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Profiting from 2012

Keep an eye out for unwelcome guests
They're the night-time companions that nobody in the business wants to recognise. And when guests wake after a night with them they are usually less than impressed. I'm talking, of course, about the parasitic elephant in the room - bedbugs.
Posted: 18 May 2012 | FULL ARTICLE
Special rate at Holiday Inn to mark Olympic Torch Relay
The arrival of the Olympic Flame in the UK on Friday is being marked by Holiday Inn, the official hotel provider to the games, with the offer of a special room rate. The one-off Old Flame rate, redeemable from 18 May to 30 September, is intended to give couples the chance to rekindle their romance.
Posted: 15 May 2012 | FULL ARTICLE
VisitEngland's £3m 'holiday at home' ads had no effect on 67% of Britons
Two-thirds of Britons have not paid any attention to a £3m advertising campaign led by VisitEngland and other regional tourist boards urging them to holiday at home this year. That's the claim from prepaid currency card provider Caxton FX...
Posted: 11 May 2012 | FULL ARTICLE
Wadworth produces Red, White and Brew to celebrate 2012
Devizes-based brewer Wadworth has launched a new beer to commemorate a summer of celebration in 2012 - Red White and Brew. The beer is designed to appeal to customers from both home and abroad intent on enjoying the Diamond Jubilee or the Olympic Games.
Posted: 03 May 2012 | FULL ARTICLE
Olympics set to be lucrative period for London hoteliers
The London Olympics still looks set to be a lucrative period for London hoteliers, with both committed occupancy and average daily rates well up on the same period a year before. Research by TravelClick showed that committed occupancy for the Olympic period of 27 July to 12 August is 183.2% up year-on-year.
Posted: 27 Apr 2012 | FULL ARTICLE
Survey reveals fears over casual staff for Olympics
The hospitality industry remains optimistic that London's Olympic Games will be a great success, although some operators fear casual staff may not be up to the job, exclusive research by Caterer and Hotelkeeper in association with ACTClean and People 1st has revealed.
Posted: 27 Apr 2012 | FULL ARTICLE
London events venue the Brewery to become members' club during Olympics
London venue the Brewery will be transformed into an upscale members' club called the Retreat for almost the entire duration of the London 2012 Olympic Games. Designed to provide a place to network and entertain while viewing the Olympic action, the Retreat will be available for use from 27 July to 12 August....
Posted: 26 Apr 2012 | FULL ARTICLE
René Redzepi to run Noma pop-up at Claridge's during London Olympics
René Redzepi, from the world-famous Noma restaurant in Copenhagen, is to run a two-week pop-up at London's Claridge's hotel this summer. The two-Michelin-starred chef, whose restaurant has twice been named the best in the world, will run A Taste of Noma at Claridge's from 28 July to 6 August.
Posted: 23 Apr 2012 | FULL ARTICLE
Place your business at the centre of the party
We all remember the countrywide revelry that accompanied the Royal Wedding last year. And some hoteliers will also recall being jilted, after hiking up prices and refusing to accept guests staying for just one night.
Posted: 20 Apr 2012 | FULL ARTICLE
Paula Radcliffe gets Holiday Inn guests running
London hotel guests were treated to a surprise this morning when Olympic hopeful Paula Radcliffe encouraged them to join her in a pre-marathon warm-up. Holiday Inn, the official hotel provider to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, invited triple London Marathon winner Radcliffe...
Posted: 19 Apr 2012 | FULL ARTICLE
Scheme to draw Olympic media to other attractions set to close
Hospitality businesses have just a few days left to sign up to a VisitBritain initiative aimed at drawing international media covering the Olympics out of London to feature other attractions and events that the rest of Britain has to offer.
Posted: 18 Apr 2012 | FULL ARTICLE
Accommodation search on VisitBritain website broken
A search tool hosted on VisitBritain's website, designed to allow tourists to find accommodation across the country, has stopped working (www.visitbritain.com/en/Accommodation). The glitch means that the search tool will offer no results, whenever any British destination is typed into it.
Posted: 18 Apr 2012 | FULL ARTICLE
Hotels in London and the regions shaping up for a strong year
The Olympic Games could turn 2012 into a record year for hotels in London and the regions, according to accountants PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). Liz Hall, head of hospitality and leisure research at PwC, said she expected growth in revenue per available room (revpar) of 2.8% across hotels in the capital this year.
Posted: 17 Apr 2012 | FULL ARTICLE
Overseas visits to Britain stay flat in February
The number of overseas visits to Britain in February stayed broadly flat when compared with last year. That's the finding from new figures collected by the Office of National Statistics. Arrivals actually saw a 3% increase on the same month a year ago, with spend up 1%, but that included the extra leap-year day.
Posted: 12 Apr 2012 | FULL ARTICLE
BHA warns operators to consult security guidelines as they get ready for London 2012
The British Hospitality Association (BHA) has urged its members to consult security guidelines in preparation for the London 2012 Olympics. Operators that haven't yet implemented security plans should use the BHA's toolkit in order to do so, the trade body advised.
