Hotel Owner May 2018 | Page 13

MONTH IN REVIEW GO ONLINE www.hotelowner.co.uk HOTEL OPENINGS Hotel Du Vin to open new Stratford-upon- Avon hotel Hotel du Vin is soon to open the doors of its 19th hotel located in the historic centre of Stratford-upon-Avon, on 1 May 2018. Spread across two converted Grade II-listed townhouses, the property features 46 bedrooms and suites and is based on a contemporary development of the traditional Hotel du Vin style. The hotel also includes its own bistro focused on home-style French cooking accompanied with its own courtyard allowing guests to dine outside, while an event space accommodates up to 70 people suitable for meetings, weddings and celebrations, along with two smaller private dining rooms for 10-12 guests. “Stratford-upon-Avon feels like such a natural pairing for Hotel du Vin, we’re really looking forward to welcoming guests into the hotel,” said Nick Halliday, chief operating officer of Hotel du Vin. He added: “The team have worked incredibly hard over the last few months to ensure we can bring a much-needed boutique hotel and bistro to the area, which is befitting of a town with so much character and history. It’s the ideal base for visitors and locals alike to stay, wine, dine and meet in comfort and style, something we like to think the Bard himself would have enjoyed.” This is the latest addition to Hotel du Vin’s portfolio of luxury boutique hotels, which will soon be joined by another – The Avon Gorge by Hotel du Vin in Clifton Village, Bristol. May 2018 1 2 3 ENVIRONMENT Apex Waterloo joins Brewgooder to provide clean water to 1m people Apex hotels has partnered with Brewgooder to provide clean water to one million people - by selling craft beer to its guests and visitors in Edinburgh. The family owned hotel group has partnered with the craft beer label that provides 100% of its profits to clean water projects around the world, to install the first beer tap of its kind in Scotland’s capital. At Elliot’s Bar and Restaurant within Apex Waterloo Place, for each keg of its craft lager sold two people will be provided with clean water for a minimum of five years. David Steele, Apex Waterloo Place deputy general manager, said: “We are always keen to work with local suppliers, and Brewgooder not only provides an excellent product, but supports such a good cause - it was an easy decision to become the first company in Edinburgh to provide the new well head fount. We can’t wait for guests and visitors alike to try the taste of Brewgooder and help make a difference to the lives of people around the world.” Alan Mahon, Brewgooder Founder, added: “Apex Hotels has been a big supporter of ours since we started. It was only right that they were the first hotel to get on board with the well head fount in Edinburgh. We look forward to helping provide many people with clean drinking water through this partnership.” 4 5 6 7 8 9 CRIME Hotelier ordered to pay nearly £100,000 in human trafficking case Former hotel owner Shamsul Arefin, 50, has been fined £93,443 for trafficking human workers from Bangladesh. The Crown Office, an independent public prosecution service for Scotland, ordered him to repay the money he made through his exploitation of four men while he owned Lochaber’s Stewart Hotel. Arefin was found guilty of breaches of the Asylum and Immigration Act in July 2015 at Fort William Sheriff Court. At the time prosecutors said that Arefin made “substantial amounts of money through his exploitation of his victims”. Liam Murphy, procurator fiscal for specialist casework, said: “Arefin took advantage of vulnerable people for his own financial gain, making significant amounts of money from the suffering of others. “Our proceeds of crime team have been working to ensure Arefin will not be able to keep the money he made by trafficking people into labour.” Stratford-upon-Avon feels like such a natural pairing for Hotel du Vin, we’re really looking forward to welcoming guests into the hotel Nick Halliday, chief operating officer, Hotel du Vin www.hotelowner.co.uk 13