Tag: London

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Edwardian Hotels vision for a sustainable future

Edwardian Hotels have let us know how they promote and achieve sustainability at their hotels in London and their vision for the future.

It’s not an easy task, but they continuously review and evolve their practices, partnerships and behaviour with the aim of creating a better future. It’s also in the best interest of guests, conference delegates and staff. As a result, in 2018, all Edwardian Hotels London properties were certified Gold Standard by Green Tourism Award.

Their four key initiatives look at:

  • Reduction in the use of energy
  • Minimise the carbon footprint
  • Decrease the use of water
  • Lessen food wastage

Carbon Emissions

Edwardian Hotels’ targets in this area are:

  • Between 2009 and 2016 the group reduced carbon emissions by 26.7%, against a target of 20%
  • Between 2016 and 2018 that figure increased to 30.7%, an increase of 4%
  • The company has a partnership with Tesla, promoting electric cars. Electric charging points have been installed at the Heathrow and New Providence Wharf properties, offering complimentary charging to guests

Reducing Single-Use

  • Edwardian Hotels London was one of the first hotel groups to introduce refillable shampoo, conditioner and soap in bedrooms, public and staff areas to reduce single use plastic
  • They are looking at alternative products and packaging to reduce plastic further
  • Most items in the event areas are re-usable and any items which can be recycled are done so automatically
  • Any polystyrene is sent to recycling and used to create insulation

In the wake of COVID-19, products are being reviewed to ensure they are hygienic as well as environmentally friendly wherever possible.

Reducing Waste

  • General waste has been reduced by 20% compared with 2016 and each property is aiming to reduce water use by 4% against 2018 consumption
  • The target set by the Mayor of London is to recycle 75% by 2025 and card, paper, cans, plastic bottles, glass and mixed plastics are recycled. Food waste is collected separately
  • Edwardian Hotels use Globechain, a marketplace for unneeded items.
  • The group uses GSC certified paper

Food and Beverage

  • Produce and food waste is constantly reviewed
  • Local products are used where possible
  • Coffee beans are collected and Nespresso machine pods are recycled
  • Meetings, conferences and events
  • Delegates are encouraged to use public transport
  • Items in the meeting rooms are re-usable or recyclable
  • Menus use locally sourced ingredients where possible

Charities

Cancer Research UK is the group’s corporate charity. In addition, the bars and restaurants support Springboard and each hotel has local charity partnerships.

The Londoner

  • When this hotel opens in Leicester Square, it will have achieved:
  • 30% less carbon usage that the regulations demand
  • CHP and LED lighting
  • A £175m Green Loan from HSBC. This is the first loan in this sector to encourage and facilitate environmentally friendly activity
  • ‘Excellent’ Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method rating, to sent high standards for the procurement, design, construction and operation of new developments
  • And it will have a liquid film that reduces evaporation and energy loss from the swimming pool

For more information about the individual Edwardian Hotels, search on www.edgevenues.com.

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BMA House continues to develop hybrid and digital offering

As part of ongoing investment in the services most needed by clients, BMA House’s expert technicians have created a range of hybrid and digital event packages that reflect ongoing changes in the corporate and association meeting industry. These upgrades will ensure BMA House’s place as a leading London hybrid venue.

BMA’s flagship space, the Great Hall, is currently undergoing refurbishment that includes a fully equipped Hybrid Virtual Studio. A bespoke, custom-build to fit the Great Hall, the Studio is one of a kind and includes a prominent 20×10 green screen, 4 x PTZ HD camera set-up, streaming PC, VMix 4k Pro Software, relay monitors and professional lighting.

Including options for webcasting, breakouts, speaker only conferences and exhibitor/sponsor packages, the offering reflects both the challenges presented by COVID-19 and the future needs of event organisers.

