The Business Travel Magazine - February/March 2020

Businesstravel the

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February/March February/March 2020 2020

Magazine

SLEEP EASY An extended guide to business accommodation

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Business class

Taxis & transfers Independent consultants Focus on: Latin America the business travel people awards 2020: nominate now!

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Businesstravel the

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February/March 2020

Magazine

SLEEP EASY An extended guide to business accommodation

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Business class

Taxis & transfers Independent consultants Focus on: Latin America the business travel people awards 2020: nominate now!

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GBT Ready

SIMPLIFY YOUR BUSINESS TRAVEL You found it!

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American Express Global Business Travel (GBT) is a joint venture that is not wholly owned by American Express Company or any of its subsidiaries (American Express).

“American Express Global Business Travel,” “American Express” and the American Express logo are trademarks of American Express and are used under limited license.

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ARRIVALS

Contents 37

60

F E BR UA R Y/ MA RCH 2020 Features

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16 Business class travel 28 Taxis & transfers 38 Independent consultants

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Extended feature

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Accommodation Spend management, global groups, the UK hotel scene, sustainable travel, the long-stay market and much more...

Arrivals 36

(p55-86)

28 48

91

92

55 Extended feature: Accommodation • Introduction, 56-58 • UK hotels, 60-64 • Six of the Best: new hotels in London, 65 • Spend management, 66-71 • Sustainability, 72-74 • Long-stay options, 76-80 • Speaking Out, 81 • Global groups, 82-85 • Data, 86

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Opening Shots

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Everyone's Talking About: traveller wellbeing

11 The Knowledge: cut costs using a car club 12 Six of the Best: carbon offsetting services 15 Speaking Out: packaged travel legislation

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Regulars

25 The Business Travel People Awards: winner's interview 26 Event info: The Business Travel People Awards 2020 34 The Conversation: Jill Palmer, Click Travel 36 The Big Picture

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42

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37 Technology: rogue bookings 42 Talking Travel: Helen Skelton

The Review

45 Ten pages of news, views and the latest developments

Departures

88 New Kid on the Block

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89 Meeting in: Birmingham 91 On business in: Dallas-Fort Worth 92 Focus on: Latin America 96 Reality Check

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98 The Final Word

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ARRIVALS

Welcome What's in a name?

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hen Hilton unveiled its latest hotel line, Tempo, in January, it was billed as a brand for “modern achievers”. It is the group’s 18th brand as, like other groups, it aims to cover

every corner of the market, however whimsically it describes them. It now has hotels for “those with a zest for life and a desire for human connection” (Tru), for “today’s sophisticated traveller” (Conrad) and for those seeking “local experiences with a boutique feel” (Canopy), among others. Indeed, it claims to have “a hotel for every style, budget and occasion”.

That’s great news for its guests – business and leisure travellers alike – but it adds complexity for travel managers and procurement departments, and is among the many trends addressed in our extended feature on accommodation (p55-86). This covers everything from spend management and sustainability measures in the hotel sector, to the latest developments among UK, global and long-stay accommodation providers.

Elsewhere in this issue we take an in-depth look at business class air travel (p16-23), examine how independent consultants might work their magic on your travel programme (p38-40) and provide a preview of The Business Travel People Awards 2020 (p26-27). We have assembled an impressive line-up of experienced travel managers and industry personnel to assess this year’s nominations and we are delighted to have Leigh Cowlishaw onboard as Chair of the Judges. Nominations across the 16 awards categories close on March 2, so make sure you help us recognise outstanding individuals and teams across our industry.

