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Whitbread continued to deliver on its sustainability strategy by saving thousands of tonnes of CO2 across its hotels, restaurants, and coffee shops in 2011. The carbon savings were revealed in Whitbread’s tenth annual Environment Report, published on the 1st June 2012.The owner of the Costa and Premier Inn brands achieved an absolute reduction of CO2 emissions of more than 1,579…

To celebrate the launch of an extensive refurbishment project on the 19 July, Park Plaza Leeds took a suite to the street last week, creating a replica of one of its new hotel suites, showcasing their new and excellent standards to people passing through Leeds’ City Square. The Park Plaza Hotel team recreated the suite down to the smallest detail;…

UK In early European trade on Tuesday the pound fell after a report showed that the UK inflation annual inflation unexpectedly eased in June to reach the lowest level since November 2009.After choppy trading against the euro and the Swiss Franc during the Asian session, CPI data revealed inflation slipped to 2.4% from 2.8% last month causing the pound to…

The Adria boutique hotel has opened its doors in the centre of London just in time for the very busy 2012 summer. The major refurbishment of a classical building has been completed down to the finest detail. Jestico and Whiles, the interior designers, have created a luxurious environment as an ideal haven from the busy streets of Kensington and Chelsea.…

Best Western International (BWI) has officially launched its first hotel in Kuala Lumpur; BEST WESTERN PREMIER Dua Sentral. The recently open luxury hotel marks not only Best Western’s debut in the fast-growing Malaysian capital, but also the debut of the luxury BEST WESTERN PREMIER brand in the country. The landmark property has now become Best Western’s flagship hotel in Malaysia.Located…

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. has recently announced the opening of Four Points by Sheraton French Quarter at the centre of New Orleans’ world-famous historic district. Previously known as The Inn On Bourbon, the former Ramada property completed a multi-million dollar renovation prior to opening under the Four Points flag. Four Points by Sheraton French Quarter offers 186 comfortable…

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. has announced the opening of Four Points by Sheraton Colonia Roma in Mexico City. Owned and managed by Sora Group, the new hotel is the third in Mexico for the fast-growing Four Points brand, which now includes more than 160 hotels around the world. Twenty-three Four Points hotels are slated to open in 2012…

Rezidor, one of the fastest growing hotel companies worldwide and a member of the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, has opened a new flagship in Qatar: the Radisson Blu Hotel, Doha. The outstanding property featuring 583 rooms has been converted and completely renovated. Qatar is one of the world’s richest countries, and is using its immense oil and gas wealth to…

The Inn at the White Elephant Village opened in June 2012 with 14 suites and six deluxe guest rooms. Located on South Beach Street, in the heart of Nantucket town, the new Inn and existing White Elephant Residences makes up the newly-created White Elephant Village, a natural extension of the award-winning White Elephant hotel that continues to be rated among…

DoubleTree by Hilton proudly announces the opening of an upscale full-service hotel, situated near London Heathrow Airport (LHR). The 200-room DoubleTree by Hilton London Heathrow Airport is located just ten minutes from LHR and central London is easily accessible via public transport to the city’s historic attractions, world renowned neighbourhoods and business districts.Formerly the Ramada London Heathrow hotel, DoubleTree by…

UK Sterling has benefited in recent months from being seen as a safe haven alternative to the euro zone’s fiscal turmoil, although some market players said the gloomy outlook for the UK economy could limit the pound’s gains.The pound fell to its lowest level in a month versus the dollar on concern efforts to pull the U.K. out of its…

The turnover of CEOs amongst the world’s 50 largest hotel companies doubled in 2011, compared with 2009, with 12% of companies now being led by a new chief executive. However, the choice of CEOs is becoming more conservative in the sector, with internal promotions more common, or appointments from within the hotel industry. These were the key findings of a…

The Isle of Man’s latest hospitality venue – a stylish new 30-bedroom hotel being built next to Ramsey Park – is on schedule to open in mid-August, bringing 15 to the local area. Owned by Isle of Man resident Trevor Hemmings, Ramsey Park will be a contemporary hotel with each of the bedrooms having views of Mooragh Park, the lake…

