It would be good to think that when our nation votes on the EU next month there might be some who are not just selfishly thinking about themselves and their pockets but what kind of country, and its rulers we will be leaving to our children and grandchildren.

Sadly a lot seems to be about short term economic vested interests, with some deep thinkers in our own industry scaremongering that cutting the increasing number of strings that bind us to unelected bureaucrats in Brussels who now make most of the important decisions for us would be “economic suicide”. Given the predictions from the financial experts that our pound could plummet against the euro with a Brexit some will find this a good thing, in that it will make hotel accommodation in the UK cheaper for overseas visitors, encourage more Brits to take a “staycation” here rather than drop their money in the Eurozone and make all exports more competitive. Is that “economic suicide”? Continue reading →

Travel by UK business travellers to high-risk destinations is on the increase, according to new research carried out by the Collinson Group and published in the Business Travel magazine.

There was a 52% increase in the number of visits to destinations experiencing level three security incidents – including terrorist attacks and attempted coups – in the first half of 2015 compared to the same period in 2014. Tunisia had an increase of 361.5%, Mexico 257%, Lithuania 95.1%, Thailand 62.3%, and Egypt 59.5%. Continue reading →

A 38 year-old man with a severe peanut allergy died after he ate a take-away curry from the Indian Garden restaurant, Easingwold, North Yorkshire in January 2014.

The curry contained cheap ground peanuts in place of more expensive ground almonds, despite staff at the restaurant assuring Paul Wilson, 38, that there were no nuts in the dish. For those with a severe peanut allergy just 50 micrograms of peanut, or 1x 10,000th of a whole peanut can kill, something all hotels and restaurants have to be aware of. Continue reading →

Fraudsters are getting consumers to listen to a sales pitch by telling them that if they do they will be given a free stay at a Marriott hotel.

Marriott have advised, for the second time in the last six months that the promise of free hospitality at Marriott is a lie and that those targeted by the fraudsters on the phone with this one should simply hang up.

Ashley Walters, 33, actor and rapper with the So Solid Crew has been ordered to pay £1,000 after he aimed a foul-mouthed tirade at staff at the four-star Hilton hotel at the Business Design Centre last May.

Walters was there with his wife for their anniversary when he claimed to have been prevented from re-entering the hotel “because he was black”. A row broke out during which Walters told a female receptionist to “shut the f*** up”, and when she seemed visibly shaken that “You’d better be shivering, you bitch”. He also told the Hilton’s duty manager “Don’t say a word, I’ll knock you out, don’t interfere” and called both Hilton staff members “dickheads”.

Walters, who apologised for causing any problems was ordered to pay both victims £350, and £300 in court costs.

Those travelling to the USA who would rather not have problems with those nice, caring and polite types at USA passport control might want to check they don’t have one of the estimated 3 million non-biometric passports issued in 2006.

These will not be accepted now and those with them will have to get themselves a non-immigrant visa, available at any US embassy or consulate.

To Le Plaza luxury hotel in Brussels, which is independent, four-star, family-run and holds a Belgian Royal Warrant from 2004.

Offered are 190 modern and tastefully furnished bedrooms, all having baths, flat-screen TVs, mini-bars, safes, work stations and free internet access. More than half are Classic category, 30 square metres with queen-sized doubles or twin beds, and 50 are spacious 34 square metre De Luxe rooms which additionally offer early check-in subject to availability and a turn-down service. After that there are 20 Prestige rooms offering 40 square metres of space as well as tea and coffee facilities, 20 suites sized from 48 to 65 square metres and the Presidential Suite of 340 square metres and accommodating six. Continue reading →

o Ten UK hotels that produced total revenue of £48 million in 2015 have been put up for sale by The Hotel Collection. (The Business Desk)

In England they are The Imperial in Torquay, the Old Ship in Brighton, the Billesley Manor in Stratford-upon-Avon, the Redworth Hall in County Durham, the Majestic in Harrogate and the Imperial in Blackpool. In Scotland they are the Stirling Highland in Stirling, and the Aberdeen Altens in Aberdeen, and in Wales the Angel in Cardiff.

o The Grade 11-listed, historic Martins Bank building in Liverpool is to be converted into a 227-bedroom luxury hotel with events space. (TravelGBI)

It has been acquired by hotel and conference centre provider Principal Hayley Group.

o Easy access to Birmingham from most parts of the UK could be making it an unattractive place to build new hotels as visitors can get in and out in a day and don’t need to stay overnight. (The Business Desk)

This is the view of property firm Colliers International, which ranks the city as 17th down a list of 36, and also points out that the leisure market in Brum is not so “well-developed” as other provincial cities and may not be providing an equal draw for visitors.

Colliers Inaugural UK Hotels Market Index top ten cities are, in descending order, Cardiff, Manchester, Leeds, Chester, Liverpool, York, London, Edinburgh, Brighton and Bath.

The 2015 Radio Times Guide To Films, described by film critic Barry Norman as “This is really the only film guide you’ll need” lists 23,000 films. Only around 30 documentaries get the highest accolade of five stars, the oldest being “Berlin – Symphony of a Great City”, Walter Ruttman’s silent 77 minute black and white experimental released in Germany in 1927. Two years later, in 1929, a Russian silent 69 minute black and white experimental was released, Dziga Vertov’s “Man With a Movie Camera” and both films share the quality of looking as fresh and vibrant today as they did nearly 90 years ago, and with both repaying multiple viewings by those treasuring these two essential documents of cinematic possibilities for others to follow. Continue reading →