News

Brits choose Staycations over foreign holidays

A ‘staycation’ is a fairly modern term that is used to describe a holiday that is taken at home i.e. in a person’s immediate area or Country. Combining the words ‘stay’ and ‘vacation’, a staycation can cover anything from a weekend camping trip in the countryside, to a week-long five star hotel accommodation sight-seeing trip. In other words, a staycation is a holiday that is taken close to home and it is generally used to describe cheap hols.

Many people opt for staycations instead of holidays abroad as they like to stay closer to their home. Others may like the idea of a staycation as less travelling time is often involved. However, for the majority of people, a staycation means a much cheaper holiday, and in recent years, with the financial climate still looking very uncertain, many of simply don’t have the spare cash that we used to have to spend on expensive holidays abroad.

So, staycations can mean getting very cheap hols by staying closer to home – but you don’t have to sacrifice on the quality of your holiday, just because you are not travelling to another country; a wide range of staycations are available to suit every budget.

If you’re in the process of planning your next break away – like thousands of other people, you may want to consider a staycation. With a little research and planning, staycations can be great fun while still being cost-effective!

Dogs welcome at hand-picked hotels

A travel company has put together a list of hand-picked hotels as part of their dog-friendly holiday site, aimed at pet owners who can’t bear to be parted from their beloved animals.

Chien Bleu has been developed over the last eighteen months, in which time the list of hotels was sourced and road-tested to make sure they fitted the bill for the website. Company finder Erin Boyd has nicknamed the team of inspectors The Paw Patrol and has picked out the thirty best dog-friendly hotels in the country. She said; ‘I intend to establish Chien Bleu as the world’s authoritative source for people who are looking for a brilliant place to stay that welcomes dogs with the same hospitality they do their guests.’

Erin owns a yellow Labrador called Blue and wanted to bring the pet along for a vacation, but noticed there was nothing online that offered dog owner’s substantial advice on places to stay that would welcome their pets. Chien

Bleu was developed as a direct result of Ms. Boyd’s experiences. At the moment she is concentrating on testing hotels in the UK, but is looking to the future with some plans to go global.

Hotels tag towels

Guests who are cheeky enough to steal hotel towels could be in for a rude awakening, after new technology has been developed to electronically tag the linen.

Hotels are said to be delighted with the new invention which could save the industry thousands of pounds every year – with an estimated twenty percent of linen being misplaced. In a similar vein to chips used in retail stores, when goods are tagged to alert warehouse staff that another product needs to be added to the shelves, hotels are now able to monitor where each piece of their linen is at any given time.

Where, in the past, guests no doubt found it something of a novelty to take a ‘souvenir’ from their holiday stay, it’s more consistently seen as bad hotel etiquette and many guest houses present a list in their rooms, to make it clear to visitors what is available for purchase and what should remain on the premises when they leave.

Hotels ‘go green’ and cut costs

Two of Hertfordshire’s top Hotels have managed to save some money by implementing ‘green’ energy-efficient measures suggested by hospitality specialists SaveMoneyCutCarbon.com.

Manor of Groves Hotel and Shendish Manor Hotel have both chosen to install new eco-shower heads in all 160 rooms which are known to save large amounts in heating and water costs. SaveMoneyCutCarbon.com has been trialling the money-saving methods in metropolitan hotels, and has revealed that the eco-shower heads are capable of halving the amount of water guest’s use.

Not only will water and energy bills be significantly reduced, but the carbon footprint can also be cut as well, this is likely to help win more support from guests and sponsors, it may also encourage other businesses to follow suit.

General Manager of the Manor of Groves Hotel, Dean Thompson, said; ‘We cater for a wide range of guests, from conference to leisure and we have a commitment to deliver excellent service. The solutions from SaveMoneyCutCarbon.com will not only help us to continue delivering on that commitment, but will also ensure that we are working at maximum eco efficiency.’

Director of SaveMoneyCutCarbon.com, Mark Sait said the company was ‘delighted’ to have helped the hotels to achieve their ‘green’ goals, and manager of the Shendish Manor, James Barker, commented that; ‘With rising water and energy bills, we feel the move to go green makes good business sense while at the same time helping our planet.’

Work finally starts on boutique hotel

After a two year planning debacle, work is finally due to start on a boutique hotel in Stamford. Developers submitted plans for a nine-bedroom hotel and 66 seat restaurant in November following rejection of an earlier design in October 2009. Problems cited at the time included odour, noise and access concerns.

