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HOSPITALITY
Rafiya Sherin Continued from Page 47
There are so few places to go and have a late night, whereas in New York its 2am and the place is still bouncing.
MR: One client has about 1,100 bookings a week. That’s dropped by 25 per cent but they’re still doing the same business. They’re getting loads more walk-ins.
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JM: Another challenge is consumer spending. We do a lot of business in the Lakes and there seems to be a fixation on gross profit percentage, which is profitability as a percentage of revenue, not the cash margin, which is the percentage of total sales after cost of goods sold.
Q: What strategies are working for you and the wider sector?
RS: When I started our marketing was just a website. We didn’t have an Instagram, Facebook account or any of the platforms you see now.
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We’ve rebranded and our whole idea was to make Park Hall a destination for celebration, relaxation and memorable experiences.
Our strategy is inclusivity and technology. We were the first UK hotel to have an AI concierge system that helped us upsell.
If you are in a room and you want a drink, our AI will ask, ‘do you fancy a cupcake too?’
We’ve repositioned as an inclusive multicultural wedding destination that includes same sex weddings and that has boosted the venue. Our turnover from 2024 to 2025 has doubled.
MI: In the current economic climate, it is the middle market pub that tends to feel the impact.
Malcolm Ireland
Janette McLaughlin Venues that offer competitive socialising,
things like crazy golf, axe-throwing and darts are doing very well
Venues that offer competitive socialising, things like crazy golf, axe-throwing and darts are doing very well.
It all goes back to trends are changing, this is what people are looking for when they go out. There’s got to be something to bring people in.
JM: People that have clear messaging and are setting out their stall find that works.
They’re not making their offering too complicated. It’s about consistency and offering value. People will pay if they feel they are getting a great experience.
They are delivering that consistency of product and offering value, adding value and not looking at the money.
JN: We have pubs in a lot of destinations. We’ve only got two sites in villages or market towns, so we appeal to a broader audience.
We now message much more clearly about the range of drinks we have at the bar. We aim to appeal to more people to come in and have a drink that feels value for money.
MR: The businesses that are doing really well have a clear identity and a strategy to communicate it to their target market.
JM: We talk about the Gen Zs, they are looking for an experience. They want something they can take a photograph of and share it.
It’s a challenge for us because how ‘sexy’ is a bottle of wine or a glass of wine and how can you make that more interesting.
Q: How can the sector further raise its game and what help does it need?
RE: We need help to deliver the message ‘Come to the North West, choose local’ – whether that is in Lancashire or Cumbria. In terms of what we can do, it’s that local support.
JM: People need to work together, not against each other. To me they are all doing the same job.
JN: The biggest thing that can help our industry is the Budget in November. The government has got to reset the position when it comes to employers’ national insurance contributions.
If they reset and reduce that, that would make the world of difference to hospitality. They also need to lower business rates.
MI: It is a very collaborative sector. In hospitality and brewing people talk to each other and help each other. The government needs to do something to address the damage it has caused.
MR: Hospitality is the third largest sector in the UK with 3.5 million people. It is just about asking for some fairness for the industry.
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