Royal Lancaster London listed in ‘ Top 100 Companies to Work for 2018 ’
BHA claims success after Government rejects Wales-wide tourism tax plans
Valor Hospitality Partners creates dedicated F & B team
MONTH IN REVIEW
MONTH IN REVIEW www . hotelowner . co . uk
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
ACCOLADES
Royal Lancaster London listed in ‘ Top 100 Companies to Work for 2018 ’
The Sunday Times has awarded Royal Lancaster London a spot in its ‘ Top 100 companies to Work For ’ for the third consecutive year .
The hotel has been able to retain its place in the nationwide poll for three years running , despite going through an extensive £ 80m refurbishment during this time .
The project transformed the hotel , but brought with it many challenges as the property remained open throughout the renovations .
Sally Beck , GM , said : “ We are all thrilled to have maintained a happy team of colleagues and guests throughout the past year . Many hotels close with the pressure of an all-encompassing refurbishment . We chose to keep our doors open and throughout it all our staff are still among the happiest in hospitality . It ’ s an incredible feeling to see our hard work pay off .”
UPCOMING EVENTS
12 March 2018
Big Hospitality Conversation - Bluestone Resorts
21 - 22 March 2018
British Tourism and Travel Show NEC Birmingham
10 & 11 October 2018
The Annual Hotel Conference - Hilton Hotel , Manchester
TOURISM TAX
BHA claims success after Government rejects Wales-wide tourism tax plans
Hoteliers in Wales have welcomed the rejection of broad proposals for a
Wales-wide ‘ tourism tax ’.
Since the autumn , a British Hospitality Association ( BHA ) Cymru media and political campaign has urged ministers and all assembly members to drop the tourism tax plans as they believed it would have made the industry uncompetitive and added hundreds of thousands of pounds a year to tourist bills .
Welsh Government officials backed the BHA case and rejected the all- Wales tourism tax plans to favour a Vacant Land Tax , one of a set of four new tax plans that were put forward in the autumn for consideration by finance secretary Mark Drakeford .
However , the matter has not been completely dismissed by the cabinet secretary , with references made during his speech to the possibility of future discussions on permissive powers for local authorities on the issue .
David Chapman , executive director of BHA Cymru , said : “ The industry ’ s broad message was ‘ don ’ t top up taxes , chop taxes ’ and it was listened to by Welsh Government . It saw the need to help our iconic community businesses , already facing a cauldron of costs , to boost employment and growth in key rural , coastal and urban locations in Wales .
“ The same arguments clearly stand for any further policy discussions , local or national , that may take place on the subject . We ’ ll continue to make our case as strongly as we can for our members .
FOOD AND BEVERAGE
Valor Hospitality Partners creates dedicated F & B team
Hotel management company , Valor Hospitality Partners , has established a dedicated food and beverage team , to deliver new hotel dining concepts that rival high street options .
A team of industry experts and innovators will be led by Euan McGlashan , Valor co-founder and managing partner , and will oversee the entire F & B process , from restaurant design and branding to menu curation and staff training .
Leigh Allan will join McGlashan as global director of F & B . Allan brings extensive knowledge and experience of the industry , having worked for establishments including Claridges , The Savoy and The Dorchester .
Matt Gray will act as global culinary director . Gray has previously worked at the Inverlochy Castle Hotel in Scotland , leading the hotel to a Michelin Star , which it held for nine years .
The F & B team has already delivered the Store Street Exchange and Store Street Craft Bar at the DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester , a breakfast through to dinner venue which celebrates the heritage and history of its location .
In Leeds , the team completely transformed the DoubleTree by Hilton ’ s restaurant , creating The Lock Kitchen & Bar , a waterside venue that draws on the area ’ s maritime heritage .
McGlashan said : “ After watching guests leave their hotels to eat in high street restaurants , we knew that we could improve our offering to encourage them to stay and to entice people to come in from the street to eat . We want to create dining options that genuinely compete with the high street offering in every aspect , from design and atmosphere , to food quality .”
12 www . hotelowner . co . uk March 2018