HOSPITALITY


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In praise of the sector's older employees


As jobs are created within the industry, older- age working could become more prominent


I The capital's hotels have seen occupancy increase so far this year


'Stable' month for London hotels Capital's recovery on course as occupancy increases


By Pete Hayman Hotel operators in London are continuing to outperform their regional counterparts, accord- ing to the latest monthly figures released by PKF Hotel Consultancy Services. The capital's hoteliers posted


a 10.3 per cent growth in average daily room rate per occupied room in June 2010, compared with June 2009. For the first six months of the


year, London hotels saw a 2.3 per cent increase in occupancy and a 9.6 per cent growth in rooms yield as the sector


continued to recover, although regional hotels have seen rooms yield decline by nearly 1 per cent and room rate fall by 3.7 per cent despite a 3.1 per cent growth in occupancy, Robert Barnard, partner for


hotel consultancy services at PKF, said: "The figures for London over the first half of this year suggest the capital is firmly into its recovery stage which is positive. "The picture is not exactly the


same for regional hotels, but the increases in occupancy levels so far this year are a good sign for hoteliers."


Host buys Le Meridien Piccadilly


Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels has confirmed that it has completed the sale of Le Meridien Piccadilly, in the heart of London's West End, on behalf of Starman Hotels. The Grade II–listed hotel


has been acquired by an affiliate of Host Hotels and Resorts in a deal worth £64m. The 266-room leasehold


hotel recently underwent a revamp programme and boasts a restaurant; a health


© Cybertrek 2010


and fitness club; and an indoor swimming pool. Starman Hotels property


director Felicity Black-Roberts said: "We chose Host due to their track record and they have secured an excellent addition to their portfolio." Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels


managing director Robert Seabrook added: “This confirms the strong appetite investors have in the London hotel market at present."


t may be summertime, but this is as good a moment as any to consider the long-term demographic trends


which suggest a distinctly autumnal outlook as far as the country's population is concerned. In this regard, the government's Office for National Statistics estimates that by 2033 nearly a quarter of the population will be aged over 65, compared with around 16 per cent now. So why is this of interest to us in the hospitality sector? Traditionally, the sector does not


have the best of reputations when it comes to employing older workers or encouraging its people to work into older age. Bars, pubs, restaurants and hotels will often be staffed by younger workers, and the sector can have a reputation for a physically demanding, high pressure, long-hours culture. At the same time, however, of all the challenges facing the


PHILIPPE ROSSITER is chief executive of the Institute of Hospitlity (IoH). Leisure Opportuni- ties is a member benefit of the IoH, for your free copy call 01462 471932


industry in the future, the availability of skilled people will remain by far the greatest. Here in the UK, by 2017 it is predicted that more than 200,000 new jobs will be created within the hospitality sector. If one then adds on the replacement requirement for existing jobs, the figure becomes 1 million posts to fill. Developing a capable workforce must therefore remain the number one priority if the industry is to enjoy the benefits of the exciting growth predictions. The irony is that hospitality does lend itself very well to


older-age working. For example, the industry attracts many people who are self employed or are business owners, and therefore in control of how and when they retire. Secondly, the normally negative image of the sector's long


hours can also be made into an attractive proposition to a more flexible older worker. Long hours, and a frequently 24-hour operation in parts of the industry, provides an chance for older people to be employed at times which might be more difficult for others with family responsibilities for example. In short, demographic changes will mean the sector will have


little option but to embrace older workers and accept later-life working as the norm rather than the exception. To assist, organisations such as the educational charity The Life Academy, the Employers' Forum on Age and the Third Age and Employment Network, offer useful resources, while the industry's sector skills council, People 1st, can help employers when it comes to planning for and managing older workers.


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