaza County Hall is launching a special limited edition martini called the Miss Moneypenny, for guests, visitors to London and James Bond enthusiasts in March.With Martini Extra Dry, sloe gin and standard gin, the Miss Moneypenny is finished with orange peel and blackberries. The Miss Moneypenny martini - either shaken or stirred This year marks 50 years since the very first James Bond film, Dr No, graced the silver screen back in 1962. The latest James Bond adventure, Skyfall, is due for release in October 2012 and will see Daniel Craig take up the role of Bond for the third time so it’s a perfect time to enjoy Mr Bond’s tipple of choice – whether you prefer it shaken or stirred. Available throughout March, the Miss Moneypenny will join the classic Martini and the sweeter French counterpart to form a trio of martinis all costing £9.50. What’s more, the centrally- based London hotel will be offering all martinis on a two for the price of one deal. “James Bond is an iconic British hero and with our Thames location, a stone’s throw from MI6 headquarters, we wanted to celebrate 50 years of great films by introducing a special martini,” said Simon Mahon, Park Plaza County Hall’s general manager. Available from 11am to 2am daily and normal regulations for the sale of alcohol apply. Hotel News 2012-02-29T16:27:04+00:00 http://www.hotelview.net/news/article/uk-hotel-prices-plunge-along-with-the-temperatures/ http://www.hotelview.net/news/article/uk-hotel-prices-plunge-along-with-the-temperatures/#When:11:06:20Z February's snow and severe weather warnings throughout the UK and the rest of Europe have put a deep freeze on hotel prices.These are the findings of the trivago Hotel Price Index (tHPI) prepared each month by the hotel price comparison website trivago.co.uk. Compared to February 2011, cities across the UK are showing a marked decrease in hotel prices this month, according to the the trivago Hotel Price Index (tHPI) prepared each month by the hotel price comparison website trivago.co.uk. Newcastle (£73) is reporting the greatest decrease, with prices down 17 per cent. Blackpool (£55) in second, reported a price decrease of 13 per cent, followed by Liverpool (£77, down 10 per cent), Edinburgh (£89, down 9 per cent), Birmingham (£70, down 5 per cent), Sheffield (£64, down 4 per cent) and Glasgow (£70, down 4 per cent). The Irish capital of Dublin was£70, down 7 per cent, and Cardiff was £71, down 12 per cent. Quite a few European cities have also experienced a cooling off. Compared to January, Eastern European cities such as Prague (£61, down 26 per cent), Istanbul (£75, down 5 per cent), and Budapest (£49, down 6 per cent) are all experiencing decreases, as has the Greek capital of Athens (£60, down 5 per cent). Budapest (down 5 per cent compared to February 2011) and Athens (down 14 per cent compared to February 2011) in particular, are also reporting their lowest hotel rates since May 2008. Hotel News 2012-02-21T11:06:20+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