UK Bank of England Governor Mervyn King said the UK economy doesn’t show “great signs” of recovering from recession. King mentioned the impact of the pound’s appreciation on exports may further dent prospects for the UK economy.Despite King’s comments the pound managed to strengthen against the euro for a fifth day in a row as investors grow more cautious over…

Mercure has recently celebrated the opening of its first hotel in Russia, the Mercure Arbat Moscow. The hotel, which is owned by ARD, is operated by Accor under a management contract. The hotel is ideally located in the city’s historic district in a pedestrian street famous for its artists’ workshops, boutiques, cafés and restaurants. It has 109 rooms, including 18…

UK GBPEUR continued to trade above the psychological 1.25 level, opening at 1.2588 and closing the day comfortably at 1.2602. Earlier in the day GBPEUR hit a new three and a half year high of 1.2632 as investors grew increasingly concerned about the Eurozone debt crisis and bought sterling as an alternative to the euro.On the back of Bank of…

The Beijing Tourism Group (BTG) and international hotel management group GHM have formalised a joint venture partnership and announced plans to launch an upscale resort concept branded Ahn Luh. The partners, together with a third investor, the Great Ocean Group (GOG), said the group’s first properties will debut in the next two-to-three years. This was announced in March at the…

The British Furniture Confederation (BFC) is to highlight the importance of Britain’s furniture industry during a four day exhibition at the House of Commons. As the voice of the British furniture and bed industry, the BFC will showcase the excellence and variety of furniture manufactured in the UK in the heart of Westminster from Monday July 9.The aim is highlight…

Classic Lodges, the nationwide group of carefully selected high-end hotel properties, has welcomed the well-known and recently refurbished Plough and Harrow Hotel in Birmingham as the latest addition to its Associate Hotels portfolio.One of the oldest hotels in the city, the Plough and Harrow was built in 1704 as a wayside inn and has lately been the subject of extensive…

As part of the economy brand revitalisation strategy announced last September, Accor UK & Ireland is this month launching two new-design hotels within the new ibis brand family. The hotels mark the first openings for the new ibis budget (previously Etap Hotels) and ibis Styles (previously all seasons) brands in London and are clear examples of the Group’s vision and…

Marriott’s Ko Olina Beach Club, located on a secluded lagoon within the upscale Ko Olina Resort, recently completed its fifth development phase, delivering 132 new two- and three-bedroom villas to Marriott Vacation Club’s largest resort in the Hawaiian Islands. Just a 30 minute drive from Honolulu, the resort is on Oahu’s western shore at 92-161 Waipahe Place in Kapolei. The…

Rezidor has opened its very first hotel in Corsica – the outstanding Radisson Blu Resort & Spa, Ajaccio Bay; owned by the group Ollandini and representing the most significant hotel investment in Corsica for 30 years. The 170 rooms-property is located near Porticcio; right on the glorious Agosta Beach. Guests enjoy a true paradise combining beautiful landscape, minimalist design, great…

The Ponza collection offers contract quality furniture with a designer look; these items would be perfectly placed in hotel bedrooms, lounge and bar areas. Part of RHA Furniture’s F4 range, the Ponza collection is extremely stylish; main features include a soft rounded shape, finely stitched leather upholstery and elegantly shaped wooden legs. Visit RHA’s website to find out more about…

Marriott International has opened its first hotel in Azerbaijan, the 243-room JW Marriott Absheron Baku under a management agreement with Yeni Absheron Oteli LLC. A stunning addition to Marriott International’s luxury JW Marriott global brand portfolio, the hotel overlooks Baku’s famed Azadliq Square and the Caspian Sea.Located in Baku’s most prestigious neighbourhood, in the heart of the business, shopping, and…

UK Sterling strengthened for the first time in 4 days against the euro as investors sought the pound as a safe haven from the big data releases coming out in the Eurozone later this week. GBPEUR got as high as 1.2489 before settling just above 1.2450. Against the dollar, sterling continued to try and push above the 1.57 level and…

