Articles by Date : August 01 2006 - August 31 2006

InterContinental enjoys strong first half
InterContinental Hotel Group has toasted a strong start to the year with turnover from continuing operations up 15.9% to £394m in the six months to.... more
(22 August 2006 13:02)

Gordon Ramsay plans chain of country pubs
Gordon Ramsay is making plans to open a chain of country pubs, after deciding against increasing his haul of seven Michelin stars by opening any new.... more
(22 August 2006 11:32)

UK pubs continue to be shuffled between owners
UK pubs are continuing to be shuffled between owners with Mitchells & Butlers the latest chain about to shed some of its smaller units to willing.... more
(22 August 2006 11:25)

Parsons to stick with Travelodge
Veteran hotel marketer Guy Parsons is to stay on at budget hotel operator Travelodge following the chain's acquisition by Dubai International Capital.... more
(22 August 2006 10:52)

Ex-Hilton employees jailed for £200,000 fraud
Six former employees of the Hilton Birmingham Metropole and a booking agent conspired to steal a total of £200,000 in bogus commission payments, a.... more
(21 August 2006 18:44)

Men and women have very different eating habits
There is a strong gender divide in the eating habits of UK adults, research has revealed. more
(21 August 2006 18:13)

Jurys Doyle loses second top executive
Dublin-based hotel group Jurys Doyle is to lose its second top executive this year when Paul McQuillan leaves his role as finance director at the end.... more
(21 August 2006 16:55)

Property agent launches counter-claim against JD Wetherspoon
Van de Berg, the property adviser being sued for alleged breach of contract by JD Wetherspoon, has launched a counter-claim against the pub operator. more
(21 August 2006 15:28)

Whyte & Mackay denies sale to United Breweries
Scottish distillery Whyte & Mackay has played down rumours that the business is about to be snapped up by Vijay Mallya, the flamboyant Indian.... more
(21 August 2006 14:54)

Dubai investment company buys Travelodge for £675m
Budget hotel operator Travelodge has been bought by Dubai International Capital (DIC) in a £675m deal that is expected to close in September. more
(21 August 2006 11:54)

Travelodge managers to share £26m after sale ... For more hospitality stories, see what the weekend papers say
A round-up of the weekend's news affecting the hospitality industry. News includes: New owner wants Travelodge to be London’s top budget brand;.... more
(21 August 2006 10:50)

Exclusive to create massive new development ... and other International hotel news
Essential news from around the world, including: Hilton moves into the Seychelles; Hampton on track for openings; MFS to take over Tourism, Hotel and.... more
(21 August 2006 10:36)

De Vere shareholders vote for AHG takeover
De Vere shareholders have given the green light for the company's sale to Alternative Hotel Group (AHG) for 875p per share. more
(18 August 2006 18:21)

Brits spend more on eating out than they do on meals at home
Britons now spend more on eating out than they do on food consumed in the home, according to a new report by the Office of National Statistics (ONS). more
(18 August 2006 17:44)

Laurel to sell 150 bars to Luminar?
Speculation is mounting that Laurel Pub Company is in talks to sell about 150 high-street bars to nightclub operator Luminar for up to £150m. more
(18 August 2006 14:32)

Hadcock-Mackay committed suicide, says coroner
Former Distinguished Hotels chairman Tim Hadcock-Mackay committed suicide, according to the verdict of a Nottinghamshire coroner. more
(18 August 2006 13:01)

Shepherd Neame buys Hampshire freehouse from Spirit
Kent-based brewer and pub operator Shepherd Neame has bought the Plough and Horses freehouse in Cove, Hampshire, from the Spirit Group. more
(17 August 2006 17:22)

Leicestershire hotel sold off £1.35m asking price
The Hermitage Park hotel in Coalville, Leicestershire, has been sold off an asking price of £1.35m. more
(17 August 2006 17:18)

Nottingham’s oldest restaurant changes hands
Punchinello’s, reputedly Nottingham’s oldest restaurant, has been sold after twenty years under the same ownership. more
(17 August 2006 17:15)

Hall & Woodhouse buy seventh Devon property
Dorset-based brewer and pub operator Hall & Woodhouse has bought the Wilsons hotel, restaurant, club and conference centre in Torquay off a guide.... more
(17 August 2006 17:11)

Somerset hotel changes hands for first time in 57 years
The two-star Arosfa hotel in the Somerset resort of Weston-Super-Mare has changed hands for the first time in 57 years. more
(17 August 2006 17:05)

Prestwick golf hotel sold in just a fortnight
Glasgow businessman Baljit Singh snapped up the Prestwick Old Course hotel in Ayrshire, South-West Scotland, within a fortnight of it coming to the.... more
(17 August 2006 17:02)

Ford to lead Caffè Nero management buyout?
Caffè Nero chief executive Gerry Ford is poised to make a management buyout of the coffee shop chain. more
(17 August 2006 16:48)

Lanark restaurant and bar sells for more than £670,000
The Lanark-based Herries family has bought the Inn on the Loch restaurant and bar for substantially more than the £670,000 asking price. more
(17 August 2006 16:39)

