The London hotel scene must rank among the most dynamic of any in the world. London hotels have it all. Old 1960s and 1970s buildings, unloved and fallen into disrepair; modern hotels so minimalist that you could almost blink and miss them; opulent hotels, positively dripping with wealth; budget hotels where you know what you will get; big chain hotels that keep expanding: the list is almost endless.
But it's hard doing business in the capital. When the hospitality industry falls on hard times, as it has done in recent years, London hurts most. While provincial hotel groups have largely held on to rate and occupancy, London, with its plethora of properties, suffers most.
But there is good news on the horizon. Hospitality generally and hotels in particular are clawing back. The large chains, often the barometer of the industry, are the proof that business is returning. Hilton boss David Michels just recently predicted that the hotel sector would make a full recovery in 2005.
And Tri Hospitality Consulting says that revenue per available room (revpar) is set to grow by 13% this year, followed by 9% in 2005 and 7% in 2006. Occupancy is also a key factor, with the level set to top 80% this year for the first time since 2000.
London will have as many as 19,000 new hotel rooms coming on stream by 2008, according to Visit London's new London hotel development monitor. The monitor shows that 11,500 bedrooms are set to open over the next four years and that a further 7,786 rooms are likely to be built if London's Olympic bid for 2012 is successful.
Hotel sizes are on the increase as well, with the average size expected to rise from fewer than 100 rooms in 2002 to 170 in 2006.
So where to start?Here's a round-up of some important recent hotel happenings in the capital. Check them out: there may be some jobs to be found.
- Boutique operator Firmdale is to open the 85-bedroom Hotel Soho at the start of next month. The company will also open a 58-bedroom property on Haymarket in London's West End in 2006.
- One of London's best-known hotels, Claridge's, has been rumoured to be about to join the Four Seasons Portfolio. Claridge's is part of the Savoy Group of hotels, which was bought by Irish property investor Derek Quinlan in April for £750m.
- Watch out for the rapid growth of Premier Travel Inn. Whitbread recently won the bid to acquire the Premier Lodge brand and is now in the process of blending it into its Travel Inn portfolio. There's sure to be a good deal more where this one came from. Days is another of the "value" brands that is also on the way up.
- Arora International has won the battle to operate the 600-bedroom hotel to be built at Heathrow Airport's massive new terminal 5. The group will run the four-star hotel as a Sofitel under a franchise agreement with Accor.
- The Cumberland hotel at Marble Arch looks set to become a Thistle Hotel. It was formerly part of Le M‚ridien.
- Hilton International is to take over the four-star London Euston Plaza Hotel at the beginning of November. The hotel was previously operated by London Plaza Hotels.
- Von Essen is after its first London hotel and the Lanesborough is thought to be the one in its sights.
Stefan Otto
Age: 25
Job: Management trainee
Where: Red Carnation Hotels
Salary range: £18,000-£23,000
You're not from here. Tell us about yourself
I come from Hermanus, a small town outside Cape Town famous for whale watching. This is my second stint in the UK. I trained as a chef in South Africa and then came over here because the UK in general and London in particular are just the best experience you can have.
How did you go from being a chef to a management trainee?
I worked for Red Carnation at the Montague hotel in London as a junior sous chef and then got promoted to senior sous chef at the group's Milestone hotel. I joined there in February 2002 and have only just left that position to be a management trainee. I felt that I had learnt all I could at the Milestone and was thinking about other options when the group's managing director Jonathan Raggett offered me this new opportunity.
Talk us through what you do now.
I am spending time in different departments learning about all aspects of hotel life. I started in finance and then moved into HR and will go to conference and banqueting next. I'll be in each area for about a month. I'm even going to shadow Mr Raggett for a week and I'll also be visiting the group's Swiss hotel the Angleterre in Geneva as well as shaking cocktails in B Bar in London. The whole thing is for a total period of six months but it might last longer if I feel that I need more experience in any particular area.
Why London?
London's just got everything. I know there are people who moan about it, but every city has its problems. Compared with places in South Africa London is safe, with lots to do and fantastic museums. My favourite is the Tower of London. I also really like the traditions such as the Royal Family. There's something really romantic about it. The weather's not that great but you get used to it.
Where do you live?
In Southfields with some South African friends. There are so many South Africans here. There's a big sense of community.
What will happen at the end of your training?
I'm not too sure yet but I hope that Red Carnation will be able to find something for me. They're a brilliant company to work for and I don't really want to leave.
How do you see your future?
Eventually I'd like to open my own restaurant. It will be called Stefan's, or Stefan@work, something like that. I would like it to be in the UK. That's the reason I'm taking my management course as the moment so seriously. You can be a great chef but that doesn't mean that you can run a business.
Don't you get homesick?
Not at the moment, although I've just been home for a holiday. It's always great to go back and it's so hard to leave. My mum was crying. But as soon as I got back to Heathrow and Southfields I thought how good it was to be here. I would like to settle in South Africa, but not until I've had the experience here.
Interview by Jenny WebsterNitty gritty
There are 48,000-49,000 hotels in the UK, according to the British Hospitality Association. This number includes everything from youth hostels to five-star international hotels. There are some 21,234 hotels registered with national and regional tourist boards. Of these, about 20-25% are group owned and the rest are independent.
Key contactsAccor
www.accor.comArora Internationalwww.arorainternational.comCity Inn
www.cityinn.comConrad Hotelswww.conradhotels.comCendant UK & Irelandwww.cendant.comChoice Hotels Europewww.choicehotelseurope.comThe Dorchester Groupwww.dorchestergrouphotels.comEton Groupwww.etontownhouse.comExpress by Holiday Innwww.hiexpress.comFirmdale Hotelswww.firmdale.comFour Seasonswww.fourseasons.comFullers Hotelswww.fullershotels.comHiltonwww.hilton.comInterContinental Hotels Group
www.ihgplc.comJarvis Hotelswww.jarvis.co.ukJurys Doylewww.jurysdoyle.comKempinski Hotels and Resortswww.kempinski.comMalmaisonwww.malmaison.comMandarin Orientalwww.mandarinoriental.comMarriottwww.marriott.comLe Méridien
www.lemeridien.comMillennium & Copthorne Hotels
www.millenniumhotels.comMyhotelswww.myhotels.comNiche hotelswww.nichehotels.comPark Plaza Hotelswww.parkplaza.comPremier Travel Innwww.travelinn.co.ukQueens Moat Houses
www.queensmoat.comRadisson Edwardianwww.radissonedwardian.comRed Carnationwww.redcarnationhotels.comRocco Forte Hotelswww.roccofortehotels.comSavoy Groupwww.thesavoy-group.comSol Meliawww.solmelia.comStarwoodwww.starwood.comTravelodgewww.travelodge.co.ukVon Essenwww.vonessenhotels.com