£40m hotel to spearhead new Scottish hotel group - For more hospitality stories, see what the weekend papers say

£40m hotel to spearhead new Scottish hotel group
Leading Scottish retail developer Forrest Developments is expanding into the hotels market with a plan for a £40m hotel in Glasgow, near the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre. The company is keen to become a major player in the hotel sector in Scotland. The aim is for them to create an iconic building for the Glasgow skyline and to use the development as a launch pad for their drive into the hotels market. – Sunday Herald, 8 April

Shares in M&B dip after refusal to split the group
Shares in the pubs operator Mitchells & Butlers slipped 14p to 779½p as expectations grew that the pubs group will refuse calls by Robert Tchenguiz, its largest shareholder, to split its property portfolio into a real estate investment trust. Instead, analysts believe M&B will look to quell a rebellion by announcing a partial sale and leaseback of property when it delivers results next month. – The Times, 6 April

London-based hotel group spends £29m on Chinese hotel
Kingdom Hotel Investments, the London-listed company chaired by Prince Alwaleed, has bought a 387-room hotel in Kunshan, China, for £29.3m. – The Times, 6 April

Takeover rumours at Prezzo pizza chain
Prezzo shares hit a record high before results next Thursday, with expectations building that the pizza and pasta chain could be a takeover target. Analysts say Prezzo is an obvious candidate for Tragus, which looks to have lost out in bidding for La Tasca. Gondola, the owner of Pizza Express and Ask, and Paramount, the group behind Chez Gérard and Caffé Uno, are also on the hunt for a new brand. – The Times, 6 April

Bid to spread Irish tourism away from Dublin
The over-reliance of the Irish tourism sector on urban short-breaks has led to a €6m (£4.1m) marketing spend to counter-balance the popularity of Dublin and the major cities. Budget airlines means that air travel to urban destinations is now commonplace for 21st birthday parties and stag parties. – Irish Independent, 9 April

By Bob Gledhill

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