06/23/2011  LONDON FORECAST

    TRI Hospitality Consulting forecasts the London full-service hotel market will continue to increase room rate to the leisure and commercial markets, projecting average room rate growth of 3.4%, whilst occupancy will remain relatively stable given 2010s robust performance, with room for marginal growth in occupancy of 0.3 percentage points.



    In 2010, London hotels experienced a significant increase in occupancy and average room rate performance, sustained throughout the year by an increase in corporate demand and events such as the biennial Farnborough Festival. In the first quarter of 2011, occupancy performance has dipped, with London hoteliers pursuing a rate growth strategy to commercial and leisure markets, further enhancing London market average RevPAR performance,said Langston.

06/23/2011  UK PROVINCES

    The UK provincial full-service hotel market is set for challenging market conditions as inflation and the VAT rise will continue to impact consumer spending throughout 2011. For 2011, TRI Hospitality Consulting forecasts zero growth in occupancy performance, and a marginal increase (1.0%) in average room rate, resulting in 0.9% growth in Room Revenue per Available Room (RevPAR) performance

06/23/2011  LONDON HOTELS SALES AND PROFIT GROWTH TO BE TEMPERED IN 2011

    Challenging market conditions in 2011 will continue to affect UK Provincial full- service hotels leaving sales growth flat and profits down. London profit performance to hit pre-recession peak levels of mid-2008, according to TRI Hospitality Consulting. "The UK Provincial hotel market continues to face challenging conditions resulting in no revenue growth in 2011. Combined  with increasing costs, we forecast profit decline this year," said Jonathan Langston,  managing  director of TRI Hospitality Consulting.

06/23/2011  NEW PROGRAMME MEETS TRAVELLERS FITNESS NEEDS ON THE ROAD

    The statistics are conclusive. Travelers require programmes specifically designed for their health and fitness needs on the road:



. 25 percent of business travellers experience physical stress while flying . 40 percent of business travellers skip breakfast . Lack of sleep has led 23% of travelers to fall asleep in a meeting and 14% to miss a meeting or a flight . Travellers who exercise are more alert and perform at a higher level New Fitness Program Goes Beyond the Gym. Guests will experience the holistic Sheraton Fitness programme through multiple touch-points during their stay that incorporates four fundamentals of optimal performance: mindset, nutrition, movement and recovery:

06/23/2011  HOTELS IN EUROPE SEE JUNE ROOM RATES FALL

    The European hotel industry has seen room rates decline in June. Whereas a standard double room cost 117 pounds in May, the European average has fallen four pounds to 113 pounds per night.

06/23/2011  FAIRMONT EXPANDS IN CHINA

    Toronto-based Fairmont Hotels & Resorts announced a new property scheduled to open in 2014 in Taiyuan, a historic city in Northern China and the capital of Shanxi Province.The 330-room luxury hotel will be situated along the Fen River offering spectacular views, yet within walking distance of the new Central Business District in Taiyuan. Shanxi Jun Lian Real Estate Development Co., Ltd. (Junlian) is developing the Sumeru project, a mixed use development featuring luxury residential accommodations, a 7,000 square meter private club and retail facilities in addition to the hotel. The nearby convention and exhibition facilities, as well as a new major sports center currently under construction, will generate substantial business and leisure travel and demand. Taiyuan is a strategic center for industry and energy development in China as well as an important location for education and research in fields such as science and technology.

06/23/2011  IHG LAUNCHES IPHONE BOOKING APPS ACROSS ITS SEVEN HOTEL BRANDS

    IHG, the world's largest hotel group by number of rooms, today announced the continuation of its mobile app strategy with iPhone booking apps for each of its seven brands InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites. These new apps provide customers with the functionality to find and book hotel rooms, check rates and view or cancel reservations.