Posts Tagged :

Industry News

London hotels

STR Case Study: Impact of terrorism on UK hotel performance

 650 354 Guest Blog
By:
0

A number of people have asked themselves how the recent tragedies in the UK might have affected the market’s hotels. While there is still not a long enough range of data to draw any definitive conclusions, STR thought it important to take this opportunity to look into it in some detail.

According to STR figures, the UK hotel market has experienced a strong start to 2017, with year-over-year RevPAR growth of 6.5% as of April year-to-date data. As evidenced by March data from VisitBritain, the country has seen an influx of arrivals, thanks in large part to the devaluation of the pound following the Brexit vote last June.

Terror Attacks Chart = terrorism impact on UK hotel industryNow, questions have emerged around the sustainability of this performance, following the recent terrorist attacks in the country. Earlier reports have suggested an impact on visitor numbers to attractions in the UK. It is reasonable to expect a negative impact on hotel performance given the unthinkable tragedies the country has experienced over the past several months. The UK maintained performance growth without much disruption following the March Westminster and May Manchester attacks, but it is still too early to fully gauge the effects of the 3 June attack at London Bridge or the 18 June attack at Finsbury Park, though some insights are available for the former.

ManchesterAn initial analysis from the Manchester attack shows that the city’s hotels experienced a minor year-over-year dip in occupancy (-1.9%) the day after the attack, before returning to growth the following day, 25 May (+2.7% to 79.8%). Following that date, performance has fluctuated due to other factors, including the hosting of the U20 Rugby Championship.

Terror Attacks Chart = terrorism impact on UK hotel industryDaily figures suggest that the London Bridge attack may be impacting the UK capital’s performance more significantly than previous attacks this year have. Preliminary data shows that performance started to decline on Wednesday 7 June, with both occupancy and ADR declining in a year-over-year comparison. The sharpest declines were seen on Thursday 8 June, with an 11% drop in occupancy and a 4% drop in ADR. However, these decreases may be in part a reflection of the comparison with the time of the EULAR medical congress last year.

In closing, STR again stresses that it is essential to analyse a longer time period and more complete data set before drawing definitive conclusions. Specifically in London, hotels have shown resilience during difficult times in the past.

Original source

STR provides clients from multiple market sectors with premium, global data benchmarking, analytics and marketplace insights. Founded in 1985, STR maintains a presence in 16 countries with a corporate North American headquarters 

BIID launches client's guide to working with interior designers

BIID launches new Client’s Guide to working with interior designers

 750 412 Daniel Fountain
By:
0

The British Institute of Interior Design (BIID) has launched its new Client’s Guide to Working with An Interior Designer. The practical guide is designed to highlight the advantages of working with an interior designer and to outline the process of appointing one.

The guide explains the process of collaborating with an interior designer and offers a step-by-step guide for clients which covers:
• How to appoint an interior designer
• What do interior designers do?
• How does the relationship work between designer and client?
• Getting started — where to find an interior designer
• Fees
• The project process – from start to finish

Susie Rumbold - BIID

Susie Rumbold (pictured), BIID President Elect, who co-authored the guide comments: “As the professional institute for interior designers in the UK, the BIID has created this user-friendly guide to help both clients and the designers they work with.

“As a practising interior designer, I often find that prospective clients are unsure where to start researching a potential designer and are uncertain of the process of hiring a designer to help transform their initial ideas into reality. This new guide aims to demystify this process and help clients consider what they want to achieve when setting out on a design project.

“The key to a successful project lies in finding an interior designer or design practice that you feel has the appropriate experience, competence, sympathy with your vision and rigorous working practices to suit you and your aspirations. We hope this guide will help to set clients on the right path to achieving this.”

The BIID Client’s Guide offers practical advice on what qualifications and experience clients should look for when hiring a designer, such as ensuring that they are a BIID Registered Interior Designer. This new title is a way to help identify interior designers who have met the BIID’s rigorous professional standard and offers the reassurance that the designer is properly qualified and meets the BIID’s high standards of professional practice.

To download a free copy of the new BIID Client’s Guide, click here. . .

To find out more about the new BIID Registered Interior Designer title go to here. . .

