The Montague on the Gardens has just announced the pop-up Beach Bar, for the summer only. Located in Bloomsbury, close to the British Museum and Russell Square, the hotel’s new attraction offers real sand, real palm trees, fresh coconut and pineapple cocktails, as well as a delicious barbecue. The Beach Bar is open throughout June and July 2016 for private parties from 40 to 150 guests. The bar has previously been decorated as a Ski Lodge and Christmas Wonderland during previous winters, and takes advantage of the hotel’s garden at the back of the property.
International visits to the UK hit record numbers in January, according to latest figures from the Office for National Statistics. The statistics, show 2.5 million international visits to the UK in the first month of the year, up 6% on January 2015, with visitors spending £1.28bn.
2015 set a record for inbound tourism with 35.8 million visits to Britain, 4% up on 2014. Since 2010 international visits to Britain have risen by 20%, with 6 million more visits in 2015 than 2010.
However this may be set to change in 2016 following the bombings in Brussels last week. On Wednesday 23 March, VisitBritain overseas staff were asked to feedback on local coverage. In summary, they found:
Consumers in European / short-haul markets are the most anxious about travel with Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France, Belgium, Italy and the Netherlands affected along with the USA.
A portion of the US market have crossed Europe off their list for 2016 after the Brussels and Paris attacks. The attacks are just one of many factors impacting travel demand from the US this year (election, stock market, appeal of non-European destinations).
Rural destinations outside of London are seen as safe and not affected by terrorist incidents, with feedback that bookings for Scotland are up already this year. Overall negative impact on London is increasing.
Tourism is Britain’s seventh largest export industry and third largest service sector with inbound tourism worth more than £26bn to the UK economy.
Q-Hotels came in to see us this week and had some exciting things to tell us;
Crewe Hall scoops Gold in National Tourism Awards
Crewe Hall in Cheshire is celebrating after being recognised as the best venue in the country for business tourism at the 2016 Visit England Awards for Excellence.
Crewe Hall in Cheshire is celebrating after being recognised as the best venue in the country for business tourism at the 2016 Visit England Awards for Excellence.
Crewe Hall, one of QHotels’ 26 four-star hotels across the UK, was the only venue to be presented with a Business Tourism Gold Award, highlighting the strength of the hotel’s corporate offering as a destination for conference and events in the UK.
Crewe Hall beat off tough competition from venues across the country in the awards, which recognise businesses that champion best practice, demonstrate excellence in customer service and celebrate the very best in quality and innovation.
Set in eight acres of parkland in the Cheshire countryside, Crewe Hall combines historic charm with modern facilities to offer a state-of-the-art conference and events centre.
Mart Louwerse, General Manager at Crewe Hall, said: “We are overjoyed to win the Gold Award, as it represents the highest standard of business tourism in the country.
“The team here at Crewe Hall thoroughly deserve this award for all their hard work, delivering memorable customer service that encourages our business guests to return time and time again.
“The QHotels approach really sets us apart from other hotel groups, as we continue to enhance our offering based on the feedback we receive from our guests, and this award is further evidence of this.”
Wi-Fi investment across the group.
QHotels will invest £2.2m in upgrading Wi-Fi access and bandwidth across the group’s 26 hotels. The group says guests will receive a faster, more reliable connection after the upgrade works, which will include:
500 simultaneous connections to be available at each internet access point
Each hotel’s free Wi-Fi offering will increase from a shared 8Mbps to 90Mbps
Dedicated bandwidth capacity for conferences and events will increase from 90Mbps to 900Mbps
And, in a move the group says recognises customer’s expectation to always have easy access, the hotels’ health clubs, spas and restaurants will all feature their own access points, ensuring that connectivity is reliable through the entire hotel spaces.
The Wi-Fi upgrade starts across the group this spring and is due to be completed by August 2016.
Visitors to Lisbon this year will have the opportunity to see the city from a stunning new perspective when the Amoreiras Towers building opens its rooftop Amoreiras 360 attraction to visitors. Also, Lisbon’s landmark 25 de Abril Bridge, which has it’s 50th birthday this year, has announced plans to open a scenic viewing platform 70 meters up accessible via a new elevator (opening date TBC).