Highlights from the packages include:

  • Webcasting – fully branded live streaming platform with up to 2,000 viewing hours of content. Created using professional cameras and sound suite managed by two technicians.
  • Fully Equipped TV Studio Layout including – Interview/chat style set up, sales or product launches, conferences/meetings, AGM’s etc. All with the ability to bring in remote guests to feature in the event.
  • Fully Virtual – Including a fully brandable Teams/Teams live solution and GotoWebinar platform
  • Dedicated technical support – taking the pressure off event organisers to ensure a smooth-running hybrid event from start to finish.
  • Breakout sessions – available direct from main sessions or via bespoke joining links. Full presentation setup with Q&A and interaction for up to 250 delegates.
  • Exhibitor and Sponsor spotlights – interactive demonstrations, virtual pitches and scheduled Q&A sessions. Run live or created in advance by professional film and edit teams.
  • Fully digital meetings – facilitated by BMA’s technical experts and capable of hosting virtual events for up to 2,000, this option takes away the hassle and challenges of running a digital event, allowing organisers to focus on the content.

Home to the British Medical Association since 1925, the sustainable venue boasts 22 unique and versatile spaces for up to 320 (without social distancing), including 11 purpose-built meeting rooms, all fitted with cutting edge AV technology.

Sustainability is a way of life for the team at BMA House, adopting green initiatives is essential, not only for the venue but also for clients, suppliers and events. As part of an ongoing drive to ensure event spaces provide top of the range technology, BMA House will also guarantee this is carried out in the most sustainable way, keeping a delegate’s carbon footprint as low as possible. In essence, BMA House is delivering the perfect balance between sustainability and technology.

Digital and hybrid solutions offer a new take on the concept of sustainable events. Digital only events have a far lower impact on the world as travel decreases. In addition, hybrid events allow event planners to market to a wider audience, bringing in more people both domestically and internationally for (relatively) little cost, helping to increase attendee numbers on the day and create an overall more engaging event.

For more information about BMA House, its meeting rooms and what it can offer for your your events click here.

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Rate Check – How much can you expect to pay?

It’s great news that events are starting again, so we thought it would be interesting to look at the rates that are being quoted by venues in different parts of the country.

There is demand, but event bookers are reluctant to confirm the booking until the government guidelines are clear about social distancing and the pilot events have been completed.

As usual rates are higher in months where there is less availability and they are lower outside London.

For example, we’ve looking at a 3-day event for 350 people in February 2021 and comparing various locations around the country. The rates vary, as follows:

Location Catering B&B
Liverpool £32.00-£39.00 £75.00-£105.00
Manchester £27.50-£36.00 £125.00-£146.00
Birmingham £32.00-£38.00 £96.00-£121.00
East Midlands £37.00-£44.00 £87.00
South Wales £53.00-£60.00 £120.00

However, the rates are higher for 2021. This is for a mid-week one day event for 30 people, where we’ve been quoted daily delegate rates of:

Location Date DDR
Hertfordshire June £55.00
Leeds July £36.00-£40.00
Milton Keynes July £35.00
London September £55.00-60.00
London November £65.00-£85.00

Some venues are sticking to previous rates, some venues are increasing rates to take account of fewer people in the same space. Pricing isn’t consistent at the moment, with some venues requesting supplements or additional room hire costs.

Social distancing is a big problem for venues and both they and the event bookers need to know what they can do in terms of capacity. It’s not just for the meeting rooms, but moving around the venue, catering and restrooms. Venues with outside space definitely have an advantage. After a turbulent year, the venues will need to be confident that they can operate at a profit when they open.

The Meetings Industry Association carried out a survey into social distancing in May 2020 and found that:

  • The majority (82%) of venues confirmed they can operate with social distancing measures in place.
  • Nearly half (46%) of respondents identified that their venue’s capacity would have to be more than halved, with 27% highlighting a reduction of between 41-50% would be required.
  • As a result of these reduced capacities, 59% of venues would not break even.
  • Over 80% expect to lose more than half of their turnover per month.
  • 17.5% of venue operators say it would be ‘impossible’ to open their venue while adhering to social distancing measures, both on commercial and operations grounds.

It will take some time for things to settle down. We will continue to review rates and report on trends as the bookings increase and report.

For more information and advice on booking venues for conferences, meetings and events, call us on 01780 484051 or email enquiries@edgevenues.com

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New hotels due to open in London during 2021

NoMad London

The NoMad is accepting bookings from 13th April. The building was previously Bow Street Magistrates Court, in Covent Garden, located opposite the Royal Opera House. This hotel brand already has properties in New York, Los Angeles and Las Vegas and this is their first hotel outside the USA.

