MONTH IN REVIEW
MONTH IN REVIEW
www.hotelowner.co.uk
CUTS
MacDonald
Hotels to axe 50
jobs at Bathgate
headquarters
MacDonald Hotels group has
reportedly announced it will be
cutting up to 50 members of staff at
its Bathgate headquarters, due to
“unsustainably high” costs.
The announcement came from a
letter sent to staff which mentioned
above-inflation rises in business rates
and increased energy and utility costs
causing financial difficulties.
A spokesperson told Hotel Owner
that staff could potentially be hired to
fill roles at a number hotels located
near the headquarters, including
Falkirk, Bathgate and Edinburgh.
The group said that no hotel staff
would be affected and will only affect
admin roles.
The spokesperson added that a
“consultation exercise has begun”, and
staff who are at risk of redundancy
have been “contacted and told about
the situation”.
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HOTEL OPENINGS AWARDS
The Biltmore is set to open under
Hilton’s new luxury collection brand
LXR Hotels & Resorts’ following
an agreement between Hilton and
Millennium & Copthorne Hotels.
The luxury hotel, location in the heart of
Mayfair on Grosvenor Square, will open
for business in Spring 2019, marking the
new brand’s European debut. Hand Picked Hotels, a collection of
privately-owned country house hotels
and spa resorts, has awarded Audleys
Wood Hotel in Hampshire its Hotel of
the Year accolade.
The 72-room hotel, situated just
outside Basingstoke, was selected
from Hand Picked Hotels’ portfolio of
19 hotels in the UK and the Channel
Islands, in recognition of its “outstanding
performance throughout 2018”.
The accolade was presented to
Richard Storey, GM of the property,
during the annual awards ceremony
held at New Hall Hotel & Spa in
Birmingham, during which the hotel
was praised for its “commitment
to delivering an excellent guest
experience” and “solid financial results”
by Julia Hands, chairman and CEO of
Hand Picked Hotels.
Hands said: “It gives me great
pleasure to present this award to
Audleys Wood Hotel. In addition to
achieving strong financial performance
during the year, Richard and his team
have demonstrated exceptional levels
of guest care and attention to detail,
which is evident from its high customer
satisfaction scores, rave guest reviews
and consistent repeat bookings.”
Storey added: “On behalf of the
entire team at Audleys Wood, I am
delighted to accept this award.
Hand Picked Hotels is committed
to maintaining meticulous quality
standards and our teams are trained
to be completely guest-focused so I
thank each and every one of the team
at Audleys Wood for helping to deliver
a successful year for the hotel that is
recognised by both our guests and our
colleagues”.
The Biltmore to
be first European
hotel to join
Hilton’s new
luxury collection
The hotel, which will be known as
The Biltmore, Mayfair – LXR Hotels &
Resorts, has undergone a multimillion-
pound redevelopment following its
closure in early July 2018. Designed by
Goddard Littlefair, the hotel will offer
257 luxury guest rooms, many with
views over Grosvenor Square, as well
as 51 curated suites.
LXR is a collection of independent
hotels which Hilton says is distinguished
by an “unrivalled commitment to
personalised attention and luxurious yet
locally immersive experiences for guests”.
Last year, the collection welcomed its
maiden hotel in Dubai at Habtoor Palace,
a 234-guest room luxury hotel situated
on Sheikh Zayed Road.
The Biltmore, Mayfair will feature
an all-year round alfresco terrace,
an exclusive cocktail bar and a large
gymtech fitness suite. In addition,
the hotel will showcase an 500 sqm
ballroom with capacity for up to 700
guests, with further suites available for
smaller events.
Audleys Wood
Hotel named
Hand Picked
Hotels’ ‘Hotel of
the Year’
February 2019