Muraspec joins forces with Skopos Fabrics

 700 385 Daniel Fountain
By:
0
It was announced this week that Muraspec and Skopos Fabrics Limited have entered into a partnership with Muraspec acquiring a share in the Skopos business.
Both exceptionally well established high quality UK manufacturers with a strong focus on design and technical expertise; they are well aligned to build on their innovative capabilities and further strengthen these two phenomenal brands.
Skopos1

Tariq Rashid, Muraspec Managing Director, stated “There is a strong relationship between wallcoverings and fabrics, their development and selection are closely interlinked and it is exciting to be able to bring these great and very experienced teams together. It makes perfect sense to collaborate closely to develop new products and collections, optimising each brand’s distinct strengths.”

Skopos2
Skopos has over 40 year’s experience of providing expert contract furnishings for the Hospitality, Care and Education sectors. Muraspec has over 125 years of heritage, and prides itself on being a British manufacturing success story. With its own factory near Tonbridge in Kent, Muraspec can work closely with customers both in the UK and internationally to provide a quick and responsive service to their needs.

KIBOKO by Sekers Fabrics

 700 385 Daniel Fountain
By:
0
Sekers proudly introduces Kiboko, a versatile upholstery with a subtle grained leather design. Available in a range of 23 colours, from rich, stylish neutrals and browns to vibrant blues, reds and oranges, Kiboko offers a diverse choice of colour.
Incorporating Aquaclean, an advanced nano-technology finish that helps protect the fabric against spills and stains without having to resort to specialist cleaning, Kiboko resists the toughest of stains, including red wine and permanent marker.
Sekers2

Supplied with crib 5 backing and with an outstanding abrasion performance of 200,000 rubs, Kiboko is an ideal upholstery choice for the contract market, from pubs and hotels to cruise ships, meeting all relevant UK and IMO standards for upholstery.

ALL SALES AND SAMPLING ENQUIRIES TO:
Sekers Fabrics Limited
7a Nobel Road, Wester Gourdie Industrial Estate
Dundee, DD2 4UH
Sales Tel: +44 (0) 1946 517501 Sales Fax: +44 (0) 1946 517502
UK & Ireland Email: sales@sekers.co.uk

‘Golden hattrick’ for Hansgrohe at Designer Kitchen & Bathroom Awards

 699 387 Daniel Fountain
By:
0
Hansgrohe was among 400 professionals from the kitchen and bathroom industry invited to attend the annual Designer Kitchen and Bathroom Awards 2015 in November. Held at the SuperNova in central London, the awards luncheon celebrated excellence in professional design and innovation in new product design.

Hansgrohe was the only manufacturer to receive three Gold Awards recognising the company’s commitment to design excellence, innovation and functionality in the bathroom and kitchen.

For ‘Innovation in Design’ in the bathroom products category, the Gold Award went to the most recent Axor Citterio collection, Axor Citterio E. Twelve judges drawn from all corners of the industry recognised the design merits of Axor Citterio E which triumphed ahead of hundreds of entrants.

Hansgrohe
For the ‘Innovation in Functionality’ category, which considered both bathroom and kitchen products, Hansgrohe scooped two Gold Awards for the Axor Select Kitchen mixers and Axor Universal Accessories.
Hansgrohe1
All three Gold awards were collected by Jay Phillips, Sales Director – Projects, Hansgrohe UK who comments: “We are delighted to be recognised as one of the design pioneers in the sanitary industry. Thanks to our close collaboration with experienced top architects, we are able to create intuitive designs which combine functionality with sophisticated aesthetics in order to provide our customers with the highest standard in terms of product design and innovation.” aesthetics in order to provide our customers with the highest standard in terms of product design and innovation.”

Kent hotel gets green light despite local opposition

 570 315 Daniel Fountain
By:
0
A new hotel in Kent will be built on the Salomons Estate, despite considerable concern from neighbours’ about noise pollution, including gunfire and explosions.

The 56-bedroom property, which will include a bar and a restaurant, will be surrounded by a walled garden and replace two existing accommodation blocks built in the 1970s – adding an additional nine bedrooms.

At the planning meeting earlier this month, the proposal was given the green light despite complaints from local residents who said the development would increase noise pollution in the valley, which is both Green Belt and an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, from weddings and ‘hostile environment training that goes on at the estate, according to reports in the Kent Courier.

But Southborough Town Council submitted a response supporting the application in the hope it would boost tourism in the area, and it’s expected that two full-time jobs would be created.

Salomans