EDITORIAL EDITOR

Andy Hoskins andy.hoskins@thebusinesstravelmag.com CONTRIBUTORS

Emma Allen, Nick Easen, Catherine Chetwynd, Linda Fox, Rob Gill, Gary Noakes & Gillian Upton STAFF JOURNALISTS

Sasha Wood & April Waterston CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Julie Baxter, Laura Gelder & Steve Hartridge

SALES COMMERCIAL HEAD - BUSINESS TRAVEL

Kirsty Hicks

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Callum Blackwell

DESIGN & PRODUCTION SENIOR DESIGNER

Louisa Horton DESIGNERS

Ross Clifford, Caitlan Francis & Zoe Tarrant PRODUCTION & STUDIO MANAGER

Clare Hunter

PRODUCTION ADMINISTRATOR

Steve Hunter

SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscribe for free at thebusinesstravelmag.com/subscribe

BMI PUBLISHING MANAGING DIRECTOR

Matt Bonner CEO

Martin Steady (Print) ISSN 1754-8543. THE BUSINESS TRAVEL MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED BY

Andy Hoskins, Editor

BMI PUBLISHING LTD: SUFFOLK HOUSE, GEORGE STREET, CROYDON, SURREY, CR9 1SR, UK. TEL: 020 8649 7233 ENQUIRIES@BMIPUBLISHING.CO.UK / BMIPUBLISHING.CO.UK THIS PUBLICATION IS PRINTED ON 100% FULLY RECYCLED PAPER AND DISTRIBUTED TO SUBSCRIBERS IN A COMPOSTABLE WRAPPER. WHILE EVERY EFFORT IS MADE TO ENSURE ACCURACY, BMI PUBLISHING LTD CANNOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ERRORS OR OMISSIONS. © BMI PUBLISHING LTD 2020 IMAGES: SOURCED FROM SUPPLIERS, ISTOCKPHOTO.COM AND BIGSTOCKPHOTO.COM

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ARRIVALS OPENING SHOTS

Eye-catching images of the latest news and developments

Hyatt Hotels

all change

Hyatt has made its debut in Manchester with two hotels. The 212-room Hyatt Regency Manchester and the 116-room Hyatt House share a restaurant and bar, lounge, fitness centre and seven meeting rooms. Housed within the Lume building, they were previously operated under IHGĘźs Staybridge Suites and Crowne Plaza brands.

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Popular for leisure and business travellers, Manchester and its growing commercial centre is an ideal destination for having two brands within one building�

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Melia Hotels

take art

Hilton Hotels

feel the beat

Interiors inspired by arts and crafts pioneer William Morris are the big feature of Melia Kensington. The 76-room boutique property is the group's third in London, and is complemented by swish British restaurant and cocktail bar, SW7.

Hilton has unveiled plans for its 18th brand – Tempo Hotels.

The company says at least 30 sites have been confirmed, many in US cities, with properties aimed at eco-conscious clients interested in wellness and sustainability.

Accor Hotels

double deal

Accor has taken pride of place in Leicesterʼs £50million Central Square redevelopment with the opening of a 154-room Novotel and 98-apartment Adagio aparthotel. The 10-storey Novotel includes 38 executive suites and five flexible meeting spaces catering for groups of up to 200.

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ARRIVALS EVERYONE'S TALKING ABOUT...

Traveller wellbeing “WELLBEING IS NOT AN EASY TOPIC AS THE KPIs AND

“WELLBEING IS A MAJOR ISSUE IN SOCIETY IN GENERAL AND WEDOESN’T ARE NOW “TECHNOLOGY SEEING YOU A KNOCK-ON IN RESCUE BUT IT EFFECT PROVIDES CONFIDENCE AND VISIBILITY. YOUR BUSINESS TRAVEL. AFTER LOTS OF TMC HAVE THEOVER PROCESS TALKSHOULD ABOUT THE SUBJECT THE ANDLAST PROCEDURES REPORTS TWO YEARS, TO WE RUN ARE SEEING AND HELP YOU REACH THOSE CONVERSATIONS TURN AFFECTED AN INCIDENT” INTOBYACTION” Ewan Kassir, Head of Sales, Clarity

Graham Ross, UK General Manager, FCM Travel Solutions

“Businesses have historically turned a blind eye to overstretched travellers, but the growing emphasis on wellbeing in the workplace is impacting travel policies” Katie Foster, VP of International Marketing, TripActions

BUSINESS METRICS TO FOLLOW CAN BE DIFFICULT TO MEASURE OR TAKE TIME TO EMERGE. THEY DON’T APPEAR IN ANY PROFIT AND LOSS ACCOUNT, BUT THEY DO HAVE A CONSIDERABLE BUSINESS IMPACT” Dr. Lucy Rattrie, Business Travel Wellbeing Community

