Hotel Owner November 2018 | Page 14

MONTH IN REVIEW MONTH IN REVIEW www.hotelowner.co.uk HOTEL FIRES Breckland Lodge hotel and pub to reopen after ‘devastating fire’ 1 This is a significant commission for us to convert a building that had been at the centre of the city’s public life for more than a century and a half Alastair Shepherd, director, Falconer Chester Hall NEW HOTELS The Breckland Lodge hotel and pub in Norfolk will reopen on 1 November, following the “devastating fire” that destroyed the property on 6 February. Some 14 fire engines were called to the 33-room hotel in Attleborough after the alarm went off at 9:20am, and more than 70 firefighters tackled the blaze. At the time Paul Seaman, Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service, said: “Unfortunately, Breckland Lodge will be closed for some time. It is a tragic loss for the area and hopefully we will see it being rebuilt for the future.” A Facebook post by the group read: “Although impossible to name everyone, we would like to thank every single person who has played a part in the re-build after the devastating fire earlier this year. We hope you agree that the re-build looks incredible. “We would also like to thank everyone who has sent us wonderful messages of support, it has meant a lot and kept the team going.” QUOTE OF THE MONTH “Legitimate businesses pay business rates and VAT – short-term letting hosts do not. Listing hosts are not regulated and do not have to undergo the rigorous safety checks Bristol’s hoteliers are required to do.” That’s what BHA chairman Imran Ali said about the impact of the short-term letting trend on Bristol’s smaller hotels and B&Bs 14 www.hotelowner.co.uk Former Liverpool City Council building to be turned into four-star hotel The former home of Liverpool City Council is to be converted into a luxury four-star hotel. The city’s planning committee has given the green light to proposals submitted by the Singapore-based Fragrance Group to create a 185-bed hotel in the former Municipal Buildings on Dale Street. The design also includes a four- storey extension to the rear of the existing Grade II-listed building. Alastair Shepherd the director of Falconer Chester Hall, the architects commissioned for the project, said: “This is a significant commission for us to convert a building that had been at the centre of the city’s public life for more than a century and a half. We will carry out a sensitive refurbishment of the existing highly decorative spaces and deliver a scheme the site and its history deserve. This consent is testimony to the close working relationship with Historic England and the Council’s Conservation Department.” Once built guests will have access to facilities including a spa, gym and top lit swimming pool. The hotel will also have conference and meeting facilities plus large guest suites and a restaurant adjoining the atrium. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 FINANCIAL UPDATES Hyatt reports Q3 profit of $237m Hyatt Hotels Corporation has reported net income of $237m (£185.5m) in the third quarter of 2018, compared with $18m (£14m) in the same period the previous year. Adjusted net income attributable to Hyatt was found to be $37m (£28.9m), compared with $29 (£22m) in 2017. The increase in net income was attributed to the “gains on sales of real estate”. However adjusted EBITDA decreased by 0.9% to $175m (£136.9m). Hyatt also reported that Comparable system-wide RevPAR increased by 2.8%, including an increase of 5.3% at comparable owned and leased hotels. In the EAME/SW Asia region management and franchising segment Adjusted EBITDA increased 16% and RevPAR for full service hotels increased 11%, driven primarily by strong growth in Russia, Western Europe, and Turkey. Mark Hoplamazian, president and CEO of Hyatt Hotels Corporation, said: “We reported another quarter of solid growth, led by a 9% increase in management and franchise fees and 5% RevPAR growth at our owned and leased hotels, both on a constant- currency basis. Our outlook for the remainder of 2018 remains positive, including comparable system-wide RevPAR growth of 3.5% at the mid- point of our full-year guidance range.” He added: “We are continuing to execute our long-term growth strategy while returning meaningful capital to shareholders, enabled in part by our sell-down of real estate. Earlier this month, we announced plans to acquire Two Roads Hospitality, a high-end lifestyle hotel management company which we expect will expand the growth of our management and franchising business.” END: THAT’S ALL. YOU ARE NOW UP TO DATE November 2018