MONTH IN REVIEW
MONTH IN REVIEW
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ACQUISITIONS
Accorhotels signs
five new UK
hotels during Q1
Accorhotels has signed eight new
hotels across Northern Europe during
the first quarter of 2019, five in the UK,
two in Denmark and one in Belgium.
The new signings will collectively add
over 1,000 rooms to Accor’s portfolio in
the region, which is in addition to the
1,000 new rooms which have already
opened in 2019 to date, in seven
hotels across Accor’s Northern Europe
network.
The five signings in the UK include
three Mercure and two Ibis properties.
Mercure St Helen’s is an 84-room
franchised hotel that is undergoing full
renovation due to be brought back into
the network with an existing multi-hotel
franchise partner in the summer.
Additionally, Mercure Preston
Samlesbury is an 80-bedroom
franchised hotel that is being
rebranded to a Mercure and Mercure
Newport is a new 163-room hotel,
converting Newport’s Chartist Tower
from office building to hotel.
The two new Ibis signings are Ibis
London Worcester Park, a new build
132-bedroom franchised hotel opening
in 2020 and ibis Folkestone Channel
Tunnel, a new build 131-room managed
hotel opening in 2021, which will
become one of the closest hotels to the
Channel Tunnel.
A further 11 properties already
committed to open across the Northern
Europe network during the rest of 2019,
nine of which will be in the UK. This
includes the UK’s first Tribe and Mama
Shelter hotels, two “significant” openings
from Accor’s growing lifestyle portfolio.
Phillip Lassman, vice president
of Development, Accor Northern
Europe said: “The last three months
have been busy for us, as we have
welcomed new partners and new
hotels to the Accor network.”
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HOTEL BRANDS
Laura Ashley
rebrand begins
at Burnham
Beeches Hotel
Burnham Beeches Hotel, located in
South Buckinghamshire, has revealed
a first look at its new Laura Ashley
designed bedrooms, as it begins its
transformation to rebrand as a Laura
Ashley Hotel.
The four-star hotel is currently
undergoing a major refurbishment and
later this year will become the third hotel
in the Laura Ashley Hotels portfolio.
The rooms are decorated with
accessories from the Laura Ashley
home furnishings range, including large
gold circular mirrors and antique-style
brass glass frame pendant lights. The
bathrooms feature a fresh colour palette,
with a pattern tile floor design.The interior
design will be extended across the hotel
Rebecca Fewings, marketing
manager for Laura Ashley Hotels, said:
“We’re delighted that the first steps have
begun to transform Burnham Beeches
Hotel as it joins the Laura Ashley Hotels
portfolio later this year. A thorough
refurbishment is underway and outline
planning permission has been agreed. It
is a very exciting time for the hotel.”
The 82-bedroom Burnham Beeches
hotel will continue to undergo restoration
and renovation throughout the property
as part of the rebrand. The Laura Ashley
Hotel portfolio, which also includes The
Belsfield Hotel, Windermere, and soon
to include The Chace Hotel in Coventry
from July 2018, aims to offer guests an
“authentic home from home experience”
against the backdrop of the Laura Ashley
Home range in properties across the UK.
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APPOINTMENTS
Arora Group
appoints new GM
at Heathrow hotel
James Street joins from Arora Group’s
sister property, Renaissance London
Heathrow, where he held the position
of operations manager since 2015.
Hotel operations and management
firm Arora Group has appointed James
Street as general manager of the new
Hilton Garden Inn London Heathrow
Terminal 2, opening summer 2019.
Street will lead the pre-opening
team with over 15 years’ experience
in the hospitality industry and joins
from Arora Group’s sister property,
Renaissance London Heathrow, where
he held the position of operations
manager since 2015.
Prior to this, he led the team at
Holiday Inn London Heathrow T5 as
general manager, following the hotel’s
refurbishment in June 2014.
Vincent Madden, director of hotel
operations at Arora Group, said: “We
are thrilled to welcome James as
General Manager at Hilton Garden
Inn London Heathrow Terminal 2.
I am confident that James’ wealth
of experience will guide the hotel’s
team to success in line with the Arora
Group’s ambition.”
Commenting on his appointment,
Street added: “I am delighted to be
taking on this new challenge. As the
first Hilton Garden Inn to be added
to the Arora Group portfolio, we look
forward to delivering the highest
levels of service in a hotel situated at
Heathrow’s most prime location. I am
truly excited and looking forward to the
opening of the hotel later this summer.”
May 2019