We run reports and dashboards to analyse the amount and type of travel that our clients’ travellers have completed, including rest-time between trips taking into consideration travel fatigue and personal issues” Bex Deadman, Managing Director, Blue Cube Travel

“AS A SOCIETY, WE’VE COME TO REALISE THAT IT’S OKAY NOT TO BE OKAY, AND THIS SHIFT IS AFFECTING HOW WE Anne Bridgman, Director, Customer Group, CWT ERM

LOOK AT EMPLOYEE TRAVEL”

“By making employee welfare a priority, implementing the principles of smarter working and reducing unnecessary business travel, you can increase employee engagement and you will see a reduction in expenditure too” Jonti Dalal-Small, Head of Behavioural Science, Capita Travel and Events

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ARRIVE READY FOR BUSINESS

Wi-Fi terms and conditions apply. Power sockets available on selected rolling stock only. For full terms and conditions visit GWR.com

With free Wi-Fi and power at every seat, travel time needn’t be wasted time.

Book at GWR.com, on our app, or at a station.

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ARRIVALS THE KNOWLEDGE

How to...

Cut costs by using a car club Using car club vehicles in place of pool cars has helped one company significantly reduce its travel costs and cut its vehiclerelated carbon emissions. Read on to find out how it went about it.

THE BACKGROUND

Siemens Industrial Turbomachinery Ltd, part of global technology giant Siemens, wanted to reduce its business travel costs, with a particular focus on vehicle use, as well as cutting its carbon emissions associated with employees driving for business. Its key objectives were to reduce its pool car fleet, improve vehicle utilisation and enhance its use of digital processes.

THE PLAN

The organisation turned to mobility specialist Enterprise whose transport consultancy team supported a move to a highly structured car club programme which would also deliver detailed data analysis on employee travel plans. The plan centred on replacing its pool car fleet with a number of Car Club vehicles at its offices.

app, instead of via the fleet team, to manage the booking. They use their Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) smart ID cards to book and unlock the car club vehicles, which also allows Siemens to track who is booking the vehicles and for how long they're used.

This creates valuable data that is now being used to identify opportunities for further efficiencies, for example when employees might book a car club vehicle for eight hours to travel just five miles.

THE OUTCOME

The organisation has cut its travel costs by 28% in six months and reduced vehicles allocated to occasional business travel by a third by replacing its 20-strong pool fleet with 14 Enterprise Car Club vehicles. The low-emission and fuelefficient vehicles have also helped lower Siemens’ travel-related carbon footprint.

Because daily rental is no longer needed to back up pool fleet vehicles, Siemens has

achieved considerable savings on delivery and collection charges and reduced the miles being driven for vehicle deliveries and pickups by more than 10,000.

Wayne Warburton, Head of Mobility Services at Siemens UK, says: “It’s also making our employees more productive and efficient and changing their behaviours.

“Many will now combine trips to multiple destinations, while being able to book the vehicles directly means we’ve been able to reassign the entire fleet team and move them to other work.”

He adds: “We’re looking at expanding the programme to other sites because of the success it’s already demonstrated.”

Adrian Bewley, Assistant Vice President of Business Mobility UK & Ireland at Enterprise, says: “We worked closely with Siemens to analyse how vehicles were being used and how a better service could be provided with a dedicated on-site car club.”

Bewley continues: “The result is better mobility, fewer and shorter journeys and fewer vehicles, leading to reduced costs and a smaller carbon footprint.”

Photo by Arslan Ahmed on Unsplash

THE PROCESS

Enterprise identified the need for a range of cars and vans located across two Siemens offices in Lincoln and one site in Aberdeen.

Three Nissan Juke SUVs were positioned at each of the three locations while five vans were put in place in Lincoln. All vehicles were made bookable by the hour or by the day.

Hundreds of Siemens UK employees now book the vehicles themselves, either online or using a mobile

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ARRIVALS SIX OF THE BEST

Six of the best...

