Alternative Hotel Group closes De Vere HQ

The Alternative Hotel Group (AHG) is planning to close the head office of the De Vere Group and make "a number of redundancies" as part of a major management restructure, Caterersearch has learnt.

The office, in Daresbury, Warrington, will be closed by July following a root and branch review carried out by AHG, according to an internal staff announcement seen by Caterersearch.

As a result, De Vere's finance department will be relocated to work alongside the AHG management team in London, while central reservations (CRS) for De Vere Deluxe and Collection will move to the group's Slaley Hall property in Northumberland.

CRS for De Vere Venues and Village will be outsourced to a third party provider, while distribution operations will be relocated to the individual brands.

The payroll function will move with the Village brand to new premises in Warrington, while IT staff will work with the brands, becoming more field based.

AHG stressed that neither the Village Hotel Warrington nor the De Vere Venue Daresbury Park will be affected by the decision.

In a statement to staff, Richard Balfour-Lynn, partner at AHG, which took over De Vere 18 months ago, said: "It is inevitable that there will be a number of redundancies as a result of this decision, although the full implications will be discussed during the consultation process which will begin with immediate effect.

"Whilst I recognise that this news will be very disheartening for those employees affected, this decision is in no way a reflection of the commitment and performance of any employees at Daresbury, which has always been both dedicated and professional over a very long period."

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By Daniel Thomas

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