ROOM REPORT IN BRIEF
• LONDON'S Lanesborough hotel closed its doors in December ahead of a comprehensive renovation project due for completion later this year. Renovation work will ‘honour the building’s architectural heritage as one of London’s most revered Regency landmarks’, says a hotel statement, and will extend to all 93 guest rooms and public areas of the hotel.
• THE Hyatt Regency Trinidad is undergoing a full renovation after just fi ve years of operation with completion scheduled for the end of 2014. The Caribbean island’s primary business hotel, which has 428 rooms and suites, will not close during the works. The UK is the Hyatt Regency’s second biggest market (after the USA) with many visitors working within the oil industry.
• FLYING Butler by Deep Blue Apartments has opened a new property in Earls Court offering a collection of studio, one- and two-bedroom units. Newly refurbished, the property offers ‘boutique-style elegance’ with spacious living space, fi tted kitchens and open-plan layout. The interiors have designer soft furnishings, king-size beds and luxury bathrooms. The Flying Butler service is bespoke to each client’s own requirements and includes a range of concierge services. See page 88 for a Reality Check review.
• THE InterContinental Hotels Group has opened a new Staybridge Suites, its extended stay brand, in Birmingham city centre. The £14million, four-star, property is situated at Martineau Place with an entrance on Corporation Street, a location chosen for its close proximity to both Birmingham’s business hub, Colmore Row, and its shopping district. The hotel has 168 suites and is aimed primarily at the extended-stay business market. Amenities include free wifi , fully-equipped kitchens in all suites, a 'hub kitchen' with complimentary breakfast and a laundry room.
• THE famous former Scotland Yard Police headquarters and Ministry of Defence building in Whitehall is set to be transformed into a £100million fi ve-star hotel. The Grade II listed Edwardian building will be developed by Galliard Group and open as a hotel in 2016.
Apartment sector makes the grade
I
THE Association of Serviced Apartment Providers (ASAP) will launch a quality assurance scheme this January as a mechanism to improve standards in the industry. Every operator displaying the
ASAP quality marque will be assessed on an annual and ongoing basis as part of the new ASAP Quality Assurance Programme. Details were revealed at the ASAP
conference, where the association also held its first awards ceremony to recognise those operators and individuals making significant advances in the sector. Sponsored by The Business Travel Magazine, the awards went to SACO, which was named Most Innovative Serviced Apartment Provider; Marlin Apartments won Best Service & Hospitality Experience; and Geoff Bailey of Your Space Serviced
Apartments won the award for Outstanding Individual Dedication. The conference itself saw a number of topics debated by panelists, including the issue of how technology is revolutionising the booking and guest experience. Darryl Walker, head of e-commerce
at Go Native, explained the chall- enges in this arena – including a lack of live rates and availability, strict terms and conditions, lack of integration, lack of 24hr reception and service provision – along with some of the solutions, citing advances made in simplifying the booking process, including mobile and Facebook booking, self check- in kiosks and outsourced services. ASAP now comprises 70 serviced apartment operators and agencies representing over 13,000 properties throughout the UK and Ireland.
MARRIOTT UPS THE ANTE IN AFRICA
THE Marriott Hotels group is upping the ante in Africa after signing a letter of intent to acquire the continent’s largest hotel group. Marriott would nearly double its
presence in Africa following a potential deal with Protea Hotels, which operates 80 hotels in South Africa and a further 36 across Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. The transaction would take Marriott’s portfolio in the region to over 23,000 guestrooms and provide it with a ‘proven operational platform and leadership team' to accelerate Marriott’s expansion plans in the dynamic and fast- growing African market.
Alex Kyriakidis, president of Marriott for the Middle East and Africa, says, “The development cycle for opening new hotels in Africa is long due to the challenges posed by emerging infrastructure, so joining forces with Protea Hotels and their highly respected management team is the strongest way to jumpstart Marriott’s footprint in Africa.” Protea Hotels was founded in 1984
and has “grown organically to become the largest and leading hotel group in Sub-Saharan Africa,” according to Arthur Gillis, its chief executive officer. The group is comprised of two brands: mid- to upmarket Protea Hotels and leisure- focussed African Pride luxury brand.
MIA UPDATE
Jane Longhurst Chief Executive, Meetings Industry Association (mia)
believe 2014 will be a year that remains in our memories for some time. Why? Because surely this is finally the year we have all been waiting for; the year where we kick off the prolonged downturn that’s been beleaguering the British economy and take a sweet sniff at the distinct smell of optimism for business growth that’s in the air. It’s been a long time coming, but
now that it’s here, how can you guarantee that venues remain as hungry for your business and as keen to impress as they were when the going was a little tougher? Additionally, while rates have been suppressed, venue costs have been rising and margins shrinking. Venues are businesses and have
every right to seek a return on investment, as do you, so ensuring the venues you choose offer great service as well as value for money remains vital. Perhaps not surprisingly, the
prediction for the year ahead is that procurement departments and policies will be increasingly involved in the venue choice. My view is not to treat any of these factors as negative; they offer an opportunity. The new year is a great time to shop around, peruse the market, and try out new venues and destinations. The UK has some of the best in the world. Finding new venues that suit your needs and offer the service and value your event demands is incredibly rewarding. You’ll meet new people with experience, contacts and ideas, and of course discover amazing new meeting and event spaces. It’s not difficult either as the internet offers several sites dedicated to venue search, such as
chooseyourvenue.com and
venuedirectory.com. They can help you keep the pro-
curement department onside as well, by enabling you to search by accreditation, such as Green Business Tourism Scheme or AIM at Gold, Silver and Entry level. The challenge to deliver quality and
value in your meetings schedule will be just as important as the market improves as it ever has been – trying out new venues is a great way to stay ahead of the game.
THE BUSINESS TRAVEL MAGAZINE 55
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