Hotel company Agellus unsuccessfully appealed the decision and went on to see their second application deferred multiple times amid protests from locals. Controversially, permission for the conversion was granted last month and work on the Grade II listed building will now be able to begin.

Planning consultancy Grover Lewis Associates said they were pleased with the result after jumping over so many hurdles. Consultant Philip Grover said; ‘’My clients are looking forward to the opportunity of transforming 4 St Mary’s Place into an asset that Stamford can be proud of. There is now a lot of preparatory work to be done to fulfil the various conditions set out by the district council.’

However, the town council planning committee were not quite so happy with the decision, Chairman Harrish Bisnauthsing spoke of their disappointment, saying that there could be problems with access and tourists; ‘It is going to cause great damage to the cobbled road through deliveries. The listed buildings in Stamford attract tourists and we should present something worthwhile to them. The hotel will not do a lot to enhance the town for tourists.’

Google launches Hotel Finder

Google have had a busy month, after adding a leading flight software company to their range, they’ve now released a hotel finding program that proves they’re taking a serious leap into the online travel industry.

Google’s Hotel Finder is currently an experimental program that has been launched in the United States and is hoped to be expanding across the globe soon enough. One of the new options of the software is that users are able to isolate their searches to a specific area by using Google Maps, and it’s much easier to refine the search criteria – perhaps by star and user rating, or price.

When talking about the new addition, Google pointed out that the great thing about Hotel Finder was the flexibility, in its experimental state there is a lot of room for expansion. It also allows for users to book direct with the hotel or to use other websites if they chose to.

Despite the recent developments in Google’s camp, the announcement wasn’t greeted with enthusiasm by everyone in the business, there are several that feel the company are overstretching themselves and beginning to dominate the web. Of course, it’s more competition to hotel websites, and Google being a big name means they already have a large amount of publicity.

Preferred Hotel Group launches chain aimed at gays and lesbians

Preferred Hotel Group has gone one step further with its equality policy and has announced plans for a new collection of properties tailored specifically to gay and lesbian travellers. Hotels approved by the Travel Alternative Group (TAG) or the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association (LGBT), two organisations recognised globally.

Executive Director for Leisure Sales at Preferred Hotels, Rick Stiffler said it was important to try and cater for every guests needs, saying; ‘Preferred Pride is more than just another LGBT seal of approval; the programme was created to unite Preferred’s diverse community of independent hoteliers who are committed to the LGBT community. It is a global initiative that enables hoteliers to learn about and better understand the needs and preferences of the LGBT traveller.’

Training will be offered to hotels as part of the Preferred Pride programme, to educate staff about the best practices when serving lesbian or gay travellers. Examples of new services aimed at guests include; bathrobes, slippers and toiletries available for same-sex couples, and a concierge with knowledge of suitable attractions, bars and restaurants in the area.

New CFO for InterContinental Hotels

Owners of hotel chain Holiday Inn, InterContinental Hotels Group, has announced they will be appointing a new Chief Financial Officer as of the end of September this year. Tom Singer will be picking up the role from Richard Solomons – who became Chief Executive Officer for the firm in July. Since Mr Solomon’s appointment, there has been a major reshuffle of management positions and Mr Singer was previously the finance director of the global healthcare group BUPA, which also belongs to IHG, from 2008.

Mr Singer spoke of his confidence in the company, saying; ‘IHG has a strong stable of international brands. I am looking forward to getting started, supporting the group development plans around the world.’

This news follows the firm’s recent expansions into South America, where they have opened the first Holiday Inn at Bogota Airport in Colombia. The building will be eight storeys high and will house 191 rooms. CEO of the Latin American branch of IHG, Alvaro Diago, said; ‘We are excited to open the first of two Holiday Inn hotels that will open this year in Colombia, a market that IHG knows well. IHG has had a presence within the country for more than 50 years. Our growth in the Colombian market has been steady and we are committed to continue IHG’s multi-brand expansion in this thriving country.’

Hotel firm IHG launches app for windows phone

The Windows smartphone is set to add a new app to its range, one that’s been developed by hotel company IHG and designed to help customers find and book hotel rooms, check rates, and amend reservations. The group has already released an app for the iPad and for the iPhone, and have labelled their newest product the ‘Priority Club Rewards’ application.

Vice President of web and interactive marketing for the company commented that this was a natural progression for the chain, and he added; ‘Microsoft’s partnership with Nokia is expected to expand the reach of its global mobile platform, further positioning Windows Phone as an important and growing touch-point with consumers. Our new Priority Club Rewards app for Windows Phone provides another mobile booking option for our 58 million Priority Club members.

