The Radisson Collection Hotel Palazzo Nani in Venice
The Radisson Collection Hotel Palazzo Nani in Venice is one of the most recent and prestigious realizations by Concreta, the Postalesio-based company specialized in high-profile contract for hotels, commercial spaces and residential areas, all sectors in which the Italian contractor from Valtellina has developed an experience that has led the company to a leading position in the national and international field.
The particular nature of this ancient Venetian palace and the complex logistics required by the execution of works in the lagoon, represented a challenge faced and won thanks to the combination of ‘attention to detail’ and ‘global approach’ that has always characterized the philosophy of Concreta.
THE STRUCTURE
The Radisson Collection Hotel Palazzo Nani is located in the heart of the Cannaregio district, a particularly suggestive and ‘authentic’ area of Venice, a fundamental route for the urban layout of the city since the Middle Age, when the Cannaregio Canal was the entrance to the city for those who came from Padua or Treviso through the lagoon routes. Rich in restaurants and ‘bacari’ (wine bar), shops and artisan boutiques, it is located not far from the Jewish Ghetto, with the quiet of its tiny streets and its unmistakable architectural imprint. From here you can easily reach the rest of the city on foot or by ‘vaporetto’; the Le Guglie ship stop is located right in front of the hotel. The Santa Lucia train station is less than 10 minutes away by feet.
The building that houses the hotel is a sixteenth-century historic building that belonged to the ancient Nani family, active in the political, social and cultural life of the Serenissima. Over the years, various properties have taken over and the building has changed its intended use several times.
It was a private residence, an Austrian barracks and, finally, a school. During the work on the site, objects and documents were found that testify to the previous lives of the building. Some of the finds, recovered and appropriately treated, have enriched the furnishings of the rooms and the garden. The façade is punctuated by a game of arches and elegant coats of arms in Istrian stone that seem to be due to the intervention of Alessandro Vittoria, who helped emphasize and enhance the preciousness of the building.
Prestigious brand of hospitality in the world, Radisson Group wanted to transform this historic residence into an enchanting hotel with 52 rooms and suites and 3 private apartments, which has become part of the Radisson Collection chain, where hospitality finds its highest expression in the offer of iconic structures, which reflect the character of the territory and the place, combining the atmosphere of an ‘authentic’ stay with the comfort of a high-profile design.
HISTORY AND CONTEMPORANEITY
For this hotel, Concreta created all the common areas on a project by Studio Marco Piva, according to a ‘box-in-the-box’ furnishing concept aimed at keeping intact the strong historical identity of the building, enriching it with a language of elegant contemporaneity.
Spaces are large and bright, some overlooking the Cannaregio Canal and offer chromatic shades recalling the nuances of the frescoed ceilings, in combination with seats with intense colors that refer to the expressions and values of the Territory, the colors of the water, the reflections of the glass, the interiors of the ‘gondolas’.
The realization of the common areas in this project takes on a very particular meaning, as the hotel was conceived as a place of hospitality that is not closed and exclusive but, on the contrary, open to the city and usable by those who wish to enjoy the Restaurant, the enchanting ‘secret’ garden – as are many of the Venetian gardens – and the relaxation of the lounge bar and lobbies.
The non-stop dialogue and full harmony that has characterized the collaboration between the designers of Studio Marco Piva and the Concreta team – from the choice of colors and materials to the sharing of prototypes – made it possible to translate the inspiring concept into a high-profile creation, fully respondent to the contents and needs of the project and the Client.
THE REALIZATION OF COMMON SPACES
In all common areas of the Radisson Collection Hotel Palazzo Nani you can read the sign of a formal balance of decorative effects, to leave the view free to enjoy these spaces and to collect the infinite suggestions coming from the lagoon city.
The main entrance of the hotel located on the ground floor houses the console-reception and gives access to the two restaurants and the lounge bar / breakfast room.
