HOTELS


Over-reliance on youth could lead to future headaches


PETER DUCKER is chief executive of the Institute of Hospitality


Harry Potter-themed hotel aims to enchant


Harry Potter fans retracing the steps of the boy wizard can now retire to their Hogwarts- inspired wizarding chambers at the Georgian House – an independent hotel situated in central London’s Victoria. The four star boutique


O


ur sector employs a much younger workforce than the average – with 33 per cent of employees under 25 compared


to 12 per cent for the UK economy as a whole. Tis number jumps to 66 per cent for waiting staff and 60 per cent for bar staff. Demographic changes to UK society


mean that there will be a significant decline in the number of younger workers. By 2021 the 15-24 age group will have fallen by 16 per cent. Tere will be a decline in the number of workers aged 35-44 too – the main ‘management’ cohort – and there will be a large increase (25 per cent) in the number of 50 to 60+ year olds, both as potential customers and employees. Recently, the need to employ a higher


proportion of older workers has been diffi- cult to get across because so much emphasis has been on tackling youth unemployment. Now that youth unemployment has fallen to its lowest level in six years, arguably the case for age diversity is back on the agenda. Some evidence suggests age diversity can


result in higher profit margins. McDonalds’ found that its restaurants with the broadest age profile were the most profitable. Tere are a number of ‘natural’ barriers


which are oſten cited to employing a better mix of age groups. Te need to keep wage costs down is one. Historically, ours is a minimum wage industry and so its business model is skewed towards younger workers as employing older workers is more expensive. Secondly, the long hours and often


physically demanding nature of many hospitality and leisure roles make them unsuitable for older employees. Thirdly, the UK is not culturally very


good at communicating across generations. Heads of department may feel uncomfort- able interviewing or managing someone older and with more experience than them. It is easy to see some truth in all of the


above, but the demographic changes now underway mean managers should be looking to overcome and challenge these assumptions. As our population gets grad- ually older, the hope must be that ageism, in all its forms, becomes more unacceptable.


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property – which has been run by the same family for 163 years – is the first London hotel to cash in on its proxim- ity to the Leavesden Warner Bros Studios Tour, home of the Harry Potter film set. It is offering guests the


chance to sleep in gothic-style four poster beds surrounded by spell books, potions bottles and even a por- trait of the Mona Lisa complete with wand. “I had heard about the popularity of the Harry Potter Studio Tour,” said hotel partner and manager, Serena von der Heyde, “but the fact the bus leſt from Victoria station, only a few minutes walk from the hotel, meant we were the perfect location for attracting tourists who had come to see the studio.” Flickering can- dles and the Harry Potter theme tune guide


Te hotel offers a complete experience for Harry Potter fans


guests to the rooms through a portrait-hung passageway reminiscent of the dormitories at Hogwarts. Te architectural features of each room have been offset with additions such as gothic arches, faux stone walls and stained glass windows. Te hotel promotes a package which includes London’s Muggle Tours - a walking tour which takes in film locations and places that inspired JK Rowling, and a visit to Warner Bros Studios. Details: http://lei.sr?a=7x2R5


Wyndham to expand Ramada UK


Hospitality giant Wyndham Hotel Group (WHG) has signed a development agreement with operator Lester Hotels Group, which will see 20 new Ramada hotels launched across the UK over the next ten years. The rollout will begin in


earnest with the first two hotels – Ramada Resort Cwrt Bleddyn and Ramada Leicester Stage – expected to begin welcoming guests from the beginning of 2015. Tese launches will take the num- ber of Ramada properties open across the country to 40. All of the properties to be rolled out will


Te Ramada Resort Cwrt Bleddyn in Wales launches in early 2015


be managed by Lester Hotels, which has become a preferred management partner for Wyndham Hotel Group in the country. “We look forward to working with Lester


Hotels to aggressively accelerate the growth of the iconic Ramada brand in the UK,” said Nima Davoodzadeh, VP of development, UK and Europe for WHG. “Ramada offers guests a welcoming environment for work or rest, as well as significant development potential for


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


owners looking for a renowned brandand an extensive global distribution system.” Nestled in the picturesque Monmouthshire


countryside, the 45-bedroom Ramada Resort Cwrt Bleddyn, in Usk, Wales, offers comple- mentary Wi-Fi, a fitness centre, indoor pool, luxury spa and treatment rooms as well as function rooms. Ramada Leicester Stage offers 79 bedrooms, five meeting rooms, indoor pool, sauna and a fitness centre. Details: http://lei.sr?a=e6D5N


Twitter: @leisureopps © CYBERTREK 2014


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