IHG is the first major hotel brand to offer an app for Windows Phone, and with good reason – 65% of guests who book using a mobile device are due to arrive at the hotel within one day. The app also includes location aware capabilities, to make sure guests are in the right location and won’t get lost on their way to the premises. The company has seen near enough a 1000% increase in room bookings from mobile devices and has easily out stripped last year’s totals within the first five months of 2011.

New budget hotel announced for high street in Edinburgh

Hotel chain Motel One is preparing to open its second UK branch on Princes Street, directly opposite the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh. The company currently has 19 hotels in Germany and Austria, and will soon be neighbours to technology giant Apple, who are taking over the new retail space in the building.

Concerns have been raised that there are already a number of budget hotels on Princes Street, but developers have defended the move, saying that Motel One is a high quality establishment, not in the same vein as easyHotel or Travelodge. A source close to the projects stated; ‘As a brand, they do operate in the economy market but the offer is very good – considerably better than a Whitbread and miles better than a Travelodge. The public space is very high quality; they put in designer televisions in the room and they have quite iconic ‘egg’ chairs in the reception area that cost £5000 each. The rooms also have granite worktops and Italian designer lighting.’

The new 140 bedroom hotel will fill upper-floor space that had gone unused for some time. City economic development leader, Councillor Tom Buchanan, said he was delighted the Motel One had chosen Edinburgh for the site of their second endeavour, he commented; ‘Whilst I had hoped that we could increase our stock of four and five-star hotels, the type of hotel operation run by Motel One is very upmarket but at a very reasonable price.’

Surge in MICE enquiries according to hotel research

A staggering 89% year-on-year increase in MICE enquiries has been reported in the hotel industry, according to figures released by marketing alliance company Great Hotels of the World. The MICE desk at the London based firm also reported a year-on-year increase of 31% from the period January – June 2011. Insiders are predicting this growth will continue into 2012.

Director of MICE sales at Great Hotels, Armand Guillemot, spoke about the dramatic increase in meeting and incentive bookings over the first half of 2011, saying that this signalled a ‘healthy growth’ in the market. He went on to say that; ‘Our enquiries are from a mix of agency and direct corporate buyers, mainly from France, UK, Ireland and Germany. The most requested destinations for meetings and incentives are Spain and the UK, but we do also get demand for other emerging destinations such as Seoul, Montenegro and India.’

Guillemot also added; ‘Businesses nowadays are much more return-on-investment focused. Budgets are cautiously growing but price is still a big deciding factor. Above all buyers are looking for flexibility and added value whilst remaining cost-effective.’

Occupancy on the rise in Europe’s hotels

Over the last six months, hotels across Europe have seen their occupancy and rates rise as the economy slowly recovers, according to research taken by consultancy firm STR.

Looking at Junes trading figures, there was a four percent rise in occupancy levels, whilst average daily rates grew by thirteen percent, and RevPAR rose by seventeen percent. STR commented that the changes were positive, managing director of the company Elizabeth Randall said; ‘Europe continued with its solid performance for the first six months of this year. Across the region we saw equal increases in occupancy and ADR, resulting in a nine percent RevPAR increase. Despite the reoccurring uncertainties in the wider economic environment, European hoteliers benefitted from the continued improvement in business, MICE and leisure demand.’

Over the whole of the continent, average room rates increased to £95, with RevPAR reaching £70 and occupancy swelling to seventy-four percent. In the UK alone, room rates increase by almost seven percent to £86, RevPAR was up eleven percent at nearly £70, and occupancy rates rose by four percent to reach eighty-two percent.

HVS say Edinburgh is city of choice for hoteliers

1,500 new rooms are to be going on sale in Edinburgh hotels over the next two years, according to research done by consultancy firm HVS London. This high number means the Scottish capital is the most popular place in the UK to open a hotel.

Hotels in Edinburgh attract mainly visitors from the UK, making for a better performance from the city because business is not fully reliant on international tourists.

Although there was a dip in occupancy in 2009, positive growth has become evident since 2010 and looks set to continue the upward trend into 2012. Room revenue in the city has risen by 6.1% over the last twelve months to April. Author of the report, Lara Sarheim – also associate director of HVS London – commented that; ‘International brands with hotels already in the city are adding to their portfolio as well as new entrants, which confirms that investors are seeing the potential for future growth in Edinburgh.’ She went on to add that; ‘The city benefits from a mix of leisure and business tourism so hotel performance remains strong all year round. As a result, the impact of the economic downturn was less severe in Edinburgh and the city has emerged largely unscathed, with occupancy, average rate and RevPAR growing year-on-year in 2010 and 2011. Full year occupancy in 2009 and 2010 was the second highest in Europe, beaten only by London.’

