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Ruby Hotels announces first UK property

Munich-based Ruby Hotels is set to open its first property in the UK in January 2020 with the launch of a hotel in London’s Southbank.

The new 76-room hotel, Ruby Lucy, forms part of the company’s plan to open 11 new properties – including a second in London, in Clerkenwell – by 2022.

Located within walking distance of Waterloo train station, the hotel will feature a “carnival” theme inspired by Southbank’s fairs, markets and theatre scene. It will offer a 24-hour bar, communal work station and a library.

A communal space will serve breakfast without the need for a kitchen or chef, and rather than in-room minibars and room service, the hotel will feature galley kitchens, vending machines and ironing stations.

Guest rooms at Ruby Lucy will range in size from ‘Nest’ rooms (14-15sqm) to ‘Loft’ rooms (21-23sqm) and will be equipped with Ruby Hotels’ signature soundproofing, blackout curtains, linen and extra-long and wide custom mattresses.

They will also feature a Marshall amp, which guests can use with their own guitar or one borrowed from hotel reception, as well as a personal tablet computer pre-loaded with Ruby Hotels’ curated London city guide and social media apps.

According to the company, its hotels offer what it calls ‘lean luxury’, with choice locations and high-quality fittings at affordable prices.

Michael Struck, founder and CEO of Ruby Hotels, commented: “This works because we accommodate luxury in a relatively condensed space, similar to luxury yachts, and we forego unnecessary services. Thanks to proprietary technical innovations, we plan, build and organise ourselves differently from conventional hotels. To be precise, we plan and build in a very modular way and centralise as well as [automate] processes behind the scenes wherever possible. This helps us create a luxurious and unique hotel experience at an affordable price.”

Ruby Hotels currently operates three properties in Vienna, one in Munich (pictured), two in Dusseldorf and one in Hamburg. The company plans to open new locations in Zurich, Helsinki, Cologne, Frankfurt and Shanghai by the end of 2020.

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2019 UK Hotel Development Opportunities

More than £1.1b was invested in UK hotel development projects in 2018, driven by increased investor confidence and an appetite for long term secure income.

That’s according to Knight Frank’s annual UK Hotel Development Opportunities 2019 report, which said that London attracted 60% of investment volumes. Supply is set to increase by 4.2% in 2019, constituting 38% of the total UK pipeline.

The UK hotel sector opened 15,500 new hotel rooms in 2018, marking a 2.4% increase in supply. The growth trend is expected to continue in 2019 with a further 19,300 rooms forecast to open this year, up 2.9%.

The reported also revealed a shift in the composition of new room supply. New build hotel room development made up the bulk of new supply in 2018.

But hotel conversion – which accounted for 34% of new bedroom stock – increased by 42% year-on-year as developers capitalised on increased vacancy rates from other asset classes considered suitable for hotel conversion.

For the full year 2019, the proportion of hotel of conversions is expected to be around 20% of new supply, while asset management programmes – such as hotel extensions and refurbishments – will constitute a further 17% of new supply.

The majority of construction projects are expected to continue focusing on new build hotel rooms, making up 63% of the new supply.

Budget hotels continue to dominate the market, with 7,500 new rooms expected to open by the end of 2019, up 5% year-on-year. But market share remains on a downward trend as the growing trend for lifestyle hotels continues to drive both branded and independent mid- and up-scale hotels.

The report forecasts that the budget sector’s market share of new hotel room supply will be 39% for the full year forecast 2019, down from 49% in 2016.

Shaun Roy, head of hotels at Knight Frank, said: “The hotel sector is undergoing robust levels of development activity, despite the continued uncertainty that Brexit brings. This is occurring both in London and the UK more generally and is particularly evident in those markets which have a diverse business mix, with a thriving leisure market such as Edinburgh, Birmingham and Brighton.

“There are clear opportunities for investors in the hotel sector nationwide at the development stage, which presents a long-term strategy providing a guaranteed stream of secure income.”

The Knight Frank UK Hotel Development Index named Edinburgh, London, Brighton, York and Birmingham as the UK’s top five most attractive cities for hotel investment and development.

The full report can be found here.

