A round-up of the weekend's news affecting the hospitality industry...
Law will ban hotel discrimination against gay couples
Hoteliers are to be banned from turning away homosexual couples in a fresh drive against anti-gay prejudice. A Single Equality Act, which forbids discrimination against homosexuals in goods and services, is to be introduced by the Government, Jacqui Smith, the equalities minister said. – The Independent, 17 July
Staff restaurant prices rising faster than the high street
The price of eating out has more than doubled over the past 15 years. Halifax, which has made the calculations from the retail price index, has found the price of restaurant meals and takeaways up in cost by 94% and staff restaurant meals rising by 143%. – The Times, 17 July
New marketing drive for skiing in Scotland
Ski Scotland, the winter sports arm of VisitScotland, has announced plans for a major marketing drive for the new ski season following the announcement earlier this week that all five of Scotland's ski centres should be open for business this year. – The Scotsman, 17 July
Gresham directors resign after takeover
Five directors of the Gresham Hotel Group have resigned after the company's recent takeover. They include chairman Harvey Soning, Amos Pickel, Tom Byrne, Jim O'Leary and Donal Chambers. Soning, Pickel and Byrne were nominees of Israeli group Red Sea, formerly the group's largest shareholder. – Irish Independent, 17 July
Yates boss may quit if MBO fails
Bosses at Yates Group are prepared to quit the company if the proposed £149m takeover bid fails. Mark Jones, chief executive of Yates, is leading a management buyout with backing from American venture capital firm GI Partners. It is understood that if the offer lapses or GI pulls its bid, Jones and other directors would leave, probably to work with GI on bidding for another business in the sector. – Sunday Times, 18 July
S&N buys North of England pub company
Scottish & Newcastle (S&N) has bought a pub operator in northern England for just over £10m, its biggest retail acquisition since it sold its managed pub estate last year. It has acquired MGR Leisure, a Lancashire-based chain of 16 bars, from Michelle Roe, wife of the pub entrepreneur Neil Roe. The new pubs will be incorporated into S&N Pub Enterprises, which tends to lease rather than own pubs. – Scotland on Sunday, 18 July
Whitbread ahead in Premier Lodge race
Whitbread is understood to have nosed ahead in the £500m auction for Premier Lodge. Whitbread, owner of Travel Inn, is thought to have been granted the right to negotiate exclusively with Spirit Group, the pub company that owns Premier. – Sunday Times, 18 July
Irish hotels downgraded
Excellence in Tourism, the body that reviews the standards of Ireland's hotels, has decided that the Shelbourne, Conrad, SAS Radisson and Jurys Ballsbridge should be downgraded from five stars to four. – Sunday Times (Irish edition), 18 July
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