hotels First london hotel for citizenM


Netherlands-based hotel oper- ator citizenM has launched its first property in London – in time for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Te 192-bedroom hotel is in


Bankside, an area located near sites such as the Globe the- atre and the Tate Modern art attraction, and is designed to cater for “modern tourists”. citizenM worked alongside


Dutch architects Concrete on the design of the hotel, which includes an open-plan lobby. Kesselskramer, Vitra and Swisscom Hospitality Services also partnered with citizenM on the project. Facilities include canteenM, a self-serve eat-


citizenM has worked with architects Concrete on the new London hotel


ery designed to feel like a home kitchen and allows guests to select food before using one of four iMacs in the hotel’s ‘working space’ The group opened its first property in Amsterdam four years ago, and has already


expanded to the UK with a hotel in Glasgow. Two more citizenM-branded properties are due to open in London over the coming year. citizenM chief operating officer Michael


Levie said: “Tis city is one of the main stages of the hospitality world but we’re ready.” Details: http://lei.sr?a=K5e2p


PKF: UK operators report ‘mixed results’ during May


New figures from PKF Hotel Consultancy Services have revealed a “muted performance” by hoteliers in the capital during May, while regional operators reported solid trading. According to the latest data, there was a 0.8 per cent drop in London rooms yield following


a 0.5 per cent fall in room rate and a 0.4 per cent decline in occupancy. Regional hoteliers saw rooms yield grow 1.6


per cent and room rate increase 1.9 per cent, which offset a 0.3 per cent fall in occupancy. Details: http://lei.sr?a=C6j8b


Green light for ‘fast-built’ London hotel


A new £15m Park Plaza hotel on London’s Western Avenue, which is to use a “fast-built” system where most of its ele- ments are built off-site, has been given the green light. Capita Symonds’ ESA


design practice is behind the proposals on behalf of the PPHE Hotel Group, which will see the 160-bedroom hotel constructed opposite Park Royal tube station. Many of the components


– such as ground floor facili- ties and completed bedrooms – will be stacked together to form the completed building as part of the modular concept. ESA’s Marek Sroka said: “The flexible


© CYBERTREK 2012 Most of the new London hotel’s components will be constructed off-site


modular building system and unique façade design the team has developed has allowed us


a good degree of freedom and flexibility as it is the construction process that we have stan- dardised, not the design.” Details: http://lei.sr?a=y5k3Z


Twitter: @leisureopps


Come to the Games – If you can...


PhiliPPe RossiteR is chief executive of the Institute of Hospitality


A


s the UK prepares to host the world’s greatest sporting event, how accessible are we as an industry? How easy will it be for


people to get around the various sites? Jenny Littman, CEO of Tourism for All (TFA) UK, said: “Disabled people are looking to find reliable information before making deci- sions to travel, so an independent audit or check is a powerful marketing aid for hos- pitality businesses. An independent charity, TFA provides the only national helpline for those seeking such information.” It also offers inspections under the Visit


England National Accessible scheme and provides marketing support for all those who have achieved an award through the openbritain.com website and magazine. Tis includes information assessed by disabledgo. com, where detailed information is avail- able about the access to all kinds of places – hotels, restaurants, attractions and leisure centres among others. DisabledGo can also be used to find a job, advertise events, post articles and join discussions on its forum. Open Britain is supported by Visit


England, DisabledGo, the National Federation of Shopmobility and a wide range of industry associations, as well as disabil- ity groups. TFA urges all firms to create an access statement, and there are free online tools for this. Visit: http://lei.sr?a=e8V6t Finally, one of the best ways to harness


the power of accessibility to make businesses successful and offer world class service is to make sure staff are trained in serving dis- abled customers. TFA offers its members a free online training tool. Visit http://lei. sr?a=O1F3j for more information on the above or email info@tourismforall.org.uk Direct Enquiries managing director Grant


Kennedy added: “Welcoming people with specific requirements, including disabled people, older people and parents with young children and buggies, will go a long way to achieving maximum business growth. Why? Because these customers form a group of consumers in the UK that collectively has a spending power in excess of £350bn a year.” For tips on making your premises accessible visit: http://lei.sr?a=J9P9O


Read Leisure Opportunities online: www.leisureopportunities.co.uk/digital 11


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