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.