Carbon offsetting services 1

Climate Care

One of the longest-established carbon offsetters has partnered with countless travel companies and even the Norwegian government to reduce their environmental impact by scaling up sustainable projects. Schemes include providing clean stoves in Kenya and protecting the Amazon.

4 2

Gold Standard

3

Chooose

Independent auditors for carbon offset projects, Gold Standard asks you to measure your footprint using its carbon calculator and offers credits for green schemes such as reforesting biodiversity hotspots in Central America.

Pure Leapfrog works with British Airways to offset carbon emissions from its flights. With its partner EcoAct, it allows organisations to balance carbon emissions by investing in carbon market projects working towards the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, such as wind farms in Turkey.

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Chooose invites you to pick a monthly plan to buy carbon credits for Gold Standard-certified schemes that produce biochar, a solid carbon fertilizer made from biomass that helps safely absorb carbon back into the ecosystem.

5

12

Pure Leapfrog

Plan Vivo

Edinburgh-based charity Plan Vivo focuses on mitigating climate change with certified sustainable reforestation projects across the world including the creation of biodiversity corridors in Sri Lanka and supporting conservation projects in Indonesia.

Carbon Footprint

Carbon Footprint makes it easy to offset emissions from flights, road and rail journeys. Entering basic travel data into its calculator gives an estimate of your carbon emissions, the amount it will cost to balance it out, and a range of projects to choose from.

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Hello Business Hello Business Direct. Goodbye Direct.

Goodbye booking fees. booking fees.

Sign up to our Business Direct online portal in Great Britain and neverDirect pay aonline booking fee again.

Sign up to our Business portal Find out more about our Business Direct online in Great andtravellers: never pay a booking fee again. portal forBritain business Find more about our Business Direct online Visit out southwesternrailway.com/SME portal for business travellers: Call 020 3872 2226 Visit southwesternrailway.com/SME Email business.travel@swrailway.com Call 020 3872 2226 Email business.travel@swrailway.com

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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

YOUR GOOD HEALTH! It’s time to turn talk about traveller wellbeing into action.

Blue Cube Travel recommends a holistic approach

C

orporate travel, like any other industry sector, sees buzzwords emerge when an aspect of business travel becomes a trending topic. The latest of these is “traveller wellbeing” and reflects increasing awareness of mental health, not just where travel is concerned, but in all walks of life.

For the last two years, wellbeing has been debated at business travel events and discussed in meetings, yet with little measurable output. Companies are more aware that they should consider the mental health, exhaustion and stress levels of their travelling employees, but turning talk into action and making practical changes to travel programmes has yet to become mainstream.

But that is about to change in 2020, according to Blue Cube Travel. “We are expecting to see a significant industry shift this year in terms of corporates defining traveller wellbeing and introducing manageable ways of monitoring it,” says Blue Cube’s co-founder and Director, Mel Phaure.

“It’s a real positive that everyone is talking about wellbeing, but TMCs

and corporates now need to work together to ensure practical measures are put in place. Some larger corporates are leading the way with wellbeing programmes but a lot of organisations, particularly SMEs, don’t know what they need to do to address traveller wellbeing. There is clearly an opportunity for TMCs to guide clients and provide support,” she explains.

Blue Cube takes a holistic approach to advising clients on how best to monitor wellbeing with practical tips on how to engage and educate their travellers via policy. The TMC also runs reports and dashboards to analyse the amount and type of travel that clients’ staff have completed, including rest-time between trips. Blue Cube consultants’ expertise covers a whole range of subjects including exercise and supplements, travel and country advice as well as advice for vulnerable travellers. In addition, all Blue Cube staff have undertaken mental health awareness training with specialist consultancy, Simpila.

The TMC has also identified five ways to

help clients address traveller wellbeing more effectively. This includes regular ‘Fit to Travel’ pre- and post-trip reviews with individual travellers; evaluating previous trips in terms of business success – if business trips aren’t delivering results then perhaps your travellers could reduce the frequency of their trips; and giving travellers the opportunity to give feedback on the service they receive from suppliers – did they have a bad experience at check-in? Did they feel safe in a particular hotel location?