NoMad London will have space for meetings and events, using the original Magistrates’ Courtroom, which has been renamed the Magistrates’ Ballroom. There are two adjacent private dining rooms, a separate bar, with a dedicated entrance from the street. There will be 92 bedrooms.

The Londoner

The opening of The Londoner, in Leicester Square is due at the end of May 2021. It will be contemporary in design, over 16 floors, including subterranean levels that reportedly make it one of the deepest hotels in the world. The hotel will have about 350 guest rooms and suites, a Mediterranean restaurant, rooftop bar, gastro tavern, members club, fitness centre and spa.

There are five event spaces:

  • The Ballroom, with capacity for 838 people in theatre style or can be divided in to two sections
  • The Green Room, with capacity for 150 people
  • The Gallery – seven meeting rooms connected by a private lounge
  • Two screening rooms

Pan Pacific London

The Pan Pacific London, located in Bishopsgate, is due to open this year, but there isn’t an exact date yet. For events, the hotel will offer nine flexible spaces on two floors with a triple-height, pillar-free ballroom for 400 people in theatre style. There are 237 bedrooms and suites.

The development includes 160 private residences, a wellbeing floor with an infinity pool with city views and landscaped outdoor space, very close to Liverpool Street Station.

Mondrian Shoreditch

The Mondrian Shoreditch was previously The Curtain, a 5* hotel with 120 guest rooms and suites. There are 10 event spaces, including a ballroom and a 35-seat screening room. There is a rooftop pool and lounge with retractable roof.

Nobu Hotel London Portman Square

The Nobu opened briefly in 2020 but closed due to the pandemic and is now going to re-open when hospitality returns in 2021. It was previously the Radisson Blu Portman Hotel and has 249 bedrooms and suites. For meetings and conferences, there is a ballroom for 600 theatre-style (300 theatre-style with social distancing) and two boardrooms.

The Dilly

This hotel was previously Le Meridien Piccadilly and has now been re-branded as The Dilly. It dates from 1908, when it was first opened as The Piccadilly Hotel. There are 283 bedrooms, swimming pool, a health club and spa with squash courts. For meetings and events there are seven meeting rooms. The hotel will open after 1st April.

The Mayfair Townhouse

This hotel also opened briefly in 2020 and will return in 2021. It was previously the Hilton London Green Park, in Half Moon Street. There are 172 bedrooms and suites and flexible event spaces.

Chateau Denmark

Chateau Denmark has a music history and has been developed from several buildings including the studio where The Rolling Stones recorded their first album and the Sex Pistols once lived. The interior design will develop music themes with areas of punk, rock and gothic style. The hotel will have 55 session rooms and apartments. The opening date is to be confirmed.

The Beaumont

The Beaumont hotel in Mayfair has been undertaking extensive refurbishment and is due to open in late Spring. The hotel has 73 bedrooms and suites and two meeting rooms, one with capacity for 45 in theatre-style and a boardroom for 12 people.

Westin London City

The Westin London City is on Upper Thames Street, with views across the river to the Tate Modern and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. It is due to open in Summer 2021 with 222 bedrooms, pool, spa and fitness centre. The hotel will have a Junior Ballroom and four meeting rooms.

And looking further into the future, the following hotels are planned for openings in 2022 or haven’t got a confirmed date yet:

  • Peninsula London, Hyde Park Corner
  • Park Hyatt London River Thames, Nine Elms
  • Oberoi London, Mayfair
  • Raffles London, Whitehall
  • Amano Covent Garden
  • Hyatt Regency London Olympia
  • Art’otel London Hoxton
  • Mandarin Oriental, Hanover Square
  • Rosewood Hotel, Grosvenor Square,
  • Art’otel London Battersea Power Station

So plenty of exciting new hotels in the pipeline to look forward to.

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ExCeL to be used as a hospital

EDGE Venues is proud to announce that one of the venues on their platform, ExCel London is to be turned into a temporary 4,000-bed hospital under NHS England’s plans to cope with the peak of the coronavirus epidemic.

The venue, which opened in London’s Docklands in 2000, usually hosts a variety of meetings, conferences, exhibitions and sporting events. However, it will be turned into a critical care unit, staffed by NHS and private heathcare staff, as well as military personnel and will be ready in about a month’s time. It is possible that the O2 arena on the south side of the Thames could also be used for the same purpose.