Marriott International has recently announced the opening of Guangzhou Marriott Hotel Tianhe, the latest addition to the company’s signature Marriott Hotels & Resorts brand. Ideally located in the centre of Tianhe Business District, Guangzhou Marriott Hotel Tianhe is adjacent to Pearl River New City – home to the majority of Guangzhou’s international companies and a growing tourist hub.Featuring deluxe city…

Gone are the days when a hotel’s primary safety concern was ensuring that their beds complied with CRIB 5 Fire Retardancy standards. Though that is still a prime concern, now there are also bed bugs to consider.Bed bug infestations are a growing problem worldwide and a surge of visitors to the UK this summer will bring with it a surge…

Three hotels open doors after 25 million euro investment PPHE Hotel Group Limited, owner and operator of primarily full service upscale and lifestyle hotels including the Park Plaza® Hotels & Resorts in Europe, has announced the official opening of Park Plaza Medulin, Park Plaza Histria Pula and Park Plaza Verudela Pula in conjunction with Croatian hospitality partner, Arenaturist.Working with Croatian…

IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) and Grupo Presidente announce the opening of the Presidente InterContinental Santa Fe in Mexico City. The tallest building in the area, the Presidente InterContinental Santa Fe offers stunning views of the Santa Fe area, the Valley of Mexico and the Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl volcanoes.The building’s conversion into the Presidente InterContinental Santa Fe represents a nearly $35…

Hilton Carlsbad Oceanfront Resort & Spa, representing the most significant new resort construction to open in California this year, celebrated its ribbon-cutting and the arrival of first guests on the 21st June.Offering a premier coastal location directly across from Ponto Beach in north San Diego County, Hilton Carlsbad Oceanfront Resort & Spa was designed to offer spectacular views of the…

The Hotel Roger Williams is reinventing itself with the unveiling of the next generation’s undertaking: The Roger in June of 2012. The repositioning of the hotel property will include a refreshed brand identity, a fully updated food and beverage concept, as well as newly designed guest rooms and public spaces. The rebirth of this iconic Madison Avenue luxury hotel demonstrates…

UK The boss of Barclays has insisted he will not resign after staff rigged the key lending rate between banks. And in a letter agreeing to give evidence to MPs, Mr Diamond condemned the inappropriate behaviour of a “small number” of employees who had tried to make profits for their own benefit.As markets awaited the outcome of the EU summit…

Set in the picturesque bay of Kissamos in the rustic village of Kastelli, Crete, Vassilis Gialamarakis owner of the Mistral Hotel has announced the completion of six brand new luxury villas.The newly completed You-Phoria Villas have been designed with luxury holiday living in mind, the innovative and architectural features which are apparent throughout give the villas a contemporary yet environmental…

UK It was a fairly quiet day of trading yesterday ahead of the key Eurozone summit starting today as markets await news over the uncertainty surrounding Europe.Sterling rose to a high of 1.2521 against the euro yesterday before falling back and finding support at the low of 1.2475. Against the dollar sterling reached the morning high of 1.5640 before falling…

I’m standing outside the WW2 War Memorial at Englefield Green, Surrey, reflecting on the incredible sacrifice that the men and women of the RAF gave in the cause of freedom and justice. How can anyone – or anything – convey the suffering and pain endured by these brave people? It’s hard enough to comment as a human… but as a…

UK Public Sector Net Borrowing figures released yesterday showed UK public finances increased from -£19.93bn in April to £15.48 bn in May. These figures are looking less healthier than a year ago, rising from £12.326 bn in May 2011.GBPEUR started the day at the low of 1.2469 but quickly moved above the psychological level managing to hit a high of…

Staff and customers are delighted with the transformation of the newly refurbished café at Sundown Adventure Land, a theme park especially designed for under 10 year olds and an enchanting and exciting theme park for all the family.The Rodeo Corral Café was recently refurbished with the purpose to enable families to easily sit together on the lovely new booth style…

