New Hotels Opening In Budapest

In March 2016, a new hotel will open close to St Stephen’s Cathedral and the Hungarian State Opera House called the Hotel Moments Budapest. The hotel will consist of 99 bedrooms and a roof top private terrace with views of Budapest. There will also be conference space to fit up to 80 delegates and a Hungarian specialist restaurant.

Finally the Aria Hotel Budapest which had 49 bedrooms has opened its door in March. The hotel centralises on the concept of music with its four different wings of the hotel relating to different music genres such as jazz or opera.. All of the conference rooms are named after famous influences in music included James Brown and Bob Dylan. 


This year sees the opening of 3 new hotels in the Budapest, Hungary’s capital city:

Firstly, The Elizabeth Park Hotel centrally located in Budapest has undergone a new renovations and changed hands to now become a Ritz-Carlton property. Opening in Spring 2016 with 198 rooms, including luxury suites and various dining options.

In March 2016, a new hotel will open close to St Stephen’s Cathedral and the Hungarian State Opera House called the Hotel Moments Budapest. The hotel will consist of 99 bedrooms and a roof top private terrace with views of Budapest. There will also be conference space to fit up to 80 delegates and a Hungarian specialist restaurant.

Finally the Aria Hotel Budapest which had 49 bedrooms has opened its door in March. The hotel centralises on the concept of music with its four different wings of the hotel relating to different music genres such as jazz or opera.. All of the conference rooms are named after famous influences in music included James Brown and Bob Dylan. 


This year sees the opening of 3 new hotels in the Budapest, Hungary’s capital city:

Firstly, The Elizabeth Park Hotel centrally located in Budapest has undergone a new renovations and changed hands to now become a Ritz-Carlton property. Opening in Spring 2016 with 198 rooms, including luxury suites and various dining options.

In March 2016, a new hotel will open close to St Stephen’s Cathedral and the Hungarian State Opera House called the Hotel Moments Budapest. The hotel will consist of 99 bedrooms and a roof top private terrace with views of Budapest. There will also be conference space to fit up to 80 delegates and a Hungarian specialist restaurant.

Finally the Aria Hotel Budapest which had 49 bedrooms has opened its door in March. The hotel centralises on the concept of music with its four different wings of the hotel relating to different music genres such as jazz or opera.. All of the conference rooms are named after famous influences in music included James Brown and Bob Dylan. 


New Hotels opening in Budapest
New Hotels opening in Budapest

This year sees the opening of 3 new hotels in the Budapest, Hungary’s capital city:

Firstly, The Elizabeth Park Hotel centrally located in Budapest has undergone a new renovations and changed hands to now become a Ritz-Carlton property. Opening in Spring 2016 with 198 rooms, including luxury suites and various dining options.

In March 2016, a new hotel will open close to St Stephen’s Cathedral and the Hungarian State Opera House called the Hotel Moments Budapest. The hotel will consist of 99 bedrooms and a roof top private terrace with views of Budapest. There will also be conference space to fit up to 80 delegates and a Hungarian specialist restaurant.

Finally the Aria Hotel Budapest which had 49 bedrooms has opened its door in March. The hotel centralises on the concept of music with its four different wings of the hotel relating to different music genres such as jazz or opera.. All of the conference rooms are named after famous influences in music included James Brown and Bob Dylan. 


The Celtic Manor Resort And Coldra Court Hotel Update

 

The Coldra Court hotel, which is located a few minutes away from the Celtic Manor Resort has 148 bedrooms, taking Celtic manor’s bedroom count up to 600. As part of the £2m upgrade, the hotel will be updating its conference facilities. The hotel currently has nine conference and meeting rooms, all housed in the newly rebranded Springs Health Club. The Severn suite, the largest conference and meeting space, can seat up to 220 delegates for a dinner. Coldra court plans for the hotel to be 4 star in terms of facilities but run it with the 5 star service standards associated with the Celtic Manor Resort.

The Celtic Manor Resort, has recently opened its new Coldra Court Hotel, and plans to invest more than £2m in upgrades over the next three years. The Coldra Court Hotel has been trading as the Hilton Newport until contracts were officially exchanged on 31st March. They plan to complete a phased refurbishment of the bedrooms, and will also be introducing a new restaurant concept, and looking to update the conference and banqueting facilities in the near future.

