Best Western - Latest Hotel and Travel News

UK hotels see busy December

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 11:35:30 GMT

Hotels in London and elsewhere in the UK enjoyed a growth in sales over the festive period, according to an industry survey.

Preliminary figures from PKF Hotel Consultancy Services show that room rates in London were 6.4% up on the previous year, at £128. Occupancy rates were up only slightly, though, by 0.1%.

On average, growth elsewhere was around half that of London, but there were some notable regional performances.

Hotels in Birmingham saw yields from rooms rise by 7.2% on the previous year, to £38.50, whilst hotels in Manchester were seen to benefit from the Old Trafford match between Manchester United and AC Roma.

"The healthy figures for London hoteliers over 2007, concluding with strong December figures, reflect the capital's status as the one of the world's top places to visit," said PKF's Robert Barnard.

"Equally, the UK regional hotels have had a good year and the Manchester and Birmingham figures illustrate that, again, the December figures rounded the year off strongly. Cardiff did not have such a good month and the opening of the new Wembley stadium earlier in the year is likely to be the biggest factor affecting the city's numbers," he added.

The PKF hotel trends survey looks at hotels across the country, mostly those that are chain-owned, in the 3- or 4-star categories, and in towns and cities rather than rural areas.

Guests want hotels to go green, says survey

Thu, 04 Oct 2007 03:14:13 GMT

Customers want hotels to take the lead when it comes to going greener, an industry survey suggests.

In an online poll of nearly 150 hotels and restaurants carried out by CatererSearch, over 70% agreed that customers were showing more interest in their commitment to environmental sustainability.

However, many hotels also reported that guests tended to leave taps running and lights switched on, and to use towels unnecessarily.

In a separate article, minister for climate change, biodiversity and waste Joan Ruddock urged hoteliers to take advantage of advice offered by the government's Act on CO2 campaign.

"Although the focus of the campaign has been on the actions people can take in their own homes, there is a lot that the hotel industry can do to help guests behave in a less wasteful way, too," she said.

CatererSearch has published an A-Z of going green to help those in the hospitality sector.

Hotels ‘must raise bar’ for 2012

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 11:51:26 GMT

UK hotels are being urged to raise their standards in the run up to the London 2012 Olympics.

The plea comes as part of a report launched earlier this week by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. It points out that only 53% of hotels in the UK currently carry a star rating for quality, and that the figure for London is just 34%.

In a bid to attract the full £2.1 billion of revenue that it is thought the games could bring to London, the government says that it wants to see 85% of accommodation rated by 2012.

"London 2012 is a huge opportunity for the UK tourism industry," said tourism minister Margaret Hodge. "In five years time millions of visitors will be coming here for the first time and we want them to come back time and time again - and bring their family and friends."

If you’re thinking of staying in London for the Olympics, why not put our hotels in London to the test? All Best Western hotels carry a star rating.