For the Private Restaurant, a milky white ribbed glass wall paneling was chosen to give rhythm to the space between the seats, a covering embellished with an integrated backlight. In the main restaurant, the focus point is made up of a sculptural monolith-filter, a large marble bench with upholstered seats in a soft teal velvet. A curvilinear bar counter dominates the scene and follows the floor islands. The covering is a textured carpet of white Venezia marble and Paradigma marble which contrasts it in a darker shade. The chromatic dominant of the spaces is the lagoon-green declined in its various shades.
In the lounge bar – which serves also as breakfast room – very dark colors have been selected running from wall to ceiling to create an immersive, enveloping atmosphere and to emphasize precious custom metal elements – such as the wall bottle holder – with a ribbed dark wood that gives rhythm to the wall, the motif of which is taken up by the striped ruby-colored upholstery that recalls the interior of a ‘gondola’.
The two lobbies in the ‘noble halls’ on floors B and C are characterized by being elegantly frescoed spaces, with ‘marmorini’, muses painted in the ovals above the doors of the second floor hall, fresco ceilings with Apollo, Venus and Cupid and Orpheus in Olympus.
These spaces have required particular efforts to harmonize the current intervention with the needs of a historic home that expresses its beauty and fragility. Thus, the recovered and cleaned historic ‘seminato’ floor was joined by a custom-made mobile furniture designed by Studio Marco Piva, of the same kind but in different colors in dialogue with the colors of the frescoes, with lounge chairs created in collaboration with Natuzzi, alongside tables, work tables and meeting tables always designed by Studio Marco Piva.
The gym, located on floor C, is housed in a frescoed room cleaned with the intervention of a company specializing in the restoration of works of art which has followed the restoration of all decorative elements of the building. The peculiarity of this space consists in the presence of large self-standing cylinders, almost high to the ceiling, handcrafted in metal bent by Concreta and fully equipped, with a high part with decorative and separation function and a base with cabinet function to contain towels, products, small tools and accessories and with an original metal mesh designed to separate while maintaining the lightness of a perforated surface crossed by light. Looking ahead, the area will also host a sauna.
The lighting project includes both custom and branded luminaires. The technical lights were created ad hoc in collaboration with Artemide and completed with large circular chandeliers and LED light sculptures from leading brands such as Italamp, Flos and Vibia. The decorative lighting was handled by Concreta. The large chandelier made up of opal glass spheres especially designed for this project stands out. The opalescence effect crosses the rooms and common areas like a fil-rouge and lights always refer to the transparency and reflections of the glass, to emphasize once again the strong relation with the Territory.
It is not surprising that in a project with a high content of historical and territorial identity like this one for Palazzo Nani, fabrics play a quite relevant role. Here, the declination of the textile elements and the chromatic choices are directly related with the comfort of the seat and the scenographic rendering of the context. Most of the fabrics that dress the hotel spaces are produced by Rubelli, a historic and prestigious Venetian brand. The bright velvets are by Rada Tessuti and the colorful rugs by Besana Carpet Lab play with the textures of the floors and give contrast and movement.
In perspective, even the large 350 square meters garden of the hotel will become a space to be enjoyed with a bar outside and open to the city. In the green, there are sculptures, statues, benches and sofas and two large stone bathtubs recovered during the works – coming from a quarry that is no longer active – and today returned to new life to tell the story of a distant past.
After the soft opening that took place in October 2021, the official inauguration of the Radisson Collection Hotel Palazzo Nani is scheduled for February 2022, during the celebrations for the Carnival of Venice.
The March Issue has landed!
A note from our Editor
Writing this note as the Editor of Hotel Magazine fills me with the utmost thrill. It feels special to finally see our idea come to life. After working in publishing for almost four years, launching another trade magazine with a goal of simply propelling the audience’s business to the next level provides a feeling I can only describe as exhilarating.
Hotel Magazine represents the hospitality service industry, and will provide our readers with essential business information. As a professional journal, we will keep readers cognisant with all of the latest from the industry’s leading trade associations, business advice and new ideas. With the industry trend of hotels offering more spa and leisure services, Hotel Magazine recognises this and will offer expert tips and concepts to assist our audience in generating additional revenue streams.
