Jumeirah Beach Hotel is to re-open on October 19th following a five-month transformation programme.
Guests will return to discover a reimagined luxury experience created for the modern family and discerning traveller.
The tasteful yet bold refurbishment was skilfully crafted to ensure no interference with the heart of the hotel, and mindful not to erase any of the warmth or personal touches synonymous with the Jumeirah Beach Hotel.
The new Jumeirah Beach Hotel returns with a more contemporary ambiance and a host of new dining experiences, retaining its family friendly focus and redesigned rooms and suites for a more engaging, comfortable and yet pampering stay, all underpinned by Jumeirah’s award winning, thoughtful and generous service.
The Jumeirah Beach Hotel has welcomed more than one million guests since it opened in 1997.
The hotel, which has evolved from a classic beach resort to a contemporary five-star family destination, retains its spirit of timeless fun, yet offers an elevated experience of relaxed luxury.
One of Madrid's oldest hotels has undergone a modern makeover
Some 130 years after first opening its doors, the Madrid’s Gran Hotel Inglés has undergone a modern transformation and is now being reimagined as a sophisticated boutique hotel. Gran Hotel Inglés opened in 1886 and was Madrid’s first luxury hotel. This year the Gran Hotel Inglés reopened as a new member of Leading Hotels of the World, following a US$20 million makeover by the Rockwell Group, whose portfolio includes the New York Edition, the Ritz-Carlton in Boston and the W in Paris and Singapore. Rockwell drew inspiration from the hotel’s golden years of the 1920s with his remodelling process and the hotel is an ode to Art Deco style in shades of burnt orange, teal and silver. The lobby’s 20 foot-high ceiling glows with chandeliers, and vintage postcards of Madrid, which were discovered during the renovation, are on display in glass cases. To allow for more spacious accommodation, the number of rooms has been reduced from 72 to 48 (43 rooms and five suites). The hotel stakes a prime spot on Echegaray Street in Barrio de las Letras (Madrid’s literary quarter). It’s just across the street from La Venencia, reportedly Hemingway’s favourite sherry bar in the city, and is just a five-minute walk from Puerta del Sol – one of Madrid’s liveliest public squares.
The Meetings Industry Association (mia) recently kicked off its campaign encouraging the business meetings and events industry to use less single-use plastic, with a roundtable discussion.
Key discussions from the debate, which is being championed by mia chair Kay England, included engaging government, metrics and benchmarking, addressing cost issues, sharing best practice and working collaboratively with other sustainability leaders.
The roundtable was the industry’s first debate focusing on the issues and opportunities facing the sector. It aims to reach caterers, hotels, venues and suppliers in the business meetings and events industry across the UK.
Industry panellists shared ways they were operating more sustainably. Ivor Turner, general manager at The Lensbury, described how sales dropped by 50 per cent when they initially removed plastic bottles from their vending machines – until they educated guests.
He said: “People aren’t as green as they make out to be. People have habits and having the tin didn’t register. As soon as we put the reason up, the sales went back up.”
The discussion turned to the importance of agreed and set metrics for measuring sustainability, as well as introducing official accreditation for venues and suppliers.
Jane Longhurst, chief executive of the mia, commented: “Demonstrating the impact and your savings is what I think the mia needs to take responsibility for. Helping people with a template or something that says ’this is how you measure it, this is how you take it to your client and this is your saving’ will be key, because you’ve got to sell it to the accountant as well.”
After the debate, mia chair Kay England, said: “It was fantastic to have some of the leading minds in the industry and sustainability sharing their passion, expertise and ideas on turning the tide on single-use plastic during our initial roundtable.
“Their commitment and enthusiasm has helped further fuel the mia’s desire to effect positive change. We are now finalising the framework of the campaign and compiling a whitepaper.”
Can Brooklands Hotel add something unique to your meeting?
Named after the world’s first purpose build race track where the hotel is based, the Brooklands hotel takes great inspiration from its racetrack history. There are 131 bedrooms and suites, some of which have views over the Mercedes Benz race track.