UK Sterling rose 0.4% to 1.2468, a near two-week high against the euro on Monday, as investors expected the ECB would have to ease policy if leaders failed to make significant progress in tackling the euro debt crisis at a summit this week.General sterling gains were limited as speculation that the BoE will vote to expand the £325bn pound asset…

UK The markets apparently ignored the credit downgrade of major UK banks by Moody’s on Friday triggering industry discussions over the true value of such ratings.During Friday’s session GBPEUR stayed above 1.24 for the most of the day, reaching a high of 1.2461 in early trading falling sharply in the afternoon to a low of 1.2398. Sterling has recovered around…

Sleeperz Hotel Newcastle, a reinvention of a classic railway hotel in Newcastle city centre, has been shortlisted for a prestigious award by the Royal Institute of British Architects. Sleeperz Newcastle – the 98-bedroom premium budget hotel near Newcastle Central Station – has caught the attention of judges at RIBA, whose awards honour buildings that achieve the highest architectural standards and…

Hilton Worldwide has announced that it has signed a management agreement with J.G.J. Proyectistas S.A.C. for the 207-room new-build Hilton Lima Miraflores. The project, originally planned as a franchise agreement and now to be managed by Hilton Worldwide, is on track to debut by the end of 2012 as the company’s first managed property in Peru and the brand’s first…

W Hotels Worldwide has recently announced plans to reinvigorate more than 10 of its hotel properties across North America within the next 18 months. The renovations, which vary by hotel, are slated to include cutting-edge updates to public spaces, new signature bar and restaurant concepts, and stylish revamps to guestrooms, enhancing the W portfolio overall for both its jet set…

UK UK retail sales surprised expectations by posting a 1.4% increase against a forecast 1.1%; this is from the previous months posting of -2.4%. We saw GBPUSD fall to post a level of 1.5656 ahead of the release and similarly spike to 1.5712 after the release of the data. We also saw GBPEUR fall to 1.2375 to then rally to…

UK Minutes released yesterday from the Bank of England’s policy meeting earlier in the month revealed a unanimous 9-0 vote to left interest rates on hold at 0.5%. More interestingly, voting has now split down the middle on the decision to increase the quantitative easing budget. A result of 5-4 in favour of leaving QE untouched means more members are…

Stunning bespoke Axminster carpet now adorns the Wyatt and Scroops rooms at the prestigious Ashridge House Business School in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, complementing the marvellous historic interiors of this stunning Grade I listed location.With two rooms to refurbish, the Wyatt Room, which functions as the main tea and coffee area for the house, and Scroops, a private dining room, Ashridge House…

UK Tuesday was a relatively quiet day for UK data, however UK Consumer Price data for May came in at -0.1% m/m versus expectations of a reading of 0.1%. The pound saw hefty declines after inflation undershot expectations and slowed to its lowest level in more than two years, boosting expectations that the central bank would engage in more monetary…

UK The pound lost out against US Dollar as optimism over the Greek elections was short lived. GBPUSD moved around 0.5% from its high of 1.5718 to close the day at 1.5651.Against the euro the pound did better moving off a recent low of 1.2341 and peaking at 1.2145 as initial confidence in the in the Greek election quickly vanished.…

UK The UK released no major data on Friday and only one major piece of data was released from the States; Sterling still had a volatile trading session due to the markets anticipation for the Greek elections over the weekend.GBPEUR traded within a 170 pip range on Friday ahead of the Greek elections taking place, hitting a high of 1.2433…

The Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts, part of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., has unveiled the iconic Hotel Alfonso XIII following an extensive $25 million restoration, returning the hotel its original splendour and luxurious grandeur. The reopening of Hotel Alfonso XIII marks the first of four Luxury Collection hotels that will undergo a multi-million dollar restoration and will re-open…

Hilton Brighton Metropole, situated just a stone’s throw away from Brighton’s beachfront, has unveiled its new look bar, The Waterhouse Bar & Terrace. The relaunch sees the introduction of new menus by executive chef, Anthony Molnar and cocktails by head barman, Gyorgy Piros.The new venue takes its name from the hotel’s very own architect, the esteemed Alfred Waterhouse who designed…

