EDITOR’S LETTER
Editor’s letter
CONTRIBUTORS
Airbnb, its increasing popularity and potential
STEPHEN W. AYERS
threat to the market has been a hot topic this
Stephen is a British and
Canadian author and former
hotel manager. He is the CEO
of Stay Ahead Hospitality,
a company that helps
independent hoteliers in
Europe and North America
to attain high standards and
increase profit
month. It is now a third of the size of London’s
hotel sector and accounts for 70% of visitor
bookings in Edinburgh, but the continued
expansion and investment elsewhere in the hotel
trade shows that while its impact grows traditional
travel accommodation businesses are still thriving.
In this month’s issue we speak to Eric De Neef, executive vice
DEBORAH HEATHER
Deborah is the director
of Quality in Tourism;
providers of independent
quality assessments and
gradings. Deborah manages
an extensive field force of
assessors who each grade
some 300 properties a year.
president of the Radisson Hotel Group, as he reveals his five-year plan
to turn the group into one of the world’s top three hotel companies.
We also look at what the UK’s hospitality sector can do to boost
its meetings, incentives, conferencing and exhibitions business,
as compared with other European countries, Britain appears to be
falling short. Why is this the case when Britain is one of the top five
economies in the world? Lewis Catchpole delves into the issue on
page 22
PETER HANCOCK
Peter has been the
chief executive of Pride
of Britain Hotels - a
collection of never more
than 50 luxury and
independent properties -
since 2000. He previously
managed hotels and
restaurants in Sussex and
Hampshire, having started
out as a waiter
ANGIE PETKOVIC
Angie started as our
resident marketing advice
columnist and has now
built a substantial following
for her straight-talking
answers to the common
questions about executing
a professional marketing
strategy
In the debut of Hotel Owner’s new feature, The Project,
Alessandro Carrara sits down with hotel owner Simon Wright who
got his hands dirty and refurbished the Lancrigg Hotel in Lake
District himself. Find out about his hands-on approach on page 26.
As always, our usual contributors share their pearls of wisdom
with Stephen Ayers musing over the possibility of technology
overtaking our lives, while Peter Hancock analyses how much
hoteliers should invest in it.
Deborah Heather explains the importance of establishing a USP
and Angie Petkovic answers the question of how to prioritise your
‘public face’.
I hope you enjoy this issue.
Michael Northcott
Editor, Hotel Owner
|
AUGUST 2018 £5.95
[email protected]
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HOUSEKEEPING | RENOVATION | FOOD & BEVERAGE | SPA | PROPERTY | EDUCATION | TECHNOLOGY
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ON THE COVER
JustPark, see p34
AS ALWAYS, OUR USUAL CONTRIBUTORS
SHARE THEIR PEARLS OF WISDOM
WITH STEPHEN AYERS MUSING OVER
THE POSSIBILITY OF TECHNOLOGY
OVERTAKING OUR LIVES, WHILE PETER
HANCOCK ANALYSES HOW MUCH
HOTELIERS SHOULD INVEST IN IT
‘‘
www.hotelowner.co.uk
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