In this opening issue of Hotel Magazine, we’ve got features in abundance. Our main focus this March is that of Hotel Bars; specifically how a distinctive bar situated on-site at an overnight stay venue is one of the simplest ways to add revenue to a business. Showcased in all of its glory is London’s popular ‘The Nest’. Complemented perfectly by its spectacular 360-degree skyline views, the popular rooftop bar scene features as our Hotel of the Month on page 16.
It goes without saying that the success of any hospitality venue is made up immensely by marketing techniques. Systems or methods which work for one venue however, may not work for everyone. Commentary from some of the industry’s most adept figures outlines how overnight venues can market successfully to ensure they gain repeat business in our extensive marketing edit which begins on page 29.
Portraits of their love: Intercontinental Edinburgh the George partners with the Edinburgh Sketcher to mark Valentine’s Day
One of Scotland’s most romantic hotels, InterContinental Edinburgh The George, is marking Valentine’s Day by partnering with The Edinburgh Sketcher to celebrate the love couples have for the place they said “I Do”.
The Latent Love campaign was launched last month and invited couples who married at the hotel to share their fondest memories and pictures of their wedding day via social media. In exchange, winners would get a once-in-a-lifetime memento recreating their favourite wedding picture from the Edinburgh-based artist from their day.
More than 70 couples submitted their best moments at The George, which has welcomed loved-up couples since 1881. Since then, the hotel has hosted over 4,000 weddings, poured over 2 million glasses of reception drinks and served approx. 600,000 meals.
Ten winners will now receive a specially commissioned sketch from Mark Kirkham, the artist behind The Edinburgh Sketcher, to mark the most romantic day of the year.
The winning response came from Megan Maxwell from Kirkliston, who fell in love with the breathtaking chandelier in the Kings Hall. The renowned hanging chandelier in the Kings Hall has been the centrepiece for centuries and has even been the backdrop to an owl delivering wedding rings up the aisle. Megan’s story involved her beloved Grandmother sharing her opinion on Megan’s search for the perfect venue for her big day.
Megan Maxwell said: “We looked at many venues and I kept coming back to the Kings Hall and how beautiful the big chandelier is. All I thought of and spoke about was the chandelier. My elderly Grandma said ‘for goodness sake you’re not marrying a chandelier’ but the truth is that choosing the right venue is a love story in itself. You need to fall in love with it, we did and we had the best day.”
Runners up Simon and Jamie Le Grice, originally from Reading and Edinburgh also shared a fond memory.
Simon Le Grice from London said: “The moment the first course of dinner was served, jaws dropped at the way the waiting staff circled the table before laying the plates all at once. People loved the theatre of it!” Their advice for couples embarking on marriage was to “Plan for a lifetime together, not just the wedding day (however special the day may be)!”
InterContinental Edinburgh The George, a former collection of five, fine Georgian townhouses, is a magnificent example of local architecture dating back to the 18th century, combining luxury hotel accommodation with elegant wedding venue spaces that pull on the heart strings.
The hotels’ Georgian façade makes it one of the most iconic buildings in the West End. Packed with character and charm the hotel is home to two spaces: the majestic King’s Hall with space for up to 180 guests and The Forth View Suite with capacity for 18 for those who wish for a more intimate celebration. In a celebration of love The George have crafted the Timeless Love package for all couples in love and to welcome back couples and guests who have been married or attended a wedding at The George over the years.
Kieran Quinn, Hotel General Manager at InterContinental Edinburgh The George, said “InterContinental Edinburgh The George is beloved by many happy couples, both locally and further afield. It has been brilliant to hear the memories created with us and to celebrate their attachment with the hotel. Mark has worked with InterContinental Edinburgh The George previously, and so it was to our delight that he accepted our invitation to celebrate our latent love.”