UK Following a string of recent weak UK data releases, a growing number of analysts are still wary of the pound on concerns that the UK economy will be hurt by the turmoil in the Eurozone, the country’s biggest trading partner. GBPEUR remained range bound ahead of key event risks over the weekend. Sterling traded at a low of a…

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. has recently announced the debut of the first Le Meridien hotel in Algeria with the opening of Le Meridien Oran Hotel & Convention Centre. Owned by Sonatrach, the hotel is part of a mixed-use development, which includes an adjacent conference and exhibition centre, an esplanade and an oceanfront promenade. Located on Algeria’s north-western Mediterranean…

UK British Finance Minister George Osborne said yesterday that Germany would make more concessions to save the euro if Greece was forced to abandon the common currency. In his opinion Germany would be more willing to bail out other countries if Athens left.GBPEUR took a steady drop throughout the day’s trading. Opening the markets at 1.2428, the rest of the…

Eight months after announcing a revolutionary project designed to transform tourism in Magaluf in Majorca, the Spanish hotel company ends in record time the first phase of the Calviá Beach Resort development by opening the Beach House Hotel which joins the recently renovated Sol Wave House Hotel to revive the Magaluf beachfront and becomes the first lifestyle destination on the…

UK The pound started the Tuesday session at 1.2415 against the euro before falling to around 1.2373 after UK Manufacturing Production figures for April showed a fall to -0.7%, down from 0.9% the previous month, well below the consensus of 0%, which could possibly point towards a GDP contraction for Q2.Sterling recovered and progressed further in the afternoon, GBPEUR rose…

Fairmont Heritage Place, the private residence club offering from Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, has announced that it has assumed management of The Residence Club at El Corazon de Santa Fe, Santa Fe’s only downtown fractional ownership property.Fairmont Heritage Place, El Corazon de Santa Fe features 22 two-bedroom vacation residences and 50 whole-ownership homes designed in the classic Pueblo Revival style…

The Rezidor Hotel Group has opened their very first hotel on the Spanish holiday island of Gran Canaria: the Radisson Blu Resort, Gran Canaria featuring 189 rooms. It offers an outstanding waterfront location on the island’s south western coast, near the village of Arguineguín; ca. 40 minutes away from Las Palmas. Each of the spacious rooms and suites boasts its…

UK Sterling started off positively on the first day of trading this week, with the two key developments over the weekend seen as the primary driving force for the initial rally in risk correlated assets, with little data out yesterday the markets were driven by the weekend’s developments.Sterling recovered from its weekend losses against the euro to trade at the…

The specification of sanitaryware and furniture for the bathroom is unquestionably a crucial element of the overall design of the space, not only in terms of its design and aesthetics to please the eye of the hotel guest, but also on a practical level to ensure that it works in terms of housekeeping too.By investing in a quality, trusted brand…

Radisson Hotel Seattle Airport has recently announced the opening of its new restaurant, RBG, a bar-and-grill in an inviting, contemporary setting featuring a great tasting, healthy range of menu options – many served sizzling from its signature grill – with an added choice of local Washington specialties. The menu features a selection of creatively presented local specialties, like pristine Pacific…

UK GBPEUR traded within a tight 44 pip range on Friday with a high of 1.2389 and a low of 1.2345, the weekend’s trading has been mostly downward for this pair with the euro gaining around a cent to trade as low as 1.2251, sterling has recovered slightly to trade this morning around 1.2309. With two strong sets of resistance…

Edinburgh’s largest hotelier Travelodge is delighted to announce the opening of its 13th hotel in the city with Arcadia Group Ltd – the UK’s largest privately owned clothing retailer. In a UK first, Travelodge has opened a 96-room Travelodge hotel above Edinburgh’s largest Topshop store in the city’s prestigious retail heartland, Princes Street. The four storey hotel which represents an…