Jacqui Kavanagh, CEO of EDGEvenues.com was very happy to hear how the venue is supporting the COVID-19 crisis and said, “Our industry has always had a role to play in times of emergency. I wish all the team the best during this very difficult time. I know they will pull out the stops and deliver excellence as they always do. Our thoughts are with them all as they are a great team.”

ExCel already supports the Community Food Enterprise which tackles homelessness and poverty in East London, by making an annual donation to the organisation, collecting toys, clothing and merchandise from exhibitors. ExCel’s catering partner contributes through giving surplus food which is distributed throughout the local area.

We have already seen other hotels and venues helping in these exceptional times. In February, the Holiday Inn at Heathrow airport was booked to be used to quarantine arrivals to the UK. Kents Hill Park Training and Conference Centre looked after 118 guests who were isolated for 14 days following their return from overseas and all left after testing negative for coronavirus.

Keep up-to-date with all the latest industry insights and news by reading our EDGE news section.

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2020 set for record investment into London hotels

The volume of investment into London hotels could reach record levels in the first quarter of 2020, with approximately £1.5b expected to transact in the capital, according to international real estate advisor Savills.

Rob Stapleton, director at the Savills Hotels team, said: “Investor confidence in the UK hotel market remains high and while political uncertainty in 2019 had an impact on overall deal volumes, yields remained low highlighting that, for the right assets, the UK continues to be a key focus for emerging hotel brands and international capital.

“We have already noted a marked increase in investor enquiries since the General Election result and anticipate this to translate into increased investment activity across the UK hotel market in 2020, with several notable transactions expected to transact in the first half of the year.”

Savills has recorded that UK hotel transactions reached £4.64b in 2019, down 42% year-on-year but 11% above the 10-year average. The number of transactions across the country was also down 47% year-on-year and 6% below the average.

Overseas investors were accountable for 59% of market share, with the top three by country being, Hong Kong (c. £1b), Thailand (c.£450m), and Israel (c.£260m). Portfolio transactions accounted for 52% of investment activity in the UK, similar to 2018’s 53%.

Transactions into London totalled £2.31b, accounting for almost 50% of all UK hotel investment activity. Savills recorded the total volume for the rest of the UK was around £2.33b, representing a 16% (South East), 20% (North), 9% (Scotland) and 6% (South West) regional split.

Key single asset deals in 2019 included: Harrington Hall, sold to London Central Portfolio and ACP off a guide price of £130m; the freehold of the Sofitel London Gatwick which changed hands for a reported £150m; and the Crowne Plaza Kensington, sold to a Singapore consortium led by Heeton Holdings for £83m.

Key portfolio deals included: four Grange hotels sold to Queensgate Investments for £1b; ‘Project Mauve’ (17 InterContinental Hotels Group, Marriott and Hilton hotels were sold to DTP Infinities Corporation for a reported £450m); and Topland’s sale of the Hallmark portfolio for £250m.

Tim Stoyle, head of valuations at the Savills Hotels team, added: “Looking forward to this year we expect to see more stock coming to market across all grades of accommodation but primarily driven by demand for the budget and four-star segments.

“Demand for these assets in London and in core locations across the rest of the UK will be underpinned by the operational performance resulting from the growth of the staycation market, as well as the continued growth in international tourist numbers.”

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London hotel rates up 2.6 per cent in November, finds HotStats

London hotels saw a 2.6 per cent increase in average room rate in November, according to the latest data from HotStats.

Rates increased year-on-year in the capital to £186.53 during the month, with occupancy down by 1.5 percentage points to 82.3 per cent.

Across the United Kingdom as a whole, occupancy was 78.5 per cent and average room rate was £123.43 in November.

A spokesperson for HotStats said: “Revenue growth hasn’t been an issue for UK hoteliers this year. It’s driving profit that has them frustrated.

“In a tale that is becoming all too common for the region, RevPAR (revenue per available room) at UK hotels was up in November, but profit against the same time last year was negative. RevPAR grew slightly 0.3 per cent year-on-year, while GOPPAR (gross operating profit per available room) was down 1.8 per cent year-on-year, illustrating the sometimes incongruous relationship between revenue and profit.”

