MONTH IN REVIEW
MONTH IN REVIEW
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REFURBISHMENT
Malmaison
completes
multimillion
pound makeover
of Liverpool hotel
Malmaison, the boutique hotel brand,
has announced the completion of a
multimillion pound refurbishment of
the bedrooms and events space of
Malmaison Liverpool.
The brand said the refurbishment
reinforces the brand’s “continued
commitment to further improving its
hotels nationwide”. The investment into
Malmaison Liverpool includes a total
revamp of the hotel’s 130 bedrooms and
all meeting and events spaces, as well
as the introduction of a new cocktail bar.
The Liverpool investment comes
after recent expansion for the brand,
with three new hotels expected to open
over the next 24 months. These include
Bournemouth, where the brand is in the
early stages of developing a new build
hotel; Edinburgh, where renovation
work has already begun on the Grade
A Listed Buchan House, which will be
the brand’s second site in the city; and
York, where work is underway to open
a new 150 room hotel.
The ongoing investment in hotels
is supported by Malmaison’s ongoing
investment in its people including the
launch of its new bespoke staff uniforms.
Guus Bakker, CEO at Malmaison
Hotel du Vin Group, said: “Here at
Malmaison we strive to continually
improve our proposition and to deliver
exceptional guest experience, so we
are hugely excited to have completed
the refurbishment at our Liverpool
hotel and are delighted for our guests
to see it. The refurbishment reflects
our continued commitment to the
improvement of our hotels, to ensure
that our guests enjoy the same
exceptional service and surroundings
at Malmaison, time after time.”
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INTERNATIONAL
Foreign
investment leads
to 140 luxury
hotel openings in
last two years
The number of luxury hotels (four-star
and above) in the UK has risen by 140
in the last two years, while the number
of three-star and lower hotels fell by 110
over the same period.
According to real estate law firm
Boodle Hatfield, investors in the hotel
sector are increasingly targeting more
affluent tourists, driving a rise in the
number of luxury hotels openings and
upgrades in the UK. The group said
investors from overseas, particularly the
Middle East and Singapore, have been
“key in bringing new investment into
the luxury hotel sector in recent years”.
London landmark hotels the Savoy,
the Four Seasons and the Corinthia
are all owned at least in part by
investors from the Gulf. The UK’s
tourism industry has also benefited
from London’s reputation as a “centre
for wealthy individuals from around the
world”, as the country attracts a greater
number of more affluent visitors,
particularly from emerging economies.
London is one of the
premier centres for wealth
management globally,
and that is increasingly
reflected in the type
of tourists the capital
attracts
Adam Chamberlain, partner,
Boodle Hatfield
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HOTEL REFURBISHMENTS
Grosvenor Hotel
relaunches as the
new Amba Hotel
Victoria
Amba Hotels, the four-star brand
from London’s largest hotel owner
and operator GLH Hotels, has added
another historic property to its portfolio
at London’s Victoria Station.
Currently operating as The Grosvenor
Hotel under the Guoman Hotels brand,
the 345 - bedroom property will be fully
refurbished to embody Amba Hotels’
design standards.
The renovation project will have
a phased launch, with the first
refurbished elements of the hotel - The
Grosvenor Arms, the hotel’s dedicated
restaurant, and The Tea Lounge –
already complete and open to the
public. The hotel’s bedrooms, meetings
and events spaces, and additional food
and beverage outlets will then be fully
refurbished throughout next year. The
finishing touches are scheduled to be
complete by the end of 2019.
GLH Hotels has worked in
conjunction with interior and hospitality
designers, Goddard Littlefair, to create
the new look Amba Hotels bedrooms
and bathrooms.
Neil Gallagher, chief executive of
GLH Hotels, said: “The expansion
of the Amba Hotels brand, with the
addition of the Amba Hotel Victoria, is a
milestone moment for GLH Hotels. The
brand was designed to raise guests’
expectations of a four-star hotel and
offer an upgraded hotel experience.
“Each Amba Hotel has a unique
personality in an amazing central
London location and we know Amba
Hotel Victoria will be the perfect
addition to this brand.”
December 2018