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has today (Thursday 31 May) published free guidance for architects on the tax credits that are available for Research & Development (R&D). ‘UK Research and Development Tax Credit Scheme – a guide for architects’ has been published in response to Institute concerns that architects may be unaware they are missing out on thousands…

Accor reaffirms its position as largest international hotel operator in Asia-Pacific with the opening of the Pullman Gurgaon Central Park, the Group’s 500th hotel in the region. The announcement also marks the debut of the upscale Pullman brand in India.Pullman continues to expand its network in prime business and tourism destinations The Pullman Gurgaon Central Park, which opened in April…

UK The pound rose to a one-week high against the US dollar as the Bank of England kept its asset-buying program and benchmark interest rate unchanged. The BOE kept its QE on hold at £325bn on Thursday, sparking a wave of out-performance in sterling and invalidating speculation that the central bank would take a more dovish stance. The panel led…

UK As reported yesterday, UK Construction PMI was released, the slightly better than expected figure still revealed a fall from last month but despite being the lowest figure for 3 months the pound enjoyed early session gains. After 2 days of range bound consolidation, GBPUSD finally gathered steam and pushed decisively above the 1.5400/10 resistance area from a low of…

Spitbank Fort is an unusual and historic sea fortress in the Solent, off Portsmouth. Now a luxury exclusive venue and hotel, the fort was formerly home to hundreds of soldiers guarding the approaches to Portsmouth. The arms and ammunition have long been removed, making way for nine luxuriously furnished bedroom suites, three bars, three restaurant areas, and spa facilities.The designers…

Hotel Indigo continues to grow in Europe with the signing of the first Hotel Indigo in Wales, Hotel Indigo Queen Street Cardiff.Hotel Indigo Queen Street Cardiff will be managed by Sanguine Hospitality Ltd, who have four other Hotel Indigo properties in their portfolio, including Hotel Indigo Liverpool and Hotel Indigo Birmingham. IHG’s Senior Vice President for Development and Design in…

Hilton London Metropole conference hotel, situated only 20 minutes from Heathrow Airport via the Heathrow Express at Paddington Station, has undergone a £2.3 million complete transformation of the bedrooms in its Conference Wing. The renovation is part of a three-year, $3 billion plan of significant property renovations currently underway across the global portfolio of Hilton Hotels & Resorts, the flagship…

My old office was almost next door to Croydon’s Hampton by Hilton, and I watched its erratic progress week by week – erratic because a contractor went bust part way through, every project managers nightmare. Given the opportunity to take a quick look I was delighted to go and see it in its finished state, a representative of the eight…

Marriott International further strengthens its leadership position in Thailand with the opening of three new properties this year. The Rayong Marriott Resort & Spa, The Bangkok Marriott Hotel Sukhumvit and the Marriott Executive Apartments Bangkok – Sukhumvit Thonglor will all open in 2012 bringing Marriott International’s portfolio to 16 hotels in the country. Marriott International currently operates a portfolio of…

Tropical Sky is pleased to announce the opening date of its exclusively featured The SoCo Hotel, an Art Deco-inspired 3*+ offering, located near Bridgetown on the southern coast of Barbados.Situated at the start of the popular South Coast Board Walk, the elegant Miami Beach-style hotel is set to open on 15 August 2012 and is just a short stroll away…

Marriott Hotels & Resorts has unveiled the finished transformation of Mallorca Marriott Son Antem Golf Resort and Spa following a yearlong refurbishment. The Mallorca Marriott Son Antem Golf Resort and Spa, now with beautifully redesigned guestrooms and public spaces, is located just twenty minutes from the cultural capital and Mediterranean paradise of Palma, its sandy beaches, and airport. Occupying a…

UK GBPUSD started trading yesterday at 1.5474, rising to 1.5523 throughout the morning, but lost all its gains when the US markets opened, dropping to 1.5394 which is a level not seen since January. Overnight trade saw the pair drop further and is currently trading around 1.5280. Sterling continued to trade within a tight range against the euro beginning the…