Posted: 11 Apr 2012 | FULL ARTICLE
Night-time deliveries given the go-ahead during Olympics and Paralympics
Out-of-hour deliveries are to be encouraged during the Olympic and Paralympic Games to help reduce the expected traffic congestion. Transport for London (TfL), London councils and the capital's businesses have reached agreement to be sympathetic to companies that need to make or receive night-time deliveries.
Posted: 03 Apr 2012 | FULL ARTICLE
FSA launches taskforce to focus on food safety ahead of Olympics
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has launched a new taskforce of environmental health officers to increase the focus on food safety in the run up to and during the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Posted: 03 Apr 2012 | FULL ARTICLE
Profiting from 2012 business tracker – operators in Olympic warm-up
With the year of sport well and truly under way our business tracker operators are already looking to learn all they can from warm-up events, the torch relay and the Diamond Jubilee, before the expected Olympic prize. James Stagg reports
Posted: 30 Mar 2012 | FULL ARTICLE
Jackson Gilmour wins Danish Olympic contract at the Natural History Museum
Event caterer Jackson Gilmour has won a contract to cater for the great and the good of Denmark at the Natural History Museum during the 2012 Olympics. The one-off event, expected to be worth in the region of £100,000, will take place in early August.
Posted: 23 Mar 2012 | FULL ARTICLE
Hospitality businesses may be leaving Olympic recruitment too late
Demand for talented hospitality staff ahead of the Olympics is on the up but businesses are still being warned not to leave recruitment too late. Operators are urged to prepare now in order to reap the benefits during and after the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Posted: 23 Mar 2012 | FULL ARTICLE
McDonald's to offer 100% British chicken in Olympic restaurants
The Green Party has claimed it helped to sway McDonald's into serving only British chicken in its four restaurants at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Green Mayoral candidate Jenny Jones said she had pressured McDonald's into increasing its domestic chicken supply...
Posted: 19 Mar 2012 | FULL ARTICLE
British Airways Olympic menus by Simon Hulstone and Heston Blumenthal are unveiled
Menus for British Airways customers during the Olympics and Paralympic Games – created by Simon Hulstone with support from Heston Blumenthal – have been unveiled. Hulstone's dishes have been inspired by the airline's menus dating back to 1948...
Posted: 14 Mar 2012 | FULL ARTICLE
Tourism minister dismisses latest survey highlighting high-priced Olympic hotels
Tourism Minister John Penrose has dismissed the suggestion that London hotels are overpricing themselves during the Olympics. He made his views known on the day that online booking company Hotels.com announced that the average price for a hotel room in London during the Olympic period was £213 a night
Posted: 13 Mar 2012 | FULL ARTICLE
Keith Prowse's bookings rise as people look for alternatives to costly Olympic hospitality
Non-Olympic corporate hospitality operators could cash-in as buyers strive to get more value for money, according to booking trends revealed by Keith Prowse. The official hospitality provider at the Kia Oval has seen an upsurge in enquiries from customers and hospitality agents...
Posted: 01 Mar 2012 | FULL ARTICLE
More Londoners to stay at home for Olympics than expected
Londoners are 11% more likely to stay at home over the summer this year than they were last year, allaying fears of an exodus abroad during the Olympic Games. Meanwhile, travel volumes to London and other European cities connected to it are expected to increase "significantly".
Posted: 01 Mar 2012 | FULL ARTICLE
Travelodge opens 500th hotel and plans 184 London openings by 2025
Travelodge is launching its 500th hotel today, in Stratford, east London, and has also announced plans to open a further 184 hotels across the capital by 2025. The company plans to open at least one hotel in each of London's 32 boroughs.
Posted: 01 Mar 2012 | FULL ARTICLE
Outlook for hotels during Olympics less positive than first predicted
The London Olympics will still bring a positive benefit to occupancy levels and revpar in the hotel sector, but not at the level previously hoped for. That's the assessment from hotel market research firm STR Global, which has downgraded its predictions for the games this summer.
Posted: 29 Feb 2012 | FULL ARTICLE
Love British Food promotion to capitalise on Olympics
A promotion for British food aims to help the country's caterers capitalise on this year's Olympic fervour. Love British Food - formerly known as British Food Fortnight - will run alongside London 2012...
Posted: 29 Feb 2012 | FULL ARTICLE
PWC predicts record year for both London and regional hotels in 2012
A new report by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) has predicted that 2012 will see record occupancy levels for hotels in both London and the regions. PWC said it also expected the regions to enjoy a "brighter" time in 2013, although London could suffer a mild post-Olympic hangover...
Posted: 23 Feb 2012 | FULL ARTICLE
Olympic torch to feature at Arena lecture
A London 2012 Olympic torch will feature at the forthcoming Arena Lecture by LOCOG's catering chief Jan Matthews, it has been announced. The Arena Lecture on 20 March at the Savoy, London will see the head of catering...
Posted: 21 Feb 2012 | FULL ARTICLE

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