New Snore Absorption room on trial at the Crowne Plaza

The Crowne Plaza has brought in a new idea to combat hotel guests struggling to sleep due to ‘offensive noises’. The ‘snore absorption’ rooms are being introduced to ten of the chains hotels in Europe and the Middle East, and six branches in Britain are joining the fight with ‘snore patrols’ being added this month.

Noisy sleepers beware, snore monitors are going to patrol quiet zones at branches in Leeds, Manchester and London, in an effort to stamp out the anti-social behaviour. Guests who snore too loudly can expect a knock at the door from the monitors. The Leeds Crowne Plaza has two floors in its quiet zone, and patrols involve walking the halls to check for any offensive noises that could disrupt a guests stay. Guests who don’t want to be disturbed can stay in the quiet zones, but are welcome to stay anywhere in the hotel, as all floors are patrolled.

Those who are ‘loud sleepers’ but continue to book rooms in the quiet zone will be booked into an alternative room and asked to keep the noise down to prevent other visitors from being disturbed in the night.

Best Western Hotels see a 20% increase in business

Dubbed the ‘staycation’ trend, it seems more and more British holidaymakers are happy enough to remain in this country for their vacations, if Best Westerns newest figures are anything to go by. Rooms in the South East are up by 28.6% compared with the same period last year, and the North East has seen a rise of 20.6%.

In a surprise turn, Bristol and Birmingham were the top two holiday destinations, followed closely by London, York, Edinburgh, the Lake District, Bath and Bournemouth.

Director of Best Western, Keith Pope, spoke of the companies delight at the results, saying; ‘It is a great positive message for the British hospitality industry as a whole. Our early indications show that the summer will also be busy one due to the number of people predicted to stay in the UK rather than travelling abroad for a traditional two weeks break. He went on to say that; ‘We believe that our success has been down to providing great value for money and an individual ‘hotels with personality’ customer experience.’

Travelodge creates 1,300 jobs

London and other areas of the UK are set to benefit from the ongoing expansion of budget hotel chain Travelodge. With eighteen new branches already under its belt this year, the company shows no sign of slowing down – forty-three more properties are currently in progress, with around half of those expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Most of the 1,300 jobs on offer will be in the five new hotels which are set to open in London, and will be both full and part time positions. Some of the jobs will be available in other areas, such as Newquay, Glasgow, Darlington,

Woking and Loughborough. Positions will be up for grabs in all tiers of the business, from management to receptionists, bar staff and cleaners will also be required. The new hotels will bring the total number of rooms owned by Travelodge to 40,000 in the UK.

Michelle Luxford, Director of Human Resources at the company, spoke about the job opportunities within the chain; ‘All you need to be successful at Travelodge is a great attitude to work; we can give you the skills and training you need. We are passionate about developing our people and I am proud to say that 75% of all our management appointments are filled internally.’

Southampton Park Hotel for sale

City centre inn the Southampton Park Hotel has gone on sale with a price tag of £3million. Akkeron Hotels, who have owned the property since the end of 2010, are looking to sell it as a trading business, stating that although the hotel is ‘profitable’ they are selling it because it is now ‘surplus’ to the company’s future plans.

The hotel includes 72 bedrooms, swimming pool, gym, business centre, banqueting facilities, and a private members club which has 250 members. It currently operates at a three star standard, and attracts an ‘excellent’ mid-week corporate occupancy, and still brings in a decent tourist trade. The Park hotel is close to the Civic Centre and the shopping district, and not far from the busy harbour

Director of Christie + Co, Ed Bellfield said; ‘Southampton Park Hotel represents an excellent opportunity for a forward-thinking individual or experienced operator prepared to invest in its potential. There are real opportunities to grow both turnover and profit from this enviably located business.’

Umi Hotels and Little Bay open first venue outside London

London-based restaurant chain Little Bay has teamed up with Umi Hotels to open their first establishment outside of the Capital, in Brighton. The restaurant will be capable of handling 180 covers and will be on the premises of the Brighton branch of budget hotel chain Umi – located on the sea front.

Peter Ilic, owner of the Little Bay brand was positive their business plan would prove successful. He said; ‘I am confident it will do well because it’s totally different to what’s been there before. I’m not depending solely on tourists – they are welcome always – but I will create the place to be more for regular customers.’