Mark Kirkman, The Edinburgh Sketcher commented “I loved this idea and immediately wanted to be a part of recreating these memories for the lucky happy couples. The George is a favourite of mine, and it was a delight to create artwork from past weddings, seeing how the place and fashions changed over the years.”
For couples still looking to book a romantic getaway, The InterContinental Edinburgh The George Timeless Love package is available from £260 per room, per night and includes:
• One-night stay in the George Street View Suite
• A full Scottish breakfast
• Dinner in Printing Press Kitchen & Bar
• A bottle of Champagne and chocolate dipped strawberries on arrival
• Pre-dinner aperitif, French 75 cocktail, served to suite
• Personal service from one of our Guest Experience team throughout your stay
For more information, please visit https://edinburgh.intercontinental.com/offers/
For more information about weddings at InterContinental Edinburgh The George visit
https://edinburgh.intercontinental.com/weddings/
Managers return home to run a new waterfront hotel
Two accomplished Welsh hospitality managers will return home to their native Pembrokeshire to take on the most senior roles in running the new Tŷ Hotel Milford Waterfront.
Hotel Manager Adrian Andrews and Executive Head Chef Simon Crockford have both forged successful careers away from West Wales and are delighted to be returning to their roots for the exciting new challenge.
Opening in April, the development will be one of Pembrokeshire’s largest hotels with 100 bedrooms and an attractive restaurant with floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over Milford Marina.
Mr Andrews worked in a number of private hotels in his home town of Tenby before spreading his wings to become a multi-site manager for Premier Inn in Birmingham, Bristol and Cardiff.
He said: “I’ve always kept my family base in Pembrokeshire but I am really excited to be coming back home to work and to be opening this fantastic new hotel. I’ve caught up with a lot of old friends already as we make all the preparations to open, and it’s been great to see the positive local reaction and the interest in seeing the hotel take shape.
“We’ve worked with a number of community venues to hold recruitment days and we’ve had an amazing response from people wanting to work with us, meaning almost all of the positions we need for opening have been filled. We can’t wait to welcome the first guests and I’m excited about what the hotel will bring to this area, for the community and for business.”
Owned by the Port of Milford Haven, the hotel will be operated by The Celtic Collection team behind the iconic Celtic Manor Resort.
Simon Crockford has spent the last 15 years with the company, cooking for famous faces like US President Barack Obama at the 2014 NATO Summit and Tiger Woods at the 2010 Ryder Cup. Like Mr Andrews, he was born and bred in Tenby where he started his culinary career before moving to five-star hotels in Cardiff and then Newport.
Wales National Chef of the Year in 2017, he has helped devise several dining concepts for the expanding Celtic Collection but he has never felt more passionately about a project than opening the restaurant at Tŷ Hotel Milford Waterfront.
Mr Crockford said: “I’ve been lucky enough to work on a number of amazing events and new venues at Celtic Manor. To now be given this opportunity to open a hotel restaurant 15 minutes from where I grew up, is an absolute dream come true. I think they may have taken the hint from all the Pembrokeshire produce I have always tried to get on the menus over the years!
“I’ve always championed the great food to be found in Pembrokeshire – from both the land and the sea – and I’m really enjoying getting out and meeting the farmers and the fishermen who will be supplying the restaurant. Trying to condense all the fabulous produce into one menu has probably been my biggest challenge.”
The hotel will provide a significant draw for new tourists to Milford Haven and Pembrokeshire, as part of a major redevelopment of the waterfront. Around 40 permanent jobs have been created in the hotel’s operations with many more supported in the supply chain and additional seasonal roles available.
For more information visit ty-hotels.com
A grand £41k donated to charities on behalf of Brighton Hotel
OVER £41,000 was donated to local charities throughout 2021 thanks to The Grand Brighton and its customers.
Last year the Brighton hotel, located in prime position on the iconic seafront, nominated Rockinghorse and Amaze as its charities of the year.
The hotel has supported Rockinghorse for many years and, thanks to the generous donations of guests through room bookings, £16,000 alone was raised which helped towards the purchase of a new neonatal ventilator for the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital in Brighton.
