Best Holiday Lettings

Category: News

  • Accor chief ousted over slow turnaround

    Hotel giant Accor has ousted chief executive Denis Hennequin following a disagreement over the pace of change on the largest hotel chain in Europe.

    A transitional team, headed by chief operating officer Yann Caillere, who takes the role of chief executive, was installed charge.

    Board member Sebastien Bazin, head of Colony Europe, was named vice-chairman to exchange Philippe Citerne, who becomes non-executive chairman.

    Hennequin becomes the third chief executive to be ousted from Accor since Usa-based Colony Capital invested within the group in 2005.

    He was hired in 2010 to accelerate an asset light strategy designed to cut back exposure to capital intensive owned hotels in favour of franchises and management contracts.

    However, stakeholders are believed to have lost patience with the rate of change, with Accor shares down five per cent in 2013.

    During his tenure Hennequin sold loss making budget hotel chain Motel 6 for $1.9 billion.

    He also disposed of gourmet caterer Lenotre and a stake in casino group Lucien Barriere, making Accor a pure hotel operator.

    In February, Hennequin launched a 3-year plan to minimize exposure to a weak Europe.

    Instead plans were installed place to step up expansion in emerging markets, while accelerating its move toward franchising or managing hotels for others to lift profit margins.

    “The directors came to the joint conclusion in regards to the group’s situation: that the method adopted is the correct one and that it’ll remain unchanged,” Accor said in a press release.

    “However, given current economic conditions and the rapid transformation of its competitive environment, Accor must accelerate the implementation of this strategy with the intention to reinforce its positions.”

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  • News: TAM Airlines extends mobile technology

    TAM Airlines has extended its mobile check-in service to passengers travelling from São Paulo’s Guarulhos Airport to European destinations, including London Heathrow. The service, previously only available from Europe to Brazil, guarantees a fast and safe boarding experience and in addition it avoids the use of paper boarding passes, which helps contribute to the airline’s commitment to sustainable practices. The service is available for both internet-enabled phones and tablets.

    TAM’s mobile check-in is very simple to use: the passenger just needs to an internet-enabled mobile phone or tablet to access the TAM website (www.tamairlines.com) where they input the flight date and the reservation number, or the e-ticket number. An electronic boarding pass with a bidimensional (2D) bar code is then sent by e-mail or text message (SMS), or it can be saved directly on to the mobile phone or tablet through Passbook (an application that has been developed to store and view boarding passes of different airlines, and is available for iPhone, iPad and Android platforms).

    TAM customers that want to take advantage of checking-in by mobile phone or tablet for international flights departing from São Paulo to London Heathrow and other European destinations, such as Frankfurt, Madrid, Milan and Paris, must carry out the necessary steps from 72 hours and up to three hours before the scheduled flight departure time. Only passengers with luggage should sign in on the TAM service counter. This helps to hurry up the boarding and check-in procedure.

    As well as being a fast and straightforward technique to check-in, the service also allows the passenger to choose or change their seats and to enter their TAM Frequent Flyer card number. It is also possible to check-in more than one person at the same time, as long as all the passengers within the group have an identical reservation code.

  • Grand Hyatt Hotel announced for Changsha China

    Hyatt Hotels Corporation announced that a Hyatt affiliate has entered right into a management agreement with an affiliate of Huayuan Property Co., Ltd for a Grand Hyatt hotel in Changsha, Hunan Province in central China.

    “Changsha has established itself as a huge hub for global business and entertainment, and we’re honored to have the option to bring the Grand Hyatt brand to this kind of great city,” said Mark Hoplamazian, president and chief executive officer of Hyatt Hotels Corporation on the agreement signing in Changsha earlier today. “Throughout our 40 years in China, we have got showed thousands of guests how our associates can meet and exceed their needs, and we glance forward to bringing Hyatt’s signature authentic hospitality to any such dynamic and historic city.”

    Grand Hyatt Changsha may be centrally located within the most prestigious commercial and business areas along the Xiangjiang River in downtown Changsha. The hotel might be portion of “The Central,” a mega mixed use complex with a purpose to incorporate high-end residential buildings, office spaces, and comfort shopping facilities. Situated at the upper floors of an iconic 268-meter-high skyscraper, Grand Hyatt Changsha will enjoy unobstructed views over the town and the river, and is anticipated to become the brand new landmark of Changsha. The 324-room hotel will feature an array of restaurants and bars, multi-purpose meeting and banquet facilities, a health club, a pool and a spa, and is anticipated to create over 500 new jobs.

    “We are very happy to work with Hyatt on such an exhilarating and demanding project. We glance forward to our collaboration with Hyatt in further developing the high-end hotel market in Changsha,” said Ren Zhiqiang, Chairman of Huayuan Property Co., Ltd.

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  • News: Viceroy Hotel Group opens UK sales office

    Viceroy Hotel Group, an iconic presence within the luxury hospitality sector, is pleased to announce the appointment of Jane O’Shea as Regional Director of Sales & Marketing of the first actual Regional Sales Office for the Viceroy Hotel Group within the UK.

    Jane, who can be located in central London, would be establishing a dedicated UK Regional Sales office for the gang and oversee the management of sales and marketing, predominantly inside the UK, but in addition within Ireland and Scandinavia, effective immediately.

    Jane brings two decades of progressive sales experience to the role, having worked with lots of top-tier hotels and resorts.

    Most recently, she worked as Head of Sales and Marketing at LUX* Resorts, charged with the launch of the recent brand to the market in December 2011 and promoting the group’s nine hotels based within the Indian Ocean around the UK, Ireland, Nordics, Holland and US.

    Proceeding her role at LUX* Resorts, Jane was Director of worldwide Sales at Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts where she oversaw the seven hotels located inside the Middle East, London and US and mounted the primary Jumeirah Regional Sales Office.

    “To receive the chance to establish a dedicated UK Regional Sales office for the Viceroy Hotel Group is a challenge i will relish – I couldn’t be joining at a more exciting time!

    “The current portfolio of properties really are best in school and with the brand new openings which are scheduled over the subsequent two years, it’s going to be the logo to observe. The business from the united kingdom market is amazingly important for the crowd, and I’m expecting building at the support that the corporate has seen thus far.”

  • I am due to fly out to Sharm el Sheikh. Is it safe to do so?

    If you are due to fly out to the Egyptian tourist resort in the next few days, then you will need to follow Foreign Office advice and recommendations carefully and make sure that you are up to date with current news.

    At the moment, tour operators and holiday companies have been told to delay all in-bound and returning flights into the resort, until British Security experts have had the opportunity to assess the security and safety procedures at the airport. This decision has come about due to the downing of a Russian Airbus over the Sinai Desert on October 31st which is thought to have now been caused by an on-flight bomb on board. The Foreign Office currently advises against all but essential travel to Sharm el Sheikh Airport. Many tour operators, like Monarch, have cancelled all flights until November 12th and will await further advice. For those scheduled to leave the resort, British tourists have experienced chaotic scenes and lengthy delays, some as long as 2 to 3 days, before they have been allowed to proceed through security to board returning flights.

    If you are thinking of cancelling your holiday, you will need to be aware that your travel operator is only obliged to refund all payments if the Foreign Office officially advises against all travel to an area. Some airlines or travel companies are offering refunds or alternative arrangements but they are under no legal obligation to do so as yet. You would be well advised to contact your tour operator or airline for advice on travel.