Founder of Umi Hotels, Steve Lowy, was also pleased with the joining of the two companies, saying; ‘We had experience of people being in there previously and these guys have more experience with multiple restaurants. We covered the space last summer just to break even but we felt it’s really important for the hotel that it works because we like having that facility there. It’s a tough market down there, but I think Little Bay are pitching it at the right level. What they do is a lot of fun and good value which is what you need on the seafront.’

Dame Kelly Holmes heads new fitness programme in St David’s hotel

Hundreds turned out to the St David’s Devere Village Hotel in Ewloe to sample a new fitness programme introduced by Olympic gold medallist Dame Kelly Holmes. Dame Kelly has been working with Village hotels for the last year to come up with the Perfect Fit regime.

Dame Kelly spoke to Newspaper The Leader, saying; ‘We know that all fitness club members are different, with different ages and levels of ability. They’re certainly not all fitness freaks, that’s why we’ve worked out this special programme, which can be tailor-made to each individual. Perfect Fit combines motivational exercise programmes with fun, social clubs including running, walking, cycling, ballroom dancing, table tennis, salsa and much more.

There are even programmes for the entire family to enjoy.’

The double medal winner has been keeping busy since retiring from athletics in 2005, she’s involved in a range of fitness schemes aimed at disadvantaged children and young adults, and is also an advisor to other sportswomen who have retired from competition and are looking for some direction. She says; ‘You face a whole new set of circumstances and after being wrapped in cotton wool within your own sports you suddenly don’t know what life’s going to hold for you.’

VIP duo check into Best Western at Walworth Castle

Darlington’s Best Western was recently delighted to welcome two very special guests to stay with them, CEO of Best Western International, Mr David Kong, and the Vice President of International Operations, Ms Suzi Yoder paid them a visit at their Walworth Castle branch.

The Walworth Castle Hotel is one of the oldest establishments in the Best Western chain, and counts itself as one of the firms castles that houses a hotel. The duo were travelling the country as part of a major tour of operations, and picked out the Darlington hotspot. Owner of Walworth Castle, Chris Swain was very pleased to have been chosen, saying; ‘We have been delighted to welcome Mr Kong and Ms Suzi to the hotel and feel extremely honoured that they have chosen us out of only seven other hotels they are visiting on their UK tour. I think he has chosen to visit Walworth as it is one of the only real castles in the whole group and one of the oldest, having been built in 1189.’

Upon arrival, Mr Kong commented that; ‘It helps us to get a better understanding of the hotels in our company, as they are generally unique. Indeed this hotel was selected by the office for its uniqueness, the place is just mind-boggling, with all the history, it’s like the walls could tell stories.’

Scottish hotels defy slump

It was feared that the hotel industry would suffer financially following the long Easter break and string of bank holidays, but the hotels in Scotland have defied predictions and are reporting a growth in occupancy and revenue over the month of May.

Accountancy firm PKF have conducted a survey that revealed ‘staycationing’ across the border could be a trend set to continue over the summer months. The research showed that year-on-year occupancy levels for three and four star hotels in Scotland rose by 0.6% to reach 77% in May this year, the average room yield over the same period rose by 3.1% to £55.83.

Hospitality industry expert at the company, Alastair Rae commented that Edinburgh had enjoyed some of the highest occupancy numbers in the UK. He went on to say; ‘These numbers are very positive for Scotland as a whole.

The figures for Glasgow show a dip, but this is in comparison to a spike during May 2010. I would, therefore, expect the June figures to show Glasgow increasing in line with the rest of Scotland.’

Speaking about the trend of ‘staycationing’, which is expected to flourish, Mr Rae added; ‘If that is the case, then the hospitality sector will be well placed for any economic upturn which occurs in 2012.’

UK cities see dip in hotel rates

Cities such as Manchester and Birmingham have been found to have experienced the biggest drop in rates since the beginning of the year, as more holidaymakers opt for sun, sea, and sand, over UK central destinations.

Hotel price comparison site, Trivago, found that the UK was not alone in this fall in room rates, as numbers across Europe also saw a slide of ten percent over the same period. In contrast, prices in holiday resorts and warmer climates have risen significantly within the last month.

Spokesman for Trivago, Romain Hefti, said that; ‘The figures reflect a general trend around July/August for prices in city destinations to fall, this is most likely due to tourists preferring beach resorts and holiday destinations rather than big cities during the warmer months. Hotel rates in the UK also rose relatively high in the early part of 2011, so an eventual drop was to be expected.’

According to figures from the site, Cardiff was the hardest hit city this month, its rates dropped by twenty-one percent compared to June, whilst Manchester’s rates fell seventeen percent – its lowest point since January, and Birmingham saw a seven percent decrease to £68, a disastrous fall to its lowest numbers since December 2010.

Hotels need to know what women want

A study at a centre for Hospitality Research has found that lone women guests travelling on business are more concerned by the emotional support a hotel can provide them with, suggesting that more focus needs to be put on this demographic to meet specific travelling needs.

The author of the research, Professor Judi Brownell commented that; ‘When hotel operators ask what women want, the answer is not so much specific features as it is an overall outcome relating to how the experience makes them feel. In this context, we have found that women want to feel secure, comfortable, empowered, and valued. When I tested this insight in a model, the result was clusters of amenities and features that contributed to these critical affective outcomes.’

Prof. Brownell then goes on to suggest that there should be more of a focus within the industry, relating to meeting the overall expectations of female travellers. She mentioned specific features that contribute to feelings of safety, including covered parking, secure locks, thoughtful room locations and well-lit hallways.

Hotel answers accusations of ‘bribery’ from TripAdvisor reviewers

The Cove hotel at Lamorna Cove in Cornwall have been reprimanded by former guests for using ‘bribery’ to make sure guests give them a good review on the travel sight TripAdvisor. According to sources, staff at the hotel were seen handing literature to departing guests that suggested they could bring in more business for the hotel ‘by posting an honest, but positive view of the Cove on the TripAdvisor website.’ It has been alleged that they then offered a 10% reduction to returning guests, and an additional 10% if they introduced a friend or family member to the sixteen apartment guest house. Owner of The Cove said he would be seeking legal counsel over the allegations that this amounted to ‘bribery’

He said; ‘We strongly deny any such accusations [of bribery], which has distorted the truth about a loyalty scheme we introduced last month here at our hotel. We emphasise no monetary compensation has been given for posting a review, this is a loyalty scheme, which rewards guests who return, not for just putting and ‘honest and positive review’.’

TripAdvisor spokeswoman Emma O’Boyle commented on the website rules, saying; ‘It is strictly against our guidelines for businesses to offer incentives, discounts, upgrades or special treatment on current or future stays in exchange for reviews.’

Helmsley hotel scoops award

A hotel in Helmsley, North Yorkshire has been awarded the prestigious Independent Hotel of the Year. The Feversham Arms Hotel & Verbena Spa received the accolade at the 2011 Catey award ceremony – known as the industry equivalent of the Oscars, which sees more than a thousand hoteliers attend annually.

Actor James Nesbitt presented the award to outgoing Managing Director, Simon Rhatigan. Hotel Services Manager for AA Hotel Services, Simon Numphud, praised the venue for the example it set to the rest of the industry, commenting that they have; ‘continued to evolve and improve through reinvestment in both its product and its people. As a result it has become well established as a leading hotel, both locally and nationally, commercially successful and above all a great hotel that others can look to emulate and be inspired by.’

This is not the first award the Feversham Arms Hotel has won this year, they’ve already scooped the Small Hotel/Townhouse of the Year at the White Rose Awards, Silver award for Small Hotel of the Year at the Enjoy England

Excellence Awards and finally they took the Best Luxury resort Spa at the World Luxury Spa Awards.

Claridge’s accused of discrimination against ‘white and English’ guests

Mayfair hotel Claridge’s is at the centre of a discrimination row today after writer Taki Theodoracopulos has accused the establishment of favouring rich Arab guests over their British counterparts.

Mr Theodoracopulos was at the hotel bar with a group of his friends when a member of staff approached them and asked them to leave, saying they ‘were hoping for Gulf people’ He commented that; ‘We were neither drunk nor obstreperous but we were refused a table although the place was less than one third full.’ He then went on to say demand an apology and called for a boycott of Claridge’s until they did so.

The 74-year-old explained in his column for Spectator magazine that a friend of his had suggested they went to the hotel for a drink, and said; ‘After politely suggesting that the management should give us one, the maitre d’ came over and asked us to leave. Lord Worcester protested… Once I caught on, it was too late. My party was out the door. So here’s what I think happened and why I’m outraged. We were speaking English, we were white and we had not demanded myriad bottles of champagne.’

Claridge’s commented to the Daily Telegraph; ‘We have checked. There is no record of such an incident. I think he is being deliberately provocative and mischievous.’