hotels


A level playing field for hospitality SMEs


ufi ibrahim is chief executive officer of British Hospitality Association


£30m revamp for belfry hotel


The Belfry Hotel and Golf Resort in Warwickshire is set to undergo a £30m refurbishment. Te Belfry was bought in


O


utsourcing has come to the fore in the last month with a report by the BHA and the Food Service Consultants Society


International* which encourages the gov- ernment to enable companies in the food and service management sector to compete more easily on a level playing field for pub- lic service contracts. According to the Cabinet Office, £70bn of


government contracts across 13 different sec- tors will be put out to re-tender over the next five years. Food and service management and catering represent one of these sectors but one which faces considerable barriers – even though a report by the CBI suggests that outsourcing could save the government 10 per cent on its facilities budget. Te message of the report is simple: take


advantage of the the UK’s world-class talent. Te report recommends four actions: 1. Remove barriers to outsourcing so that


SMEs can compete on a level playing field. 2. Improve the commissioning process


so that the government’s own procurement people and systems are up-skilled. 3. Set a clear overall vision for a more stra-


tegic outsourcing provision and make use of the world-class skills available in the UK. 4. Recognize the value of food . Te BHA’s FSM members serve more


than 600m meals per year to school chil- dren, hospital patients, prisoners, MOD staff and public sector workers, yet this is just a quarter of the total number of meals provided every year. In 2010-11, the public sector spent over


£2.1bn on food and catering. With a level playing field, the FSM’s share of this sum could be vastly increased to the advantage of the government’s finances and to the qual- ity of the service provided. Yet the barriers to outsourcing – cultural


and idealogical, the transfer of risk, the need for working capital and repayment terms, rigid pre-qualification questionnaires – all act as a deterrent. Te report sets out some clear recommen-


dations for the government to recognise the value of this sector and also some firm com- mitments on behalf of our members.


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August by American invest- ment firm KSL Capital Partners, which appointed Te De Vere Group to man- age the property. It is expected that work will begin on the resort early next year. The renovations wi l l


include updating the guest- rooms and function suites as well as a revamp of the res- taurants and bars. Lynn Hood has been


Lynn Hood has been appointed managing director of the hotel


appointed managing direc- tor of the hotel and will oversee the revamp. Hood said: “The Belfry has the perfect


partner in KSL which is experienced in tak- ing over a number of established resorts and restoring them to their former glory.


“We are currently working hard on final-


ising the redevelopment plans for Belfry and we will have detailed drawings and designs to show to our customer base quite soon.” Details: http://lei.sr?a=t3Q2x


Former BBC centre to re-open as luxury hotel Te hotel will feature 50 guestrooms includ-


A former BBC broadcasting centre is to open as a luxury hotel following a £4m redevelopment. Located near Evesham and Stratford-upon- Avon in Worcestershire, the Grade II listed Wood Norton property will re-open as a bou- tique hotel at the end of December.


ing five suites. It will also house a restaurant, bar and al fresco dining terrace. Other facil- ities include boardroom and meeting space, formal gardens and a wedding venue for up to 250 guests. Details: http://lei.sr?a=D9x7q


Starboard invests in upmarket hostels


Liverpool has been con- firmed as the second site for Starboard Hotels’ upscale hos- tel brand, Smart City. Following the launch of a


trailblazer site in Edinburgh, the company has said it will actively look for expansion opportunities in the luxury hostel market, as well as the entry-level hotel market. Te concept offers en suite


dorms, high levels of guest amenities and fully licensed food and beverage operations. Te Liverpool site will be in the seven-storey former Kansas Buildings in the Cavern Quarter, which were previously retail premises. Quintain, Davis Coffer Lyons and Ockleston Bailey completed the sale. Associate director at Davis Coffer Lyons, Kate Taylor, says: “Starboard Hotels has already


Read Leisure Opportunities online: www.leisureopportunities.co.uk/digital Te company is looking to expand its ‘luxury hostel’ portfolio in the UK


carved out a niche for purchasing distressed commercial assets and implementing a change of use development. Tis site has great posi- tioning within Liverpool city centre, opposite the Met Quarter retail scheme and close to Liverpool One shopping centre.”


Twitter: @leisureopps © CYBERTREK 2012


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