A round-up of the weekend's news affecting the hospitality industry...
Savoy sale will complete next week
Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal, the Saudi billionaire, will next week complete the acquisition of the Savoy hotel in London for between £230m and £250m. – The Times, 15 January
Pizza Express salad criticised for high calorie count
Pizza Express restaurants are selling a salad that contains as much fat as two Big Mac burgers. The D’Autunno chicken, aubergine and almond salad with dressing is 35% fat and packs in 940 calories — half an adult woman’s and more than a third of a man’s daily energy needs and more than any of the chain’s pizzas. – Sunday Times, 16 January
Happy hours condemned by minister
Pubs face a crackdown on "happy hour" promotions that offer cheap drink to millions of young people under government plans to head off the growing storm of criticism over the relaxation of drinking hours. Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell has insisted that the real issue underlying Britain's national drinking problem is not opening hours but "all you can drink" deals, such as allowing women to drink free or charging only £1 for a pint. – The Observer, 16 January
Turner lined up for top Tragus job
Graham Turner, the former head of Unique Pub Company, will be appointed to run Tragus, the parent company of Café Rouge, if a £90m takeover bid by L&G Ventures for the restaurant chain succeeds. – Sunday Times, 16 January
Kildare set to become tourism capital of Ireland
Kildare town is set to become the tourist capital of Ireland with two new multi-million euro developments expected to attract one million visitors every year. Work is due to start on a major tourist outlet village in April. Plans have also been submitted for a four-star, 150-bed hotel nearby. – Irish Independent, 15 January
Warning over Dublin weekend stag parties
English stag and hen parties which have massively boosted visitor numbers to Dublin won't be enough to keep hotel rooms filled in the coming years, industry figures warned yesterday. Dublin's image as a trendy weekend destination has brought tens of thousands of young people to the city, but the fact that the population of Europe is ageing means hotels need to start attracting new visitors immediately. – Irish Independent, 15 January
Dublin pubs turn to happy hours to recover sales
Dublin pubs have introduced happy days, weeks, months and even years in a bid to claw back business in the wake of the smoking ban and successive price hikes. Some have slashed the price of a pint by as much as €1 (70p) in a desperate attempt to lure back drinkers. Sales have slumped by up to 25% since last March, according to the vintners’ federation. – Sunday Times (Irish edition), 16 January
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