A round-up of the weekend's news affecting the hospitality industry...
Menzies Hotels for sale at £115m
Menzies Hotels, the private hotel operator backed by BancBoston Capital and Indigo Capital, has appointed advisers to sound out potential purchasers with a price tag of about £115m. The company was founded in 1992 by Nick Menzies, a former Thistle Hotels executive. Possible purchasers could include Pedersen Group UK, a private investment firm that earlier this year launched a bid for Queens Moat Houses’ UK arm. Also tipped as a potential buyer is Dawnay Shore Hotels. – The Times, 9 October
McCulloch to build 12 Dakota brand hotels
Ken McCulloch, the Malmaison hotel group founder, and business partner David Coulthard, the Formula One racing driver, have raised £150m to build 12 budget luxury hotels for the new Dakota chain. McCulloch opened the first Dakota hotel in Nottingham in July with help from Coulthard. A second £80-a-night establishment near Edinburgh should open in spring 2006. – Scotland on Sunday, 10 October
Cannon close to winning Eldridge Pope pubs
Michael Cannon, the pub entrepreneur, moved a step closer to completing a takeover of West Country pub operator Eldridge Pope after winning backing for his bid from investors holding a total of 85.4% of the company's shares. – The Times, 9 October
Maclay Inns buys Thistle pubs
Maclay Inns is buying the Thistle Pub Company, whose pubs it already manages, in a £3m deal. It is also behind a new issue of shares to raise £6m for further investment in pubs. The Alloa-based firm has focused on growing its managed pub operations following the closure of its brewery and sale of tenanted houses to Belhaven. Thistle, which owns six pubs in central Scotland, was set up five years ago by Maclay under the Enterprise Investment Scheme, a tax-efficient vehicle. – Scotland on Sunday, 10 October
Call for pubs to pay for policing
Pubs should be forced to stop discounting alcohol and pay for the policing of the binge-drinking culture that makes many town centres no-go areas at weekends, according to Sussex chief constable Ken Jones. – The Observer, 10 October
£3.5b waiting to invest in UK casinos
International casino operators are preparing to place a £3.5b bet on the British public flocking to Vegas-style gambling developments. As a new Gambling Bill is expected to come before MPs this week, it is now clear just how much money casino bosses, mainly from Las Vegas, are prepared to invest if the UK relaxes its strict gaming laws. Seven operators, five from the USA and two from South Africa, are behind the £3.5bn investment frenzy. – The Observer, 10 October
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