INFORM


WORDS MOLLY DYSON


More Heathrow hotels set to open


THE ARORA GROUP has announced its dual-branded property Crowne Plaza London – Heathrow Terminal 4 and Holiday Inn Express London – Heathrow Terminal 4 are set to open in October. The linked hotels will offer a combined


total of 761 guest rooms. The hotels are located within a three-


ACCURACY OF MILEAGE CLAIMS IN QUESTION


NEW RESEARCH HAS CAST doubt on the accuracy of mileage expense claims across Europe, with more than half of those responsible for authorisation saying they rarely or never query expenditure during the sign-off process. A study by expense, travel and invoice management solution provider SAP Concur of 1,130 employees with the authority to sign off expenses found 56 per cent said they sign off claims without question, while only 13 per cent of businesses check the accuracy of claims often, and 31 per cent do so from time to time. The study also revealed that 83 per cent of companies rely on paper-based processes – 52 per cent have an expense form while 32 per cent use spreadsheets. One-third of respondents use a web-based expense tool. ■ Expense technology trends, pages 96-100


Amadeus expands hospitality


reach with $1.5bn acquisition AMADEUS HAS CONTINUED its expansion into the hospitality sector with an agreement to acquire global hospitality solutions provider Travelclick for US$1.52 billion. Based in New York, Travelclick is currently owned by private equity investment firm Thoma Bravo. It serves 25,000 customers across 176 countries with cloud-based solutions, including an independent and mid-size central reservation system and guest management solution. The company says this gives hotels distribution across both digital and traditional channels. As part of the acquisition, some 1,100 Travelclick employees are expected to join Amadeus. The sale is expected to complete by the end of the year, subject to regulatory approval.


24 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018


minute walk of Terminal 4 and it will be the largest hotel complex directly connected to an airport terminal in the UK. The Crowne Plaza (pictured below)


will feature 304 bedrooms, as well as five meeting rooms, a fitness centre, executive lounge and three food and beverage outlets. The Sleep Advantage Programme will include premium bedding, guaranteed wake- up calls and access to executive lounges. Meanwhile, the Holiday Inn Express


London next door will offer 457 guest rooms.


ACCORHOTELS LAUNCHES WHATSAPP GUEST SERVICE


ACCORHOTELS UK AND IRELAND has introduced a service for guests to contact hotel staff using messaging service Whatsapp. Instead of using their in-room phone to


contact reception or other hotel facilities, guests can send a Whatsapp message to a mobile phone number given to them with their room key card on arrival. Guests can use the app to order room


service (where available), housekeeping, or make a restaurant reservation. The service is now available at around 90


per cent of the properties that are run from a mobile operating system introduced last year. It will be rolled out at further hotels in the future.


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