As well as other initiatives throughout the year, the flagship hotel also donated vouchers to a host of charities in the Brighton and Sussex area. This included dining experiences such as afternoon tea.
The Grand also organised and hosted seven events in aid of various charities throughout 2021 as well as donating vouchers for charity auctions at each event to further support the organisations.
Andrew Mosley, Managing Director of The Grand Brighton, said: “Each year we carefully select our charities for the year. Last year we were proud to support Rockinghorse and Amaze, two very special local organisations which provide invaluable services to our community.
“We are thrilled we were able to raise such an incredible sum, and we are thankful to our wonderful colleagues who have continued to fundraise despite the challenges we’ve faced, and of course our generous customers who helped us achieve this.
“The generosity we have seen from our guests has been fantastic so we would really like to take this opportunity to thank them for helping us make this possible.
“This year we are pleased to announce that our charity partners for 2022 are Rockinghorse, Together Co. and Macmillan Horizon Centre. We hope we will be able to get back to some sort of normality and be able to hold fundraising events in the hotel like we have in the past, to raise even more for these charities.
“The pandemic has highlighted the impact isolation can have on our mental health which is why we are supporting Together Co. and their life-changing services. Unfortunately we all know someone who has been affected by cancer in some way which is why we’re also delighted to support Macmillan Horizon Centre. They are invaluable organisations to our community.”
The Grand also offers its colleagues the chance to do paid voluntary days. Throughout 2021, team members from all departments had the opportunity to spend a day with a local charity be it gardening for Roots to Growth, restoring furniture for Tudor House or delivering afternoon teas.
New appointments boost the Northumberland Arts Team
Two new appointments have strengthened the team at a popular North East hotel, with decades of experience under their belts.
The Northumberland Arms at Felton is known for its varied food offering and six boutique bedrooms which attract visitors from across the region and beyond.
And the versatile venue recently welcomed two new team members, with Adam Westgarth stepping into the role of head chef, while Clair Potts has joined the hotel as its new general manager.
With a background in fine dining, award-winning chef Adam has been in the hospitality industry for more than two decades and has worked at many of the region’s top hotels including Wynyard Hall, Otterburn Castle and Matfen Hall, along with Northcote near Blackburn.
Having worked up to Michelin star and four rosette levels, Adam is keen to bring these fine dining skills and flavours to The Northumberland Arms, while staying true to the pub environment.
And the chef has wasted no time in building relationships with game keepers and suppliers in the region, to support North East businesses and place emphasis on locally sourced, seasonal ingredients in his menus.
“I’ve worked in a corporate environment in a hotel group for the last five years and while I gained some fantastic experience, I missed being hands on with the food and couldn’t wait to get back in the kitchen,” said Adam.
“The Northumberland Arms has huge potential and seemed like a great fit and I’m currently playing around with ingredients for upcoming special occasions and working on building the team.”
General manager Clair has brought more than 25 years of experience to her new position, having started her career in hospitality when she was just 16.
With an extensive knowledge in all areas of the industry – having worked her way up from kitchen staff to managerial roles – she is looking forward to a new challenge at The Northumberland Arms.
And having been with the Sir John Fitzgerald Group for almost her whole career, it was the chance to gain experience in a property with accommodation which encouraged her to take a leap into a new role.
“It seemed like a good time in my career to make a change and when the role at The Northumberland Arms came up, I couldn’t say no,” said Clair.
“I’ve really enjoyed getting stuck into work at the venue and we have some really fantastic plans in the pipeline for the coming months.”
Stuart Young of the Northumberland Pub Company, which operates The Northumberland Arms, is delighted to welcome the pair to the team.
“Adam and Clair have a huge wealth of knowledge in their respective areas and I am confident they will be invaluable additions to The Northumberland Arms,” he said.
“We have a really exciting year ahead of us and I have no doubt that both Adam and Clair will pull out all of the stops to deliver an amazing experience for our guests.”
For more information, visit www.northumberlandarms-felton.co.uk
It takes two
Couples can tie the knot without any of the hassle of guest list politics, thanks to an award-winning North East wedding venue.
Ramside Hall Hotel, Golf and Spa at County Durham is home to six event spaces and has the capacity to host up to 500 guests in its largest function room.
But the hotel has seen a surge in bookings for one package in particular – a luxury treehouse wedding where only the bride and groom are invited.
Ramside’s Just the Two of Us offer is proving popular with would-be newlyweds planning an intimate celebration, with even the legal witnesses provided by the hotel.
The happy couple will say their vows in one of the hotel’s stylish treehouses, which are built on stilts and offering stunning views across the 18th fairway of The Prince Bishop’s Golf Course.
And the pair can make the most of the view after the ceremony with cocktails on the wraparound balcony and a romantic candlelit dinner for two with a bottle of the Sommelier’s choice of wine.
The celebration continues into the evening, with overnight accommodation in the treehouse where they said “I do” – which is also home to its own private hot tub – along with a bottle of Taittinger champagne and chocolates in the suite.
Then the following day, the pair can celebrate their first day as newlyweds by being pampered – with full access to the hotel’s award-winning spa and a one hour treatment included.
John Adamson, who owns Ramside Hall Hotel, Golf and Spa, believes the package ticks all the boxes.
“While big weddings were the norm before the pandemic, we have seen more and more couples opting to plan an intimate wedding – even after restrictions have been lifted,” he said.
“And although the wedding may be on a smaller scale, our luxury Treehouses ensure that newlyweds don’t have to sacrifice any of the wow factor for their big day.
“Our Just the Two of Us package includes everything from a candlelit meal to spa treatments the following day, so it’s a fantastic way for the happy couple to celebrate the start of their new life together.”
The package costs £1425 for a midweek booking or £2025 for weekend weddings.
For more information or to enquire, visit www.ramsidehallhotel.co.uk or call the venue on 0191 386 5285.
The Gabriel Miami, Curio Collection by Hilton appoints Duncan Clements to General Manager
The Gabriel Miami, Curio Collection by Hilton, is happy to announce the appointment of Duncan Clements to general manager. In this role, Clements is responsible for driving overall operations and guest satisfaction for the downtown lifestyle hotel’s 129 newly renovated rooms and suites. Clements assumes this position immediately and oversees all aspects of hotel operations. The Gabriel Miami is a cultural hub in Downtown Miami located within close proximity to the city’s main attractions, including museums, beaches, shopping and entertainment venues. The property is also at the epicentre of Miami’s downtown business district, offering rooms to business travellers as well as meeting and event attendees visiting the Magic City.
“We are delighted to have someone with Duncan’s experience leading The Gabriel Miami," said Robert Festinger, Vice President of Hospitality Asset Management. "He brings extensive knowledge, a goal-oriented mind-set, and passion to our day-to-day operation on property. We look forward to seeing how his innovative ideas and leadership will bring success to the hotel."
Clements brings over 30 years of hospitality to his new role at The Gabriel Miami. He graduated from Manchester University with a Bachelor’s degree in Business, Hotel and Catering Studies. Throughout his professional career, Clements has held prestigious roles at major hospitality establishments across the globe, including properties in London, Adbu Dhabi, Glasgow, and Birmingham. Career highlights span across multiple hospitality brands, including Hilton International, Kimpton Hotels, Intercontinental Hotels, Destination Hotels and more.
Most recently, Clements was the general manager at the Hillsboro Beach Resort in South Florida, where he served as the opening manager. He also managed large destination hotels, including the Elms Hotel and Spa in Excelsior Springs near Kansas City and the Yve Hotel in Downtown Miami. Clements also worked with Kimpton for 10 years, which brought him to notable properties in Chicago, Florida and Texas.
Representing a forward-thinking approach, Clements will utilize his well-versed background and rich expertise to increase bookings for the downtown tower hotel. A strategic and driven business leader, he will work with the hotel staff to improve the guest experience and quality of service. He will also lead all efforts for hiring and training employees, in addition to managing budgets for the property.
“I am honoured to have the opportunity to join the team of hard-working hospitality professionals at The Gabriel Miami," stated Clements. "With an incredibly talented team behind me, I have no doubt that we will create unforgettable memories for guests visiting the hotel.”
The Gabriel Miami is now accepting reservations with rates starting at $225 per night. For more information and to book your stay at The Gabriel Miami, visit thegabrielmiami.com.
Government’s VOA aggressively pursues fines to Hotel/Hospitality and Pub Businesses over bureaucratic form filling says Colliers
VOA’s grab for extra monies over “Forms of Return” branded inappropriate says Colliers – at time when businesses in the sector “just coming off its knees”
The Government Valuation Office Agency (VOA) has stepped up its demands to hotel and hospitality businesses and pubs by issuing and aggressively pursuing an increasing number of fines for late Valuation Forms of Return according to Colliers Business Rates Team. This is despite that many such businesses were closed during the pandemic with no one in the office when the forms were issued and who are now struggling to get their businesses back on the road.
Forms of return provide the VOA with basic information about a business’s property, such as rent, lease and ownership details, enabling the VOA to work out the ratable value of the property, which is then used to calculate the business rates. Businesses have 56 days to return the forms, after which they receive a £100 penalty. If the information has still not been provided within the next 21 days, a further £100 penalty notice is issued and from this date a charge of £20 a day is added to the total sum owed until the information is provided. The maximum penalty amount is £500 or the property’s ratable value, whichever is greater. This can run into thousands of pounds.
The issue for the hotel, pub and hospitality sector is that the return forms are much more complicated than other sectors including asking for detailed trade figures for the three-year period (2019,2020,2021), a period in which many such businesses were closed for long periods due to the pandemic and many staff were furloughed. Because traditionally the VOA was more understanding about late returns, many such businesses have not yet collated all the necessary information to make the returns- and are suddenly finding themselves facing ever increasing fines. And in many cases this information isn’t even useful to the VOA as some businesses were making a zero return in the period.
“It’s totally inappropriate” says John Webber, Head of Business Rates at Colliers, “The VOA is gearing up for the 2023 Revaluation and has suddenly woken up to the fact it can make extra monies by issuing fines for late returns of these forms, despite being more conciliatory to rate payers in previous years. We are seeing an increasing number of businesses coming to us to help sort this out, some of them with fines going into hundreds of pounds or more, particularly if there are a number of properties in their portfolio -as form filling wasn’t the key priority for such businesses in the pandemic.”
Colliers says one hotel client that has over 50 properties across the UK received the initial forms when staff shortages were at their highest. The client is now facing an ever increasing fine, but when the agent tried to sort this out there was a delayed response from the VOA, leading to further time penalties.
Webber continued, “Does the VOA really think this is a sensible way to behave? Such businesses have seen a difficult two years with lockdowns, furlough schemes, staff shortage and increased prices, not to mention pre-Christmas edicts about working from home and avoiding socializing. Surely they should be given some slack if they are slightly behind with the paperwork? Particularly when that paperwork has been made increasingly detailed and complicated to fill in? “
According to research one tenth of British restaurants closed their doors permanently due to the pandemic and 1000 pubs/restaurants closed in the 3 months, July to September 2021, after the restrictions were lifted- that’s 16 per day.
Webber added, “The drop in trade over December for pubs, bars, cafés and restaurants is still coming home to roost with estimates that trade fell by a third. It is disappointing the VOA is not showing a more conciliatory approach to a sector just coming off its knees.”
Hotel Leadership Conference inspires hoteliers to be bolder, braver and better
More than 400 hoteliers and industry leaders came out in force to attend the 28th Hotel Leadership Conference, where they gained the impetus to make bolder, braver and better decisions for themselves and their businesses.
The sell-out two-day conference, presented by The Master Innholders, took place at Park Plaza London Riverbank on 17-18 January where expert speakers covering a range of topics – from technology and asset management, to sustainability and diversity – inspired and educated delegates.