The hotel offers 9 meeting spaces which can be accessed via a private entrance complete with a dedicated kitchen and bar. The meeting rooms are all kitted out with state-of-the-art AV equipment and have plenty of natural daylight. Many of the spaces offer views over the race track.
For those looking for a dining experience the 1907 restaurant (named after the year the Brooklands racetrack opened) offers contemporary service with a 1920s and 30s inspired setting.
Being next door to Mercedes-Benz world, there are plenty of options for team building activities, from off-road 4×4 driving to racing simulators. The Brooklands hotel itself can also offer plenty of team building options on site including wine tasting and murder mystery nights.
Istanbul New Airport, on shores of the Black Sea, will serve 90 million passengers annually in its first phase. At its completion in 10 years, it will occupy nearly 19,000 acres and serve up to 200 million travellers a year with six runways. That’s almost double the traffic at world’s biggest airport currently, Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson. The airport’s interiors nod to Turkish and Islamic designs, and its tulip-shaped air traffic control tower won the 2016 International Architecture Award. It also uses mobile applications and artificial intelligence for customers, is energy efficient and boasts a high-tech security system.
All aviation operations will move there at the end of December when Istanbul’s main international airport, named after Turkey’s founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, is closed down. Ataturk Airport now handles 64 million people a year. On the Asian side of the city, Sabiha Gokcen Airport handled 31 million passengers last year. It will remain open.
Tens of thousands of workers have been scrambling to finish the airport to meet Erdogan’s Oct. 29 deadline. Protests in September over poor working conditions and dozens of construction deaths have highlighted the human cost of the project.
Istanbul New Airport, on shores of the Black Sea, will serve 90 million passengers annually in its first phase. At its completion in 10 years, it will occupy nearly 19,000 acres and serve up to 200 million travellers a year with six runways. That’s almost double the traffic at world’s biggest airport currently, Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson. The airport’s interiors nod to Turkish and Islamic designs, and its tulip-shaped air traffic control tower won the 2016 International Architecture Award. It also uses mobile applications and artificial intelligence for customers, is energy efficient and boasts a high-tech security system.
All aviation operations will move there at the end of December when Istanbul’s main international airport, named after Turkey’s founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, is closed down. Ataturk Airport now handles 64 million people a year. On the Asian side of the city, Sabiha Gokcen Airport handled 31 million passengers last year. It will remain open.
President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan has unveiled Istanbul New Airport, a mega project that may eventually become the world’s largest air-transport hub on the 95th anniversary of Turkey’s establishment as a republic. It’s a symbolic launch, as only limited flights will begin days later and a full schedule of service won’t take place until the end of the year.
Tens of thousands of workers have been scrambling to finish the airport to meet Erdogan’s Oct. 29 deadline. Protests in September over poor working conditions and dozens of construction deaths have highlighted the human cost of the project.
Istanbul New Airport, on shores of the Black Sea, will serve 90 million passengers annually in its first phase. At its completion in 10 years, it will occupy nearly 19,000 acres and serve up to 200 million travellers a year with six runways. That’s almost double the traffic at world’s biggest airport currently, Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson. The airport’s interiors nod to Turkish and Islamic designs, and its tulip-shaped air traffic control tower won the 2016 International Architecture Award. It also uses mobile applications and artificial intelligence for customers, is energy efficient and boasts a high-tech security system.
All aviation operations will move there at the end of December when Istanbul’s main international airport, named after Turkey’s founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, is closed down. Ataturk Airport now handles 64 million people a year. On the Asian side of the city, Sabiha Gokcen Airport handled 31 million passengers last year. It will remain open.
Istanbul opens huge new airport
President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan has unveiled Istanbul New Airport, a mega project that may eventually become the world’s largest air-transport hub on the 95th anniversary of Turkey’s establishment as a republic. It’s a symbolic launch, as only limited flights will begin days later and a full schedule of service won’t take place until the end of the year.
Tens of thousands of workers have been scrambling to finish the airport to meet Erdogan’s Oct. 29 deadline. Protests in September over poor working conditions and dozens of construction deaths have highlighted the human cost of the project.