The divergent revenue and profit picture across the UK in November was also seen in Birmingham, where both RevPAR and TRevPAR (total revenue per available room) were up year-on-year, 3.6 per cent and 1.1 per cent, respectively, against a resulting year-on-year decrease in GOPPAR of 1.5 per cent.

Occupancy in the city was higher than in London, at 83.6 per cent, with average room rate sitting at £94.27, almost half that of the capital.

In mainland Europe, hotels are generating revenue and keeping more of it. November marked the third consecutive month of year-over-year GOPPAR gains for hotels in the region.

GOPPAR was up 4.8 per cent in the month over the same time last year, but is still down 1.3 per cent year-to date, indicative of a previously listless profit performance, despite RevPAR that is up 1.2 per cent.

In November, RevPAR was up 4.2 per cent year-on-year, buoyed by a 1.9 per cent increase in average rate and a 1.6-percentage-point uptick in occupancy to 72.5 per cent.

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Six Senses to open a hotel in London in 2023

The first Six Senses Hotel will open in the UK at Whiteleys, Bayswater, West London. The building is a former art deco department store, which then became a shopping centre in the 1980s and closed in December 2018.

The hotel will have 110 bedrooms and suites, as well as 14 residences. It will have a lobby bar and lounge, all-day dining restaurant with an open kitchen and seating area in the courtyard. The original Grade II façade, central courtyard, dome and internal staircase (modelled on the La Scala opera house in Milan) will all remain. Contemporary art from British artists will be used throughout.

The hotel will have a Six Senses Spa in the style of an old-fashioned London underground station, with fitness area and indoor swimming pool. On the second floor, residents and members will access a social and wellness club and coworking spaces.

Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas was acquired by IHG earlier this year and currently has 18 hotels and resorts and 30 spas in 21 countries.

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November London room rates rise as occupancies drop

Room rates in London continued to rise during November, but occupancies were slightly down, according to the latest preliminary figures from data company STR.

Average daily rate (ADR) and revenue per available room (revpar) increased by 1.6% to £158.94 and 1.3% to £136.43 respectively compared to the same month in 2018, while occupancy dropped 0.4% to 85.8%.

The ADR and revpar levels were said to be the highest for any November in STR’s records for the capital.

The CBI annual conference on 18 November helped drive performance, with revpar increasing by 20.2% that day.

A 2.1% increase in new rooms was slightly ahead of the 1.8% rise in demand.

STR will release its full November results later this month.

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50 new openings sees luxury hotel market buoyant in UK

Private overseas investors and a weak sterling against the dollar has helped keep the luxury hotel market in the UK buoyant over the past 12 months, according to new research.

Private wealth law firm Boodle Hatfield said that 50 new luxury and premium hotels opened in 2018/19, a 1.5% rise over 2017/18, up to 3,380 hotels across the UK. Meanwhile the number of three-star and lower hotels dropped by just under 1% to 4,120 during the same period.

A strong market in London has helped drive the luxury market with new openings this year, including the Biltmore Mayfair, the first hotel from Hilton’s new luxury brand LXR Hotels & Resorts, and the Standard at King’s Cross.

Private investors from the Middle East and Asia have helped drive the growth of London’s luxury hotel sector. Recent acquisitions include the 603-bedroom Kensington Hilton – sold to Kurdish investor Bakir Cola for £260m, while Queensgate Investments bought a portfolio of four London properties from Grange Hotels for £1 billion.

The sector has also been boosted by a fall in the value of sterling against the dollar, which has helped drive international tourists to the UK, with VisitBritain forecasting a record spend of £24.5b from overseas visitors during 2019, up from £22.9b last year.

Adam Chamberlain, partner in the real estate team at Boodle Hatfield, said: “The luxury hotel market outside of London has showed some signs of cooling off, but the opportunity to invest in a landmark London hotel is still one that attracts wealthy individuals and families the world over.”

“Ultra-high net-worth individuals from the Gulf and Asia have long found luxury London hotels to be attractive assets, both as major trophy properties and income investments. That shows no signs of changing.”

Research by Boodle Hatfield revealed that 210 new hotels are currently under development in London.