Enhanced safety measures were introduced to allow the event to proceed in a secure way while delivering its aim of bringing the industry together when they needed it most.
The first day concluded with a gala dinner, featuring a captivating Japanese-themed menu prepared by Park Plaza’s executive chef Werner Seebach, and celebrating the induction of 16 new Master Innholders.
Generous purchases of tickets for the evening’s charity raffle raised an incredible £4,000 for the Master Innholders Charitable Trust, Hospitality Action, and Springboard.
Team focus
The conference programme, created by conference chair James B Clarke FIH MI, general manager Hilton London Bankside, opened with a motivational presentation by author and coach James Kerr who drew on the success of New Zealand’s rugby team the All Blacks to demonstrate how hoteliers can lead their own teams to success.
Explaining how the team’s core values – humility, excellence and respect – were the backbone to their success, he challenged the industry to adopt them to bring out the best in their own people.
The key to attracting and retaining employees – and therefore building successful teams – is to focus on diversity and inclusion, said Joanna Aunon, director of WiHTL, who urged the industry to prioritise inclusivity.
This sentiment was echoed by Asif Sadiq, senior vice president at WarnerMedia for equity and inclusion, who pushed the narrative further, suggesting there were moral and business cases for encouraging a diverse and inclusive workforce where everyone felt they belonged.
He said employers should make it give every member of their team a ‘sense of belonging’ to improve personal and business achievement.
Sustainability NOW
With consciousness around sustainability at an all-time high, there was a key focus on bolder responsibility with top tips shared by experts to guide hoteliers towards making changes.
Ben Wielgus, head of sustainability at Informa, urged hoteliers to update their references to sustainability and remove the outdated term ‘corporate responsibility’ from all marketing materials as it no longer represented the status quo.
He said customer expectations were changing with more of them willing to pay more for sustainable products, so now was the time to be brave, carry out a ‘top-to-tail review’ of their sustainable actions and implement new ones.
Sustainability strategy adviser Sue Garrard told hoteliers that ignoring sustainability was not an option and warned them that inaction would lead to government taxation, potential staff shortages or revolts as well as accelerated global warming.
“We have to remember that we can’t run a business on a dead planet,” she said.
Garrard said adopting the long-term multi-stakeholder model for the business, engaging the whole workforce and understanding the customer would enable change to be enacted.
The packed conference programme also included sessions on sales from Laughs Last founder Marcus Cauchi, technology from Florian Montag of apaleo and Edward Bracken of The Hoteliers’ Charter.
To further support hoteliers for the year ahead, there were updates and forecasts from UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls OBE and Sarah Duignan of STR while Tim Stoyle of Savills examined the key challenges and considerations hoteliers would need to make in asset management.
The event concluded with a rousing keynote from author and behaviourist Jez Rose who introduced hoteliers to his Seasonal Change Model and explored aspects of human behaviour before imploring delegates to embrace change and see its potential.
Innovation and inspiration
David Morgan-Hewitt FIH MI, chairman of The Master Innholders, said: “We in our industry have certainly learned how to adapt over the last two years. Our industry is one of innovation, inspiration and true unadulterated hospitality and we should be proud of our success.
“The Hotel Leadership Conference provides a chance to be inspired and educated while spending valuable time with our industry peers. These two days have enabled us to move forward together and come back bolder, better and braver than ever.”
James B Clarke, conference chair, said: “It was fantastic to see so many industry colleagues come together for two spectacular days of engaging presentations and talks as well as have the chance to network face-to-face once again. I’m thrilled we’ve had the chance to reconvene once again as an industry and show the world that we are hospitality and we mean business.
“Thank you everyone who attended and all our supporters and sponsors who have enabled this event to happen.”
Dates are soon to be announced for the Hotel Leadership Conference 2023. For updates and to register your interest in attending, visit https://masterinnholders.co.uk/hotel-leadership-conference-2022/