Istanbul New Airport, on shores of the Black Sea, will serve 90 million passengers annually in its first phase. At its completion in 10 years, it will occupy nearly 19,000 acres and serve up to 200 million travellers a year with six runways. That’s almost double the traffic at world’s biggest airport currently, Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson. The airport’s interiors nod to Turkish and Islamic designs, and its tulip-shaped air traffic control tower won the 2016 International Architecture Award. It also uses mobile applications and artificial intelligence for customers, is energy efficient and boasts a high-tech security system.
All aviation operations will move there at the end of December when Istanbul’s main international airport, named after Turkey’s founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, is closed down. Ataturk Airport now handles 64 million people a year. On the Asian side of the city, Sabiha Gokcen Airport handled 31 million passengers last year. It will remain open.
The Sofia joins other recent additions to the Unbound Collection by Hyatt, including the newly opened Nish Palas in Istanbul and the iconic Hotel Martinez in Cannes, France. Additional properties expected to open and join the collection in the near future include the Great Scotland Yard Hotel in London, the Párisi Udvar Hotel in Budapest and the Hôtel du Louvre, signalling significant growth for the brand across the region.
The Hotel Sofia in Barcelona, Spain, will join the Unbound Collection by Hyatt, a global portfolio of independent properties. Owned and managed by the Selenta Group, the 465-room hotel became Barcelona’s first five-star property upon opening in 1975. As announced on Monday, a Hyatt affiliate has entered into a franchise agreement with Selenta to allow the Sofia to become a member of the collection. The hotel was named for Princess Sofia of Greece and Denmark, wife to Spain’s former King Juan Carlos I, and served as her home when she visited Barcelona. It is in an upscale neighbourhood on Avenida Diagonal, one of the main thoroughfares in the heart of town, near Camp Nou stadium. On-site are five restaurants, an elegant Mediterranean-inspired spa, a tropical garden pool and a state-of-the-art fitness centre.
The Sofia joins other recent additions to the Unbound Collection by Hyatt, including the newly opened Nish Palas in Istanbul and the iconic Hotel Martinez in Cannes, France. Additional properties expected to open and join the collection in the near future include the Great Scotland Yard Hotel in London, the Párisi Udvar Hotel in Budapest and the Hôtel du Louvre, signalling significant growth for the brand across the region.
Unbound Collection by Hyatt grows with Barcelona’s Hotel Sofia
The Hotel Sofia in Barcelona, Spain, will join the Unbound Collection by Hyatt, a global portfolio of independent properties. Owned and managed by the Selenta Group, the 465-room hotel became Barcelona’s first five-star property upon opening in 1975. As announced on Monday, a Hyatt affiliate has entered into a franchise agreement with Selenta to allow the Sofia to become a member of the collection. The hotel was named for Princess Sofia of Greece and Denmark, wife to Spain’s former King Juan Carlos I, and served as her home when she visited Barcelona. It is in an upscale neighbourhood on Avenida Diagonal, one of the main thoroughfares in the heart of town, near Camp Nou stadium. On-site are five restaurants, an elegant Mediterranean-inspired spa, a tropical garden pool and a state-of-the-art fitness centre.
The Sofia joins other recent additions to the Unbound Collection by Hyatt, including the newly opened Nish Palas in Istanbul and the iconic Hotel Martinez in Cannes, France. Additional properties expected to open and join the collection in the near future include the Great Scotland Yard Hotel in London, the Párisi Udvar Hotel in Budapest and the Hôtel du Louvre, signalling significant growth for the brand across the region.
A new multi-million pound event space called Magazine London is set to open in summer 2019.
Construction of the venue is due to start in December and is located in the heart of Greenwich Peninsula on the riverbank with views of Canary Wharf and have capacity for 3,000 people.
The venue’s indoor space, will have an adjoining ‘Showground’ – a landscaped environment on the banks of the Thames with a capacity of 7,000 and catering will be supplied by the award-winning Moving Venue. Due to its location Magazine London, will benefit from excellent transport links and is only eight minutes travel time from central London.
Tewkesbury Park completes final phase of £10m redevelopment
A new restaurant has been unveiled at Tewkesbury Park, marking the final piece in the puzzle of a £10m, four-year redevelopment at the hotel on the edge of the Cotswolds.