 

The Coldra Court hotel, which is located a few minutes away from the Celtic Manor Resort has 148 bedrooms, taking Celtic manor’s bedroom count up to 600. As part of the £2m upgrade, the hotel will be updating its conference facilities. The hotel currently has nine conference and meeting rooms, all housed in the newly rebranded Springs Health Club. The Severn suite, the largest conference and meeting space, can seat up to 220 delegates for a dinner. Coldra court plans for the hotel to be 4 star in terms of facilities but run it with the 5 star service standards associated with the Celtic Manor Resort.

The Celtic Manor Resort and Coldra Court Hotel update
The Celtic Manor Resort and Coldra Court Hotel update

The Celtic Manor Resort, has recently opened its new Coldra Court Hotel, and plans to invest more than £2m in upgrades over the next three years. The Coldra Court Hotel has been trading as the Hilton Newport until contracts were officially exchanged on 31st March. They plan to complete a phased refurbishment of the bedrooms, and will also be introducing a new restaurant concept, and looking to update the conference and banqueting facilities in the near future.

 

The Coldra Court hotel, which is located a few minutes away from the Celtic Manor Resort has 148 bedrooms, taking Celtic manor’s bedroom count up to 600. As part of the £2m upgrade, the hotel will be updating its conference facilities. The hotel currently has nine conference and meeting rooms, all housed in the newly rebranded Springs Health Club. The Severn suite, the largest conference and meeting space, can seat up to 220 delegates for a dinner. Coldra court plans for the hotel to be 4 star in terms of facilities but run it with the 5 star service standards associated with the Celtic Manor Resort.

Vienna Congress Centre Achieves Green Accreditation

Vienna congress centre achieves green accreditation
Vienna congress centre achieves green accreditation


The Messe Wien Exhibition & Congress Center was recently awarded the official Austrian ecolabel for ‘Green Meetings’ and ‘Green Events’. Whereas previously the venue had taken responsibility for its own environmentally sustainable initiatives, such as drawing electricity from renewable energy sources, installing photovoltaic systems, 23 E-fuel stations in the car parks, waste avoidance and waste separation according to a comprehensive waste disposal plan, Messe Wien Exhibition & Congress Center is now officially empowered to license Green Meetings and Green Events on behalf of its customers.


The Green Award is an official scheme in Austria for M&E venues to provide accreditation and accountability for venues offering environmentally friendly meetings. The award helps solidify Austria’s leadership in the International events industry by ensuring that clients are confident in booking meetings that are green-friendly.


Travelling In Europe – Trends 2015/2016

Travelling in Europe - trends 2015/2016
Travelling in Europe – trends 2015/2016

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 Catch Up

Q-Hotels catch up
Q-Hotels catch up

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.


St David’S Hotel &Amp; Spa Scoops Two Awards

St David's Hotel & Spa scoops two awards
St David's Hotel & Spa scoops two awards

Cardiff’s five-star luxury hotel, The St David’s Hotel & Spa has been awarded not one but two awards for exceptional customer service: Visit Wales Gold award and the Best of +VIP Access.

Expedia has announced the property as one of its elite hotels of the world, whilst Visit Wales awarded it with a gold award for standards of quality, exceptional comfort and hospitality. 


New Arts, Business &Amp; Events Venue Village Point, Manchester

New arts, business & events venue Village Point, Manchester
New arts, business & events venue Village Point, Manchester
The renowned Manchester interior design agency ‘NoChintz’ have been appointed to create the look for the new £250k village point development, which is due to open in Heaton Moor in late spring 2016. 

The 19th century building’s, a former Conservative Club, interior restoration commenced in winter 2015 and NoChintz is set to start work on the interiors shortly.


NoChintz is to re-create and bring to life a series of show stopping space for Village Point, this will include The Ballroom, which will accommodate events for up to 200 people, The Lodge, which will host smaller events and The Hub which will provide dedicated working spaces for freelancers and small businesses.


Each space will have its own unique identity; The Ballroom will offer classic grandeur with a modern twist. The Lodge, which will host regular music nights for the public as well as private events and will have a more cutting edge look to it. The Hub has been designed with a New York feel to it, creating a sense of calm and privacy within an open plan working space. 


The finished design has been devised to work across a whole host of uses from weddings to parties, conferences to acoustic nights, but still feeling seamlessly part of the overall Village Point experience.


Nochintz’ To Create The Look For New Arts, Business And Events Venue Village Po

'NoChintz' to create the look for new arts, business and events venue Village Po
'NoChintz' to create the look for new arts, business and events venue Village Po
The renowned Manchester interior design agency ‘NoChintz’ have been appointed to create the look for the new £250k village point development, which is due to open in Heaton Moor in late spring 2016. 

The 19th century building’s, a former Conservative Club, interior restoration commenced in winter 2015 and NoChintz is set to start work on the interiors shortly.


NoChintz is to re-create and bring to life a series of show stopping space for Village Point, this will include The Ballroom, which will accommodate events for up to 200 people, The Lodge, which will host smaller events and The Hub which will provide dedicated working spaces for freelancers and small businesses.

Each space will have its own unique identity; The Ballroom will offer classic grandeur with a modern twist. The Lodge, which will host regular music nights for the public as well as private events and will have a more cutting edge look to it. The Hub has been designed with a New York feel to it, creating a sense of calm and privacy within an open plan working space. 


The finished design has been devised to work across a whole host of uses from weddings to parties, conferences to acoustic nights, but still feeling seamlessly part of the overall Village Point experience.


Vienna Hotel Changes Ownership

Vienna hotel changes ownership
Vienna hotel changes ownership

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has announced that it has closed on the sale of Hotel Imperial, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Vienna to Al Habtoor Investment – the investment arm of UAE conglomerate Al Habtoor Group for $78.8 million USD. As part of the transaction, all rooms and suites of the iconic hotel will be renovated over the next four years. Hotel Imperial will continue to operate as part of The Luxury Collection brand under a new long-term management agreement.


Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor, Founder and Chairman, Al Habtoor Group, said: “Hotel Imperial is one of Europe’s most extraordinary luxury hotels and a premium addition to our growing global portfolio. We look forward to making further improvements to this legendary property and continuing to provide exceptional luxury hospitality to the next generation of luxury travellers.”


Hotel Imperial is the fifth Starwood property in the Group’s portfolio of 14 world-class hotels, joining the newly opened The St Regis Dubai, as well as the upcoming W Dubai – Al Habtoor City, The Westin Dubai, Al Habtoor City and The St. Regis Dubai, Al Habtoor Polo Resort and Club.


Built in 1863 as Prince Philipp of Württemberg’s Viennese residence, Hotel Imperial was transformed into a hotel to accommodate visitors of the 1873 World’s Fair. Situated on the iconic Ringstrasse (Ring Boulevard) in the city’s centre, Hotel Imperial occupies a prime location at Kärntner Ring 16. The luxury hotel is next to the legendary Musikverein concert hall and a short walk from attractions such as the Vienna State Opera, Kunsthistorisches Museum and Secession Building.


The New Pullman Liverpool Hotel Has Opened

The new Pullman Liverpool Hotel has opened
The new Pullman Liverpool Hotel has opened

The 4 star Pullman Liverpool Hotel opened its doors on 5th February 2016, it is the first ever new build for Pullman in the UK, the launch marks a major milestone in the development of the brand within the UK market.


Situated at King’s Dock on Liverpool’s world-famous waterfront and adjoining ACC Liverpool, Pullman Liverpool has opened as one of the city’s most stylish hotels and the latest addition to the ACC Liverpool Campus, which is home to BT Convention Centre, Echo Arena and Exhibition Centre Liverpool.


Guests to the hotel can expect to discover the same high spec design and cosmopolitan vibe that is synonymous with the brand and our other flagship hotel, Pullman London St Pancras. From the striking glass-fronted façade through to the rooms and public areas, the hotel design reflects the rich marine influence of the city and its docks. The hotel has a total of 216 rooms, which include Superior, Deluxe, Executive and two Suites, all offer a range of up scale amenities.  


The hotel boasts three meeting rooms, a Connectivity Lounge, Fit Lounge with state-of-the-art fitness equipment, dedicated Executive floor with access to the exhibition centre and a sleek Executive Lounge.