Tag: London

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Hilton Hotels 100th birthday

The London Hilton on Park Lane celebrates 100 Years of Hilton, today which marks a century since founder, Conrad Hilton, opened the first hotel back in Cisco Texas.

Celebrating 100 years of firsts, today is a special milestone for the London Hilton on Park Lane, as it was the first Hilton hotel to open in the UK back in 1963. A specially curated retrospective has been exhibited in the hotel’s lobby taking visitors on a journey of Hilton, both as a global empire and the London Hilton on Park Lane as a London institution, the exhibition closes this Sunday 2 June.

Part of the exhibition looks at the hotels position in Mayfair, both physically right on the doorstep of Hyde Park, but also as a hub for the local community including the economic and cultural impact the UK’s first Hilton has had. The London Hilton on Park Lane is proud to have been the height of glamour when it opened, and continues to pioneer the hospitality and travel industry as we know it.

Celebrations today culminate in the hotel where guests and team members will gather along with Hilton’s President for EMEA, Mr. Simon Vincent OBE and Mr. Jon Scott, Area Vice President London, to cut a special birthday cake, created by Executive Chef Anthony Marshall, and to toast to the next 100 years of Hilton hospitality.

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Bookings spike suggests London as Europe’s most connected business hub

The UK now serves more European and international destinations than any other European city, according to new research commissioned by the London Convention Bureau.

London has direct air connections to 401 destinations around the world and more connections with Europe (243 routes) than any other European city, according to RDC Aviation, which analyses city flight data.

Transportation links with Europe are well served with by high-speed train links, like Eurostar, to cities across France and Belgium. There is a new service between London and Amsterdam, with a third daily direct train from London to Rotterdam and Amsterdam. The extra service, which launches on 11 June, was due to demand for routes to the Netherlands.

Eurostar claims that a London-Amsterdam Eurostar journey emits 80 per cent less carbon than the equivalent flight.

Due to the strong transport links with mainland Europe, London’s Convention Bureau recently announced a new partnership with the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau that will see the two cities forming a partnership offering a range of two- in-one incentive travel products.

“The number of high-profile associations and corporations that are now choosing London is an endorsement of the city’s position as a world-class location for meetings and events, as well as being a global centre for learning,” James Rees, executive director for Conferences and Events at ExCeL London said.

The meetings and incentives market remains a tour de force in the UK capital with brands like Adobe, Salesforce, Amazon Web Services, Oracle, Google and Microsoft hosting large scale corporate events in London this year.

Massive meetings are also on the horizon, with London Tech Week welcoming over 55,000 visitors in June 2019, at a number of venues including the Barbican and the Tower of London. Sibos, one of the world’s largest financial services, will host more than 11,000 delegates.

“We are very excited to be bringing Sibos to London for the first time, this year. London is one of the world’s great financial centres. It’s a city where business, creativity and innovation converge – and that’s why it’s the perfect place for Sibos 2019,” Chantal Vanes, head of Sibos said.

“While providing a great venue to do business, London’s ever-changing cultural offering, spanning world-class museums, theatre and the arts, will also allow delegates to enjoy their experience at the world’s premier financial services event to the fullest.”

London fact box

  • Latest figures show that business visitors to London spent £3.5 billion annually.
  • From September 2017 to October 2018, London welcomed 3.5 million international overseas business visitors.
  • According to findings from the Hotel Monitor Report, a new report monitoring hotel capacity across European cities, London is set to add 11,600 rooms to its hotel market by 2020.
  • The capital’s hotel market is set to outpace a number of major European cities by 2020, including Paris, Berlin, Lisbon and Milan.
  • Hotel operators are increasing hotel capacity across the city, with an 8 per cent uplift predicted by 2020.
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London hotels see room rates increase in April

STR’s preliminary April 2019 data for London hotels reported an increase in Average daily rate (ADR) of 1.4% to £143.01.

According to the report, year-over-year, supply is increased by 2.3% during the month, with demand also growing by 0.7%. However, occupancy decreased by 1.6% to 81.1% during the period, and Revenue per available room (RevPAR) also slipped 0.1% to £115.99.

A statement by the group read: “The absolute ADR level is the highest for any April in STR’s London database. STR analysts attribute the decrease in occupancy to supply growth, and to a lesser extent, the Easter calendar shift from early April last year.”

It comes as UK hoteliers saw an “encouraging start” to the year as a result of a “healthy rise” in hotel demand from international travellers.

The findings from Expedia Group, drawn from Q1 2019 data (January, February, March), show that demand for trips made by international travellers increased when compared with the same period last year, with major metropolitan cities and several regions across the country boosted by double digit year-on-year growth.

Outside of London, a number of major cities experienced notable growth, including Manchester (over +10% year on year), Edinburgh (+15% year on year), Glasgow, Leeds and Cardiff (each +10% year on year).

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Which are the most expensive destinations to hold an event?

pound sign

The ECA International report on the cost of a business trip has just been published and London is the joint 10th most expensive city in the world and sixth most expensive in Europe. The report covers the average costs for hotel accommodation, meals, drinks, laundry, taxi journeys and daily essentials. The fall in the value of the pound has meant that London still remains attractive to international visitors, despite the uncertainty of Brexit.

CityAverage Price of a business trip per day     Average price of a 4* hotel per night
1Central London £444£251
2Edinburgh£320£167
3Manchester£282£142
4Glasgow£258£128
5Cardiff£254£117
6Belfast£253£123

Looking at international destinations, New York is the most expensive location in the world for business travel. Geneva tops the list of expensive cities in Europe, with Zurich, Basel and Bern close behind. Dublin is now more expensive than Edinburgh, Madrid and Berlin. Hong Kong is the most expensive location in Asia followed by Tokyo, Seoul and Singapore.

CityAverage price of a business trip per day
1Geneva£553
2Zurich£411
3Paris£477
4Reyjavik£476
5Basel£477
6Bern£444
6Central London£444
8Copenhagen£434
9Oslo£396
10Amsterdam£377

For the full report contact ECA International

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Mandarin Oriental, London fully opens after restoration

Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London has re-opened in its entirety, having completed the most extensive restoration in its 117-year history. Following the re-opening of the public spaces in December 2018, the hotel now unveils all new guest rooms and suites, including two newly created expansive penthouse suites.

“Mandarin Oriental is enormously proud of the heritage of this historic hotel. The scope and intricate detail of this momentous renovation is designed to ensure this iconic London establishment is recognised as one of the finest hotels in the world. We look forward to welcoming our guests with kind and intuitive service that is truly British but reflective of our Oriental heritage,” said Amanda Hyndman, General Manager and Area Vice President of Operations.

Guestrooms and Suites
Internationally renowned designer, Joyce Wang, has overseen the redesign of all guest rooms and suites, along with the creation of the hotel’s new Penthouses, taking inspiration from the peaceful parkside location, as well as the glamour of the early 20th century’s Golden Age of travel. All 181 guest rooms and suites are now more luxurious and comfortable than ever before, with art deco-inspired features including carefully curated artworks and custom-designed furniture.

Each of the hotel’s 40 suites range in size from the smallest, at 47 square metres, located within the turrets of the hotel, to the largest, at 444 square metres, which comprises the new three-bedroom Mandarin Oriental Penthouse with private terraces. Consisting of two penthouse suites, the Mandarin Penthouse and the Oriental Penthouse can be interconnected to create one of London’s largest suites with three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a private dining room, two kitchens, and expansive views of Hyde Park and the London skyline.

In every suite, guests will find a host of special additions ranging from libraries curated by the well-known historic London bookseller, Heywood Hill, to yoga mats for private practice. All accommodation comes equipped with GHD hair straighteners, Nespresso coffee makers, his and her Miller Harris bathroom amenities and Jo Hansford hair products.

The Spa
New York designer Adam D. Tihany, has overseen the redesign of the next-generation Spa at Mandarin Oriental, London. In keeping with the fresh new look, the extensive spa menu has also been enhanced to include exclusive partnerships with some of the most sought-after health and wellness experts in the world. The new spa features 13 individual treatments rooms, an Oriental Suite with two massage beds and a Rasul water temple, a room designed for traditional ASANTE Chinese Medicine consultations and treatments and a Bastien Gonzalez Pedi:Mani:Cure Studio – the first of its kind in the UK.

The Restaurants and Bar
Adam D. Tihany has also overseen a light refurbishment of Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Bar Boulud, London and Mandarin Bar. The Rosebery, known as the Bennett Tearoom in the 1920s, will offer a special 1920s Afternoon Tea, while Mandarin Bar has created a series of special cocktails named after celebrated guests and iconic events that took place within the hotel.

Event Spaces
Having hosted royal parties and glamorous events since the 1900s, the hotel’s Ballroom and Loggia have also been lovingly restored to include 24-carat gilding of many original features. Both venues enjoy access from the park via the private Royal entrance. The renovation also includes a beautiful hand-painted Butterfly Terrace by artist Leah Wood, along with two new versatile meeting spaces, Asquith and Balfour, for private meetings and social soirees.

Public Areas
The first phase of the renovation was unveiled in September 2017. Joyce Wang was commissioned to transform the Lobby Lounge and Reception area, which now blend seamlessly with The Rosebery’s nature inspired décor. Contemporary materials, including acrylic, are juxtaposed with more traditional finishes such as blond burl wood. Centre piece commissioned glass chandeliers enhance the dramatic entrance. The reception artwork by Fredrikson Stallard, is an abstraction of the textured and layered bark of the Plane Tree – the signature tree of Hyde Park.

Artwork
The hotel has commissioned VISTO Images to compile an outstanding art portfolio throughout the hotel. Each of the hotel’s new floor landings showcase a striking photograph by Mary McCartney, who is the official photographer of the Group’s international advertising campaign, while the corridors are home to pieces inspired by the nature of Hyde Park and English technological innovations featured in the 1851 Great Exhibition. Other eclectic art pieces can be found throughout the hotel’s public areas.

The hotel’s illustrious 117-year history
If walls could talk this iconic hotel would have many stories to tell. The building was commissioned in the late 1880’s however construction was initially delayed due to fears that its height would cast a shadow over the Serpentine. It finally opened in 1889 as an exclusive block of apartments for affluent bachelors, before opening as a hotel, with its own private Royal Entrance, in 1902. Since then, many honoured guests have passed through the hotel, and for several years after the Second World War it was the headquarters of the SAS. Glamorous parties and dance classes by the venerable Madame Vacani – who taught HM Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret to dance – have been held in the ballroom. Sir Winston Churchill lived in the hotel for a while and was known to offer room service waiters two cigars in return for the delivery of an early breakfast. Evelyn Waugh was also a regular guest, and characterised some of his fellow guests after his many stays. Many of these momentous past events can be viewed in more detail in the newly created Historical Journey Exhibition on permanent display in the hotel from Monday 15 April 2019.

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ibis Styles rolls out new tube-chic design at Gloucester Road hotel

Guests checking into ibis Styles Gloucester Road can now take a trip on the tube in their pyjamas, as ibis Styles unveils its new hotel design.

The 84-bedroom Victorian hotel has had a stylish makeover from the ground up, breaking the mould of a budget stay. Minimalist furnishings have been paired with luxe fabrics and natural wood finishings to create a welcoming and unforgettable design.

Re-imagining the lobby space, the ground floor is now a relaxed and airy open-plan hangout space where guests can kick-back after a day of meetings or exploring and settle in with a good book or enjoy the hotel’s free unlimited super-fast Wi-Fi.

Staff will offer a new level of hospitality, personality and service as they check guests in via a mobile phone, freeing them up to talk more about their stay, their needs and enjoy their time in the hotel. ibis Styles Gloucester Road is a stone’s throw away from Gloucester Road tube station in South Kensington, and counts the Victoria & Albert Museum, Science & Natural History Museum and the Royal Albert Hall as neighbours.

Whether a Londoner or visiting the city, guests will get a kick out of the witty ways tiny tube logos and station names have been used down to the finest details. They’ll find pillows with travelcard tickets printed on them and even be reminded to ‘Mind the Gap’ on the carpet as they step out of bed in the morning.

What’s more, with its own ‘Platform 9 ¾’ and coloured District and Piccadilly lines running through corridors, the property’s fresh interior draws on playful cues from London’s world-famous underground. Guest bathrooms have also been re-imagined as ‘Water Loos’ – a nod to one of the city’s busiest stations.

Guests are guaranteed a good night’s sleep on a comfy Sweet Bed™ and a great start to the day with a hearty all-you-can-eat continental breakfast. The hotel also offers specially designed family rooms and has its friendly team on hand to make stays for all ages memorable.

Cristina Cavaco, General Manager for the hotel commented: “Thousands of people travel on the tube every-day, and every line and station has a different character that Londoners know and love. We’ve brought this to life for guests in such fun and surprising ways so they will enjoy a unique stay every time.”

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London hotels achieve record revpar figures for March

Preliminary March data shows demand outpaced supply among hotels in London, leading to a 2.1% occupancy increase.

Based on daily data from the month, London reported the following in year-over-year comparisons:

• Supply: +2.5%
• Demand: +4.6%
• Occupancy: +2.1% to 81.6%
• Average daily rate (ADR): +1.7% to GBP138.13
• Revenue per available room (RevPAR): +3.8% to GBP112.68

The absolute RevPAR level is the highest for any March in STR’s London Database. STR analysts attribute the performance to several events in the market—a pair of Six Nations rugby matches (9 March and 16 March) and the Passenger Terminal EXPO (26-28 March).

Keeping checking back for the full March results that will be released by STR later this month.

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Brexit – the good news for London City venues

Nearly 77% of London City venues, according to a recent survey, are expecting an increase in revenue in the next 12 months, in spite of the uncertainty caused by Brexit.

The survey, carried out by London City Selection (LCS) – a consortium of City venues and suppliers – uncovered several other positive findings. Notably, that 70% of respondents are optimistic about the coming year and 70% have seen no movement or an increase in confirmed booking when comparing 2018 to 2019.

The State of the Industry survey was sent to LCS members to explore the affect Brexit has been having on the events industry in 2019. “Brexit is something everyone across every industry in the City is speculating about,” says Sarah McQueen, Venues & Hospitality Manager at the London Museum, “We wanted to go out there and pull together some facts so we could give our members, and the industry, some clarity about what’s really going on.”

Although the results of the survey look as though 2019 is going to be a good year for the events industry in the City, there are a few areas that may cause some concern including customer spend. Nearly 70% of those surveyed said they felt “client budget is becoming an issue in the face of Brexit”.

It also appears that more venues have seen a dip in overseas bookings (15.38%) compared to only 7.9% enjoying an increase and that venues are concerned about recruiting and maintaining staff in the future. “Brexit is definitely playing a role in recruitment and staff retention,” one respondent said. “The recruitment pool seems to be smaller and overall time to fill a position is longer.” Over half (53.85%) of individuals completing the survey were concerned about this area.

Paul Martins, LCS Chair says: “There’s no doubt that the uncertainty of Brexit is going to affect us all but it’s encouraging to see that, certainly in the short term, LCS member venues are generally optimistic about the next 12 months.”

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Edwardian Hotels London first hotel group to enter EDGE Venues 100% club

Edwardian Hotels London is the first group of hotels to maximise their exposure to users of EDGE Venues, the new global venue sourcing solution for agents, corporates and associations.

By completing 100% of the data fields within the profiles of all its hotels, Edwardian has enhanced its positioning in venue searches for its 11 Radisson Blu Edwardian, Hotels in London and Manchester and its luxury May Fair Hotel in the heart of central London. This helps improve its opportunities to confirm business because EDGE Venues users can select multiple venues and compare their suitability for each event.

Jacqui Kavanagh, Managing Director of Trinity Event Solutions and EDGE Venues said: “Every event is different and that’s why we’ve built EDGE to have such a flexible search functionality. Users can compare the USPs and benefits of multiple venues in a single screen, to see which ones would work best for their event. The more information venues complete, the more likely they are to be matched for business they can support. Edwardian has recognised the strength of the search for driving conference, meetings and events business, and are taking full advantage of it.”

Kirsten Ariano, Account Director, Edwardian Hotels London had this to say about the digital platform: “It’s refreshing to work with a team which is dedicated to making sure we maximise our potential. We’ve worked with Trinity Event Solutions for many years, and they understand how the industry works and how, using technology, booking meetings can be made simpler. As soon as Trinity launched EDGE Venues, we knew the benefits it would bring and have been working with our properties to achieve a group place in the ‘100% Club’.”

Many independent venues have closely followed Edwardian Hotels with 100% profile completion, putting themselves in the running with big brands for meetings and events business.

Jacqui continues: “The feedback we’ve had in the first three months of EDGE Venues has been fantastic and we’re seeing more and more hotels push to get their data profile to 100%. To get a group of hotels on board such as the 12 Edwardian properties is a credit to the technology and usability of the booking platform. We’ve worked with key stakeholders within the industry to develop this technology and thrilled with its success even at this early stage.”

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New partnership between London and Paris for joint incentive experience

The official convention bureau for London and Paris have announced a new partnership which they claim will see the two cities working together for the first time to deliver a “unique two-in-one incentive trip”.

The agreement is aimed at inspiring North American incentive buyers to book a 2-in-1 trip for their clients. 

The itineraries have been curated to showcase how easy it is to enjoy both cities in one incentive trip and includes an official partnership with Eurostar.

Joshua Novick, VP Business Tourism at London Convention Bureau said: “London and Paris are two of the world’s top business and leisure travel destinations, making this a really powerful offer for incentive planners. With so many great hotels, cultural attractions, parks, restaurants and experiences, we are excited to be able to bring such a unique incentive offering to the market. London is open to collaboration with other likeminded, global cities and by working together as we are doing in this way, we can offer a once-in-a-lifetime incentive travel experience that allows delegates to experience two amazing cities in one epic trip.”

Corinne Menegaux, general manager of the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau added: “Paris & London are an ideal 2-in-1 destination to hold a conference or an incentive. These cities are internationally renowned for numerous reasons such as the quality of their infrastructures, their trendy hotels and innovative activities. Both cities combine leisure & business attractions that are the keys to successful events and they have a constantly evolving offer to make the ‘Old World’ very attractive! If you’re looking for an unusual place to organize a meeting or a dinner, the two capitals are available for private hire, with a wide range of venues ranging from iconic museums to cutting-edge galleries and revolutionary conference centres.”

Inge Bauwens, lead sales manager, Eurostar concluded: “It’s easy to fit the best of London and Paris in to a single trip, with a seamless Eurostar journey between the two cities in just over two hours. For those looking to make the journey even more enjoyable, groups that have booked an entire coach can add an exclusive experience on board, with themes ranging from food and drink to arts and culture available to entertain guests whilst they travel.”