Mint is the new destination restaurant at the family-run hotel which has recently completed an extensive four-year renovation costing nearly £10m, with the addition of nine suites, two new spa rooms, two meeting rooms, an orangery, a cocktail lounge and the Cotswolds suite, an events suite – complete with a wood-fired pizza oven and terrace.
All other communal areas and leisure facilities have also been completely refurbished.
We’ve recently visited The Good Hotel – a floating hotel, situated on a fixed mooring close to the London ExCel Centre and London City Airport. Here’s an insight from Alex Jarvis into the hotel and what you can expect following his latest site inspection…
Floating Hotel location
The hotel is a short walk from Royal Victoria DLR, and is also a very short walk from the Emirates cable car over the Thames to the Millennium Dome if you fancy a different mode of transport for the day.
Situated on a lovely site on the former docks with views of the surrounding areas, which lends a charming peaceful atmosphere to the place.
Floating Hotel offerings
The hotel opens onto a large open lobby, with informal seating merging into a bar, lounge and restaurant. The Good Hotel’s meeting rooms are located off a corridor on the same floor, with four meeting rooms available and are all decorated in quite a minimalistic way. All meeting rooms have views across the water, and are small to medium-sized.
The hotel also offers a rooftop bar which can either be completely privatised, or partially privatised. There’s fantastic views across the water and the nearby developments. There is also direct access to avoid entering through the hotel should you wish.
I thought the location and nature of the hotel (being a floating hotel) are two great draws for the property. Albeit it was a lovely sunny day when I visited, but the area around the hotel was nice and pleasant. The large docks and the Thames nearby created a charming scene. I thought the hotel could work well for London-based companies perhaps looking for a change of scene whilst still being within close reach of Zone 1 & 2.
The Good Hotel also has a key focus on CSR (the origin of the hotel’s name). A great drawing point for some customers.
The ongoing growth of the Event Management Apprenticeship programme marks a new milestone with the launch of its new web portal. At the same time a new name is applied to the programme, now known as Get into Events, and can be seen here www.getintoevents.org.uk.
This hub of information will be further developed in the coming months, providing a central resource of information for employers, apprentices, and industry stakeholders.
The launch of the website also marks the establishment of an industry Community Interest Company that will own and develop the apprenticeship programme in partnership with industry. Sarah Wright, Director of the company and a founder of the Event Management Apprenticeship Programme said “we have massive ambition for the development of this apprenticeship programme, setting a new training route for our industry, and providing access to a new pipeline of industry talent”.
Currently over 80 apprentices are employed and enrolled in the Government’s Trailblazer Event Assistant Apprentice Standard. Mark Riches, Chair of the Event Management Apprenticeship Programme said “We have achieved our first goal of having more than 50 event management apprentices within the first 18-months of launching the scheme, but we want more than 200 within the first three years. Additionally we need more industry involved in shaping this programme, particularly as we develop the higher apprenticeship standards”. The current standard is a Level 3 apprenticeship, but the scheme’s ambition is to develop levels through to 6 and 7, which are equivalent to foundation degrees (full bachelor’s and master’s).
The new industry body that launches this week is a community interest company, designated as a not for profit, and will hold its first meeting at the InterContinental Hotel on Park Lane on Thursday 8th November. The meeting is open to all industry stakeholders and invitations to become Board Members are on the Get into Events website. Simon Hughes, Vice Chair of industry body BVEP, is a founding Director of the new body and says “there is a lot of interest by industry in developing the apprentice training route, hence establishing this independent company to own this scheme and drive it’s growth. Now is the opportunity for industry to become involved and help shape this programme, either by attending our meetings, or by joining the Board.”
For further information please contact:
Mark Riches, Chair, Event Management Apprenticeship Board: mark.riches@firstagency.com and 07976 269 210
Sarah Wright, Employer Engagement Director, Event Management Apprenticeship Board: EMAP@wright-hq.com and 07921 865 534
Simon Hughes, Stakeholder and Sponsorship Director , Event Management Apprenticeship Board: simon@mchassociates.com and 07730 064 222