Maidenhead couple buy Duke of Argyll’s old coaching inn
Peter and Valentina Wemyss from Maidenhead have bought the Argyll Arms hotel, which was built in the 19th century as a coaching house for the Duke of.... more
(17 August 2006 16:35)

Twinned Glasgow hotels carry a combined price of £3.5m
Two sister hotels that face each other across the street in Glasgow’s West End have been put on the market for a combined price of £3.5m. more
(17 August 2006 16:23)

Popular Leicester bar for sale
Leicester bar The Terrace has been put on the market with both freehold and leasehold prices. more
(17 August 2006 16:17)

£20,000 shaved off the price of Topsham restaurant
Stonesmith of Exeter has shaved £20,000 off the asking price for the leasehold of a restaurant in the upmarket Devon town of Topsham, which is now on.... more
(17 August 2006 16:12)

Hong Kong refit drags down profits at Mandarin Oriental
Mandarin Oriental International has attributed a 22% drop in underlying profitability in the first six months of 2006 to the ongoing renovation of.... more
(17 August 2006 14:43)

Whitbread shareholders asked to vote on Pizza Hut sale
Whitbread has called shareholders to a meeting to vote on whether the company should sell its 50% share in Pizza Hut UK. more
(17 August 2006 12:37)

Security alerts drive up occupancy at airport hotels
Chaos at UK airports during the recent security alerts has led to a huge rise in occupancy rates at airport hotels. more
(17 August 2006 12:25)

RoadChef revenues fall despite strong Costa Coffee sales
Strong sales at RoadChef’s Costa Coffee outlets couldn’t offset an overall downturn in catering revenue during the third quarter of its 2006.... more
(17 August 2006 11:53)

BIL International to buy London's Clermont?
BIL International, the investment firm controlled by billionaire Quek Leng Chan, is reported to be acquiring the Clermont Club in London’s Mayfair.... more
(17 August 2006 11:48)

London restaurants head for downturn
London's restaurant scene has seen the end of its honeymoon period and is teetering on the brink of a downturn. more
(17 August 2006 10:30)

The Bench: London weekly hotel performance to 13 August, 2006
London hotels boosted revenue per available room (revpar) by 44.7% in the week ending 13 August, according to figures from hotel benchmarking service.... more
(17 August 2006 10:16)

The Bench: South-western hotel performance in July 2006
Hotels in the South West of England increased revenue per available room (revpar) by 8.8% during the month of July. more
(17 August 2006 10:11)

Doubled student fees fuel recruitment fears
Tuition fees for students sitting hospitality degrees could double this September, fuelling fears that recruitment of home-grown graduates into the.... more
(17 August 2006 10:02)

Hoteliers optimistic despite terror scare
Hoteliers and tourism bosses claim the growing resilience of travellers will see people continue to fly to the UK, despite the latest terrorism.... more
(17 August 2006 10:00)

Aramark MBO 'will boost performance'
US catering giant Aramark will pick up its performance in the UK after group chief executive Joseph Neubauer completes his £4.4b buyout, according to.... more
(17 August 2006 09:32)

Hotel du Vin adds site in Cheltenham
Boutique hotel group Hotel du Vin is continuing to expand after a deal was signed this week for a 46-bedroom property in Cheltenham. more
(17 August 2006 09:30)

Food without fear
People can be on restricted diets for medical or moral reasons, but catering establishments must be able to deal with them all safely. What must you.... more
(17 August 2006 00:00)

Ranges of options
Many of the latest restaurants and gastropubs reflect cutting-edge culinary aspirations in their choice of main cooking suite. But, prestige aside,.... more
(17 August 2006 00:00)

Work placements: A place of importance
Funding changes are making work placements more expensive for students. But, as Ben Walker reports, there are many reasons why they're vital to.... more
(17 August 2006 00:00)

The secret life of kitchen kit
The price paid for a new piece of kitchen equipment is not the end but the beginning of what it will cost to operate. CESA, the equipment suppliers.... more
(17 August 2006 00:00)

Profiting from winter banqueting
It's the height of the summer holiday season,but chefs should be thinking about winter banqueting. CESA, the Catering Equipment Suppliers'.... more
(17 August 2006 00:00)

Search on for operator for new resort
Landscaping specialist Allseasons is seeking a hotel operator to run a four-star hotel in a new resort in the west of Scotland. more
(17 August 2006 00:00)

The delicatessens
Who says you can't have it all? Eat-in and take-away might seem mutually exclusive, but a new wave of delicatessens are offering both options - and.... more
(17 August 2006 00:00)

Make your trademark secure
Going to court is always an expensive option and accidentally copying someone else's trademark name is a fast way to get there. Darren Olivier reports more
(17 August 2006 00:00)

Revpar needs an overhaul
Revpar, trevpar and goppar are all below par as useful measures of hotel performance, says Marcel Lindt, head of research for The Bench more
(17 August 2006 00:00)

Tomahawk cuts its own groove
School friends Tom Horsfall and Robert Foulston decided to go into business together in 2000 to develop and sell property. Four years later, they.... more
(17 August 2006 00:00)