New venue options include a museum celebrating the Age of Discovery, set to open this summer in a replica of an historic ship on the waterfront, and the waterside Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology (MAAT) in Belém district, which welcomes its first exhibition in September. More waterborne options await during the arrival of this year’s Tall Ships Race (July 22-25).
Other new attractions in the city include Sintra Mitos e Lendas. This interpretative exhibition in the Tourist Office at 23 Praça da República, opening July 31, will guide visitors through the fascinating world of Sintra’s myths and legends using everything from holograms to multisensory 4D exhibits.
Madrid, the capital city of Spain, is a cosmopolitan metropolis where you will find urban and traditional cultures are mixed throughout the many streets. Landlocked in the Iberian peninsula, this destination offers many reasons to visit beyond museums, the Royal Palace and the Real Madrid football club stadium. Madrid exceeds expectations and offers a large variety of restaurants in which to sample the authentic Spanish gastronomy, which makes this city so attractive.
TOP REASONS TO VISIT MADRID
Good connections with International Direct Flights.
Competitive pricing on accommodation, restaurants and meeting facilities.
Excellent cuisine.
Rich, cultural and artistic heritage.
Possibility to combine with other key cities of Spain.
One of the best cities in Europe for shopping.
Named the 3rd most visited city for congress by ICCA
Pendley Manor Hotel, the perfect choice for out of the city meetings.
Pendley Manor Hotel is set in 35 acres of landscaped and wooded parkland in the picturesque Hertfordshire town of Tring, being just over an hour from Central London, it is great for London business coming into the Hertfordshire countryside for the day! Pendley Manor combines a wonderful countryside location with modern and flexible facilities making it a great choice for events. The hotel offers complimentary parking and Wi-Fi throughout, and a 4 acre meadow is also available for team building activities. The hotel has 72 guest bedrooms consisting of executive rooms, suites and family rooms, these are all due to have a full refurbishment commencing in the spring.
The New Occidental Praha Wilson – The first Occidental Hotel in Europe
The new Occidental Praha Wilson is a newly refurbished, boutique 5* hotel in the very heart of Prague. It is also just a short walk from the famous Metro Museum and the Central Train Station and with 53 luxury, Art Deco style bedrooms this is perfect for high end incentives and groups. There is no meeting space at the hotel currently.
Occidental Hotels & Resorts is now part of the Barcelo Family and the Occidental Praha Wilson will be the first of many to launch in Europe in the coming years.
Hilton Cardiff is located in the heart of the city and has great transport links to the hotel – just a 30 minute from the cities international airport and a 5 minute drive from the railway station .
The hotel has seven meeting rooms, four of these are found on a dedicated floor. The stunning ballroom can accommodate up to 350 guests. The rooms come with great presentation facilities including WIFI, Executive Lounge, audio/ visual equipment for rental and much more.
The hotel has 197 bedrooms which are fully air conditioned and are fitted with walk-in showers, the venue also offers great fitness and recreational facilities including a fitness room, swimming pool, steam room, sauna and beauty treatment rooms.
The Old Swan and Minster Mill – A Country Retreat for your event
The Old Swan and Minster Hill is a unique, quirky and luxurious privately owned de Savary property, adjacent to a mill run on the River Windrush in the Cotswold village of Minster Lovell. This country retreat is set in 65 acres of land, with great potential for outside corporate events & country pursuits. the venue has three main function rooms, The Malthouse, The Barn and The Oak Room and all are fully equipped. The Malthouse also offers the perfect area for drinks receptions with a patio terrace overlooking the River Windrush.
2016 will see a new £5 million Luxury Spa open in the in Summer and newly fully refurbished bedrooms and luxury riverside suites are due to be completed later in the year. The Old Swan now has a Michelin starred chef now on board, Adam Simmonds, who was a finalist from The Great British Menu.
The Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh – The Caledonia has launched a new corporate event space, Peacock Alley.
The hotel, built in 1903 has 241 bedrooms and eight meeting rooms; Peacock Alley is now available for a range of events, taking the venues capacity for corporate dinners from 190 to 300 and can hold up to 400 people for a reception. The space is available from Monday to Thursdays channelling the glamour and prestige of the Old Caledonian. The Peacock alley was originally a station concourse and ticket office of the Caledonian railway and still retains its historic features such as the historic Caledonian station clock above the restaurant.