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HotStats: European hotel rates down 5 per cent in July

Mainland Europe hotels saw a 5 per cent decline in average room rate to €170.60 in July, according to data from HotStats.

Gross operating profit per available room (GOPPAR) was down by 9.4 per cent year on year. In addition to being the sixth month of year-on-year GOPPAR decrease in the region since the beginning of 2019, it was also one of the greatest months of profit decline this year.

“The drop in average room rate is disconcerting,” said Michael Grove, managing director, EMEA, at HotStats. “Especially since it’s the second consecutive month that rate has dropped year on year, after positive rate growth in the subsequent five months of the year and all of 2018.”

For hotels in Moscow, it was a case of hotel rates returning to normal levels after last year’s 2018 FIFA Men’s World Cup, as average room rate fell by €157.06 year on year to €92.86. However, hotels in the Russian capital did successfully record the highest room occupancy of the year so far, at 87.9 per cent.

In contrast to the regional falls in room rate, hotels in Nice saw a typical summer increase as room occupancy hit 90.2 per cent and a high was recorded in average room rate at €267.92.

Elsewhere in the world, hotel rates in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) fell to €119.19 with occupancy at 67 per cent. Hotels in Dubai were among those experiencing the biggest falls, with average rates seeing a 10.3 per cent decrease year-on-year.

“Profit decline in MENA has now become a trend rather than a blip,” said Grove. “With average room rate showing no sign of negative year-over-year letup, hoteliers will have to find cost-cutting measures to obtain positive GOPPAR increases in the interim.”

It was a different story across the pond, where hotels in the US saw a 0.9 per cent rise in average room rate to $201.51 and a 0.6 percentage point jump in occupancy to 81.1 per cent.

“Hotels in the US are bucking global profit trends, with only three months over the last 22 when GOPPAR turned negative,” said David Eisen, director of hotel intelligence, Americas, at HotStats. “Operators are doing an admirable job of making sure top-line gains result in bottom-line success, but they will need to continue to drive flow through in order to maintain and keep these gains afloat.”

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The Hilton Munich City completes refurbishment

Hilton Munich City is completing refurbishment of the public areas, guest rooms, fitness centre, bar, restaurant and meeting facilities which will transform this 4* hotel.

The location of this hotel is in the city centre, in 10-minutes walking distance of the major attractions. It is above the Rosenheimer Platz S-Bahn station with a lift to the Lobby, which has a direct connection to the airport, convention centre and main railway station. The airport transfer takes about 30 minutes (35km).

There are nine meeting rooms. The largest is the ballroom which has capacity for 300 in theatre-style with a large foyer and courtyard, as well as seven seven multi-purpose rooms and a boardroom. All meeting rooms are located on the ground floor.

The Hilton Munich City has 483 bedrooms and suites and there is an Executive Lounge with terrace. In addition, facilities include a 24-hour gym, the Juliet Rose Bar and Mona Restaurant.

This hotel was awarded Germany’s Leading City Hotel 2019 at the World Travel Awards Europe 2019.

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Ideas to make sure attendees get the most out of your events

We all know that planning is the key to a successful conference, meeting or event. So how do you plan to make sure delegates get the best out of your events?

The German Convention Bureau has identified five elements to improve the delegate experience. We explore them, here.

Get the most out of your events:

1. Networking

Research has shown that networking is an important reason for attending an event. Event organisers should plan enough time for everyone to have the opportunity to meet and introduce themselves.

There are plenty of things organisers can do to facilitate networking. There are matchmaking systems to connect people before the event has begun. At the event, icebreakers can start communication and get people familiar with each other. Or interactive displays will create a reaction and get people talking.

2. Sharing Knowledge and Information

Another top reason for attending an event is to have access to new and exciting information. For many events, attendee satisfaction depends on the quality of content. The content must deliver new knowledge, improve understanding, and attendees need to be able to use it when they are back in the office. The information must have the power to motivate them or change their behaviour.

Speakers must be able to discuss a topic thoroughly and be engaging so the audience listen and take in what they say. They must also be able to answer questions, so, they should be very knowledgeable in their chosen topic. Think about the formats of sessions. Can some be interactive, or can a session be delivered by attendees working in small groups?

3. Disruption

Events that surprise and create change can positively impact both individuals and organisations. First-hand experience is important, and to introduce something different can create a lasting memory and sense of community.

Event organisers should consider building in an element that ties in with their organisation’s CSR policy, such as a meditation session, an inspiring speaker, creating artwork or a team-building exercise. This element needs to have a purpose but it can introduce attendees to something unusual and change their mindset.

4. Technology

Everyone expects technology to be at the forefront of the event. While it’s nice to introduce some innovative elements, they must be meaningful. There are apps and software to facilitate interaction between attendees and speakers, and using technology to engage delegates will create more interaction. Elements such as live streaming, virtual reality, specialist apps, and so on can elevate an event to the next level.

Organisers should consider whether it would be possible to mix digital and real-life options for people to interact with each other, while remembering that different personality types (more or less introvert or extrovert) have different ways of communicating.

5. Satisfaction

The main overall aim is that the attendees are happy with the event. They will have had different reasons for being there, and if they leave having achieved their goal, they will be satisfied. If they have gone to learn something new, made new contacts, and met their goals, they will deem it a successful event and hopefully attend again.

There is many aspects to remember when organising an event which contribute to the overall success. However, the most important factor to consider is the clients’ and delegates’ satisfaction. If they are happy, it was a successful event!

Need help planning your next event? Try our very own Trinity Event Solutions

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Expoforum welcomes €700,000 subvention fund to support St Petersburg’s international growth

St Petersburg is doubling its subvention fund to 50 million Roubles (approximately €700,000) for 2019 as part of its ongoing strategy to attract major international congresses to the city.

Although the fund is available for use across all the city’s venues, it will have a significant, positive impact on Expoforum, which the city’s primary congress venue, capable of hosting up to 4,000 delegates in its main conference halls in addition to its 50,000m2 of indoor exhibition space.

The fund, which is controlled by St Petersburg Government and the St Petersburg Committee for Tourism Development will be available to socially oriented non-profit organisations, which are stimulating business tourism and events in St Petersburg.

Subvention support will be granted as part of a competitive process, which will reimburse up to 50% of the costs of an event (up to 10 million Roubles). Key criteria to achieve subvention support include:

  • Number of international participants
  • Event duration
  • Event dates
  • Potential for domestic and international media reach
  • Alignment of the event with the development priorities in the St Petersburg Strategy for Economic and Social Development

“Expoforum is growing its presence internationally, with a variety of major events confirmed over the coming five years,” comments Maria Tsedeviyn, International Development Director at Expoforum. “However, this comprehensive subvention strategy ensures we are competitive on the global stage. With upcoming enhancements to the city’s ambassador programme and plans to simplify the visa process we are looking forward to significant growth in events from a wide variety of sectors. Whilst the fund will benefit St Petersburg as a whole, the Expoforum team are particularly looking forward to the impact it will have on us in our position as the city’s primary venue for major events.”

Andrey Matsarin, Head of St Petersburg Convention Bureau adds: “St Petersburg has firmly established its presence in the global congress market. Our rich history and cultural offering blend perfectly with top universities, research centres and sector leading companies to make our city the perfect host for a wide variety of association events. Our accessibility is superb as is our ability to deliver major events – as demonstrated by our work around the FIFA World Cup and the St Petersburg International Economic Forum at Expoforum, which welcomes tens of thousands of delegates to the city each year.”

The subvention application process has also been simplified with support available from the Convention Bureau as well as local consultants to ensure associations maximise their chances of financial support.

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Hôtel du Louvre, Paris opened in June 2019

The newly renovated Hôtel du Louvre has recently opened and joined Hyatt’s Unbound Collection, alongside Great Scotland Yard in London, the Hotel Martinez, Cannes and the Hotel Sofia in Barcelona.

The hotel, which originally dates from 1855 has been redesigned in a traditional Parisian style, with inspiration from some famous previous guests such as Victor Hugo and Sigmund Freud.

It is located in the Palais-Royal district, close to the Palais Royal, Comédie-Française and Musée du Louvre. The distance from Gare du Nord (Eurostar terminal) is 3km and Charles de Gaulle Airport 28km.

Some of the 106 bedrooms and 58 suites have balconies with views over these buildings.

The hotel has eight meeting rooms, designed like studios, ranging in capacity from 110 in theatre-style and smaller. They are themed according to people who stayed at the hotel such as Toulouse Lautrec, Monet, Matisse, Degas and Cezanne.

The Brasserie du Louvre is a traditional French restaurant with a terrace overlooking the Place du Palais-Royal and the Louvre. L’Officine du Louvre Bar is situated under the hotel’s glass roof and serves herbal-based cocktails celebrating Napoleon III’s love of botany.

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Opening of the JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Shanghai Pudong

Marriott has opened the 5* JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Shanghai Pudong, it’s first Marquis branded hotel in China.

The hotel is located in a glass, 39-floor tower which has views over the city and Huangpu River. It is three miles from the World Expo Exhibition Centre, 13 miles from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport and 24 miles from Shanghai Pudong International Airport.

The hotel has meeting space for large events, with capacity in the main ballroom of 1,800 in theatre style. This pillarless room can be divided in to five smaller rooms. In total there are 16 meeting rooms, but the quantity can be increased by making them in to smaller sections. All the meeting space is located on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd floors and is equipped with the latest audio-visual equipment. One of the features of the meeting space is a culinary kitchen, with live cooking and demonstrations which can be incorporated in to an event.

The JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Shanghai Pudong has 515 bedrooms with views of the city or the river. They are equipped with amenities from from Dyson, Samsung, Nespresso, Bvlgari and Aroma Therapy Associates. There are six restaurants, a rooftop bar as well as private dining and karaoke. Leisure facilities include a spa, indoor infinity pool and fitness centre.

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Do you make it easy for attendees with sensory issues to attend your events?

Some disabilities are obvious and some not. When choosing a venue for a conference or meeting, we can check whether the building has wheelchair access to all meeting rooms, catering and social areas, has purpose-built accessible toilets, a hearing loop system and allows guide dogs.

But not all meeting attendees’ issues are obvious. People with sensory issues, such as to light and noise will find large events difficult because of the volume of people in the room, loud music and flashing lights when the keynote speaker arrives. This can include people with ADHD, autism, Downs syndrome, early-onset dementia and post-traumatic stress syndrome.

Here are some ideas that you can implement to help event attendees who might find the environment challenging:

  • Allocate a ‘quiet room’, so that anyone who needs some peace has a comfortable place to take a break away from the busy conference or exhibition environment.
  • Take some noise cancelling headphones that you can lend to attendees to help them cross loud areas, such as the exhibition floor or areas where lunch and breaks are being served.
  • Offer stress balls, that attendees can play with to keep their hands occupied and stop fidgeting.
  • Give non-verbal attendees a visual thermometer. It’s just a card they can use to ask for help and to indicate how they are feeling, if they are confused or lost.
  • Issue a slightly different lanyard to indicate to event staff attendees who may require sensory help, but don’t make it different enough to stand out from other attendees.
  • Provide some weighted lap pads to help attendees sit still during long presentations and speeches. This replicates deep-touch pressure therapy, which has a calming effect.

All these items can be cleaned with disinfectant and used at multiple events. Some venues are putting together a bag which includes the items above, or an organsier can put the tools together themselves and take them onsite.

The American organisation Kulturecity runs training courses for staff at venues to understand the problems and help organisers run events which include attendees who find it difficult to participate because of sensory challenges.

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The Drumsheds, a new blank canvass space in London

The Drumsheds is a new multi-purpose venue in London for large events. It opened in June 2019 and is most suitable to host product launches, large parties, automotive, music and cultural events or as a film set. The launch event was a 2-day music festival on 7-8 June.

The venue is a black canvass space of four huge, linked warehouses which have capacity for up to 10,000 people and there are 10 acres of outside space.

The site was previously a gasworks, which operated between the 1930s and 1970s and has not been used since then. The Drumsheds is located at Tottenham Marshes and the closest station is Meridian Water which is on the Lea Valley line and has trains from Liverpool Street and Stratford stations.