“Every traveller is an individual with different coping mechanisms. Introducing wellbeing guidelines based on data is a good start, but travel is personal, so decisions that broadly address wellbeing may not suit each person,” says Mel Phaure. “That’s why we take a bespoke approach to providing advice on wellbeing, safety and duty of care. In an age when there are several generations of employees across organisations, a strong communications plan needs to be in place that suits company culture and connects with individual travellers.”

bluecubetravel.co.uk / sales@bluecubetravel.co.uk / 020 8948 8188 Blue Cube-Advertorial.indd 1

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ARRIVALS SPEAKING OUT

DUTY OF CARE

PROTECTED SPECIES Legal expert Joanna Kolatsis discusses the intricacies of packaged travel legislation

W

hile duty of care is an ongoing discussion in the business travel sector, there is another issue that perhaps doesn't get the attention it warrants.

The exemption of business travel arrangements from The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 (PTRs) deserves time in the spotlight.

PTRs, recently revived for the modern age, are primarily aimed at the leisure travel sector and include an exemption for business travellers. But it is important to clarify the basis of the exemption before we look into potential areas of responsibility.

The EU Package Travel Directive 2015 provided an exemption for business travel arrangements where such arrangements are made on the basis of a ‘general agreement’ (GA).

However, the Directive also recognised that small businesses and independent business travellers may still need PTR protection.

Once implemented in the UK, the PTRs confirmed the exemption and defined a GA as “an agreement… concluded between a trader and another person… for a trade, business, craft or profession, for the purpose of booking travel arrangements in connection with that trade, business, craft or profession”. The exemption for business travel within the PTRs only

takes effect if a GA is in place. It is not an automatic exemption as is frequently and incorrectly assumed.

When TMCs make arrangements under a GA, they are usually acting as agents for the suppliers of the services. In the event of a problem, most TMCs will do their utmost to assist their customers, so it is likely that businesses and travellers may not fully understand the extent of what this means for them in practice.

As a rule, TMCs will assist in times of disruption and liaise with relevant suppliers concerned. However, the affected customer will have to fund any alternative costs. For example, if the TMC books flights and accommodation and the airline goes out of business prior to travel, the traveller will not be entitled to a refund for the flight.

A large corporate client may have the resource to cover this but a small business or individual traveller may not (which is what the PTRs envisioned).

Businesses are under increasing pressure to ensure they provide a duty of care to their corporate travellers. Much of this duty is subcontracted to the TMCs under the GA who engage with risk/security management professionals, health and safety providers and business etiquette advisers in order to provide a holistic travel solution. But the role of the TMC doesn’t change; the brunt of the responsibility lies with the corporate entity itself. The only time this may differ is in the event of the TMC’s negligence in arranging the services.

If a GA is not in place, these types of liabilities may garner the protection of the PTRs for smaller entities and independent corporate travellers.

The issue of extended business trips to include leisure arrangements also gives rise to a number of grey areas. While the corporate entity will ultimately be responsible for their travellers while on business, who is responsible if something goes wrong during leisure time? What happens if the traveller is joined by family?

Do these arrangements fall outside the scope of the GA? Will they be covered under the PTRs? These are all issues which the business should consider when agreeing terms with their chosen TMC, particularly if the intention is also to remain outside the scope of the PTRs. It is imperative that businesses clearly define the role of their TMC with regards to travellers, the extent of the TMC’s duties, and their ability to provide assistance in time of need.

While a corporate is responsible for their staff while on business, what happens if something goes wrong during leisure time?”

JOANNA KOLATSIS Joanna Kolatsis is the founding Director of Themis Advisory, a business affairs and strategic advisory consultancy. She has over 20 years' experience providing legal services to the travel and aviation industries.

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BUSINESS CLASS

Suite

SUCCESS Airlines are maintaining their focus on business class, with the cabin offering better profit potential than seats further forward, writes Gary Noakes

I

f you listen to Wizz Air, flying business class should go the way of plastic straws and diesel cars.

The budget airline has called for an end to ‘old school’ premium flying, which it says has twice the carbon footprint of economy class due to the increased space per passenger it offers.

No-frills carriers might argue there’s no environmental case for business class for a short hop around Europe, but try telling that to an executive flying London-New York every week. They need their bed, and don’t you try to deny them.

Fortunately, business class travellers have more choice than ever, although it’s still a lottery whether fliers get the latest mini cabins, some complete with sliding doors, the sort of product previously only the privilege of first class passengers.

Last summer, British Airways debuted its new Club Suite with fully enclosing sliding 16

door on its first Airbus A350s serving some frequencies to Bengaluru, Toronto and Tel Aviv. The suite is a major update to the once revolutionary but now tired Club World cabin and will also be on BA’s Boeing 78710s, the first of which will serve Atlanta from the start of February.

However, it will be some time before passengers can look forward to the new product across BA’s fleet. One B777 on the Heathrow-JFK route currently offers the Club Suite and more will appear on this route in the coming months. A spokesperson for the airline could not be specific, but said: “The B777s with the new Club Suite will be primarily operating on New York routes.”

The spokesperson also said all the Heathrow fleet would be refitted by 2025 “although it will be on over 90% of our longhaul aircraft by 2023”, with the Airbus A380 fleet being refurbished last.

Virgin Atlantic also debuted its new partially enclosed cabin on the A350. It will have 12 A350s by 2021 and four are already flying New York frequencies. The A350 will also serve Johannesburg from March and Los Angeles from April.

Lee Haslett, Vice President, UK and Ireland Sales, says the new aircraft has stronger wifi, while The Loft, a seating area that replaces the bar, is more suited to corporate travellers.

There are no plans to retrofit Virgin’s B787s with the new cabin, but Virgin receives the first of 14 A330neo aircraft from September 2021. “By 2024, our average fleet age will have halved to 5.3 years,” he says.

Virgin’s Manchester business passengers will see big improvements this summer, with the opening of a new Clubhouse complete with a la carte dining, while Manchester-JFK capacity has increased 75%.

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BUSINESS CLASS

MAIN IMAGE: WESTJET

Virgin is sticking to widebody aircraft, but as we enter the 2020s, business class passengers will more often be flying some routes on narrow body aircraft. New longhaul versions of the Airbus A321 will offer a compact 2-2 layout business cabin and United Airlines has joined the small band of full-service carriers putting their faith in them for transatlantic flights.

Flights of fancy

United has ordered 50 Airbus A321XLRs, with a range of 5,400 miles – about the same as the Boeing 757s they will replace.

United has 53 B757s and uses them on “thin” routes including Edinburgh-Newark.

The airline says the new aircraft will allow it to explore more European destinations from East Coast hubs at Newark and Dulles, which may mean former routes to New York from Birmingham and Bristol become viable again. Just as on the B757, United will offer

the full Polaris business product, although because of the narrow cabin, this will likely be a 2-2 layout.

SAS brings the first A321LR into its fleet in September. This aircraft has a slightly shorter range than the XLR, but SAS says it can reach the Middle East and India from Scandinavia. It will first serve CopenhagenBoston, with new routes to be revealed this year. SAS has also been using the first of eight widebody A350s from January 28 from Copenhagen to Beijing, Tokyo, Shanghai and Hong Kong. Both aircraft will feature the latest business cabin.

Further afield, Cathay Pacific, which has challenges at Hong Kong, is enticing travellers back with upgraded bedding in its business cabin. Meanwhile, ANA has made a major upgrade to its business cabin, with an enclosed seat known as The Room. The seat itself is a mini sofa, double the width of the old one, with 64 on the Boeing 777.

SINGAPORE AIRLINES A350

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BUSINESS CLASS

It is already on the Heathrow-Tokyo Haneda route and has just appeared on some New York-Haneda and Narita services, with Frankfurt added from March.

Fellow Star Alliance member TAP Air Portugal has finished a long-haul fleet renewal, with 17 A330-900neos now in operation complete with new business cabin. The transformation means TAP’s fleet has gone from an average age of 15 years to under four years in just 12 months.

The A330s have 34 fully flat conventional business seats, mostly in a 1-2-1 layout and the airline is now an attