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APPOINTMENTS
Malmaison
Aberdeen
appoints Morag
Stark new GM
Malmaison has appointed Morag Stark
as the new general manager of the
Malmaison Aberdeen hotel.
Stark has over 20 years’ experience
in the hospitality industry and is a
graduate of the general manager’s
programme at the USA’s prestigious
Cornell University. She has also
managed a number of hotels across
Scotland, most recently the Hallmark
Hotel at Aberdeen Airport.
Speaking on her appointment,
Stark said: “I was delighted to return
to Aberdeen as the city holds some
fabulous memories for me, I particularly
love having the beach on my doorstep
alongside fantastic shops and nightlife.
“I’ve long been a fan of the
Malmaison brand – from the style
and comfort of the hotels to the focus
on delivering delicious food and
intoxicating cocktails – and so it’s
a personal joy for me to be joining
the team here, and I look forward to
meeting our guests and building on the
success of the hotel.”
Scott Harper, chief operating officer
of Malmaison, added: “Morag is a
welcome addition to our team. We
are confident that she will deploy her
extensive knowledge to ensure that
every visitor, be they stopping for a bite
to eat or a bed for the night, receives
an extraordinary experience from the
entire team at Malmaison Aberdeen.”
This will be the
ultimate destination
for craft beer fans
seeking hops with their
holidays. This is a beer
Nirvana
James Watt, co-founder, BrewDog
March 2018
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RESIGNATION
Ufi Ibrahim
leaves BHA after
ALMR merger
Ufi Ibrahim, chief executive of the
British Hospitality Association (BHA)
has decided to step down after the
merger bid by the BHA and Association
of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR)
was approved.
Following the approval by
members of both the BHA and ALMR
at a meeting held on February 21,
the two associations will create a
new association called UKHospitality
headed by ALMR chief executive
Kate Nicholls.
It was unclear when the merger was
announced back in January whether
Ibrahim, who has been chief executive
of the BHA since July 2010, would have
a role in UKHospitality. Now it has
been confirmed that she is to leave the
organisation, ‘to pursue other interests’.
UKHospitality aims to be the voice
of the sector for over 700 member
companies, operating 65,000 venues
in a sector that employs 2.9 million
people, spearheading hospitality’s
representation on the strategic,
structural and regulatory issues it faces.
The board of UKHospitality will be
led by Kate Nicholls, who is joined
by CEO; Nick Varney of Merlin
Entertainments, chair; and Steve
Richards of Casual Dining Group,
deputy chair.
Commenting after the EGM votes,
Kate Nicholls said: “The hospitality
sector is at a critical point, with
fantastic innovation, dynamism and
enthusiasm across the industry,
however this is being jeopardised by
significant cost increases and red-tape.
“The incredible member support for
creating UKHospitality demonstrates
our ambition to reshape the future of an
industry, which represents 10% of UK
employment and generates £38bn of
tax for the Exchequer.”
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ONLINE
Airbnb
announces new
features for ‘high
end’ travellers
Airbnb has announced new features
including a wider variety of listing types
and luxury custom trips in an attempt
to attract more high end travellers.
The home-sharing platform will add
four new property types to its platform
– Vacation Home, Unique Space, B&B
and Boutique.
A new tier called Airbnb Plus will
see homes inspected and verified
in person against a 100-plus point
checklist covering cleanliness, comfort
and design. Airbnb said the feature
is intended for guests “looking for
beautiful homes, exceptional hosts and
added peace of mind”. The new tier has
launched with immediate effect with
2,000 hosts in 13 cities.
An additional tier, Beyond Airbnb,
will offer custom-designed trips
and “some of the finest hosts” on
the platform. The move follows the
company’s acquisition of Luxury
Retreats and will launch in spring.
Airbnb co-founder, chief executive
and ‘head of community’, Brian
Chesky, said: “10 years ago we
never dreamed of what Airbnb could
become. In fact, people thought the
idea that strangers would stay in each
other’s homes was crazy.
“Today, millions of people every
night do just that. But we want to go
further by supporting and expanding
our community so that in 10 years’ time,
more than one billion people a year
will experience the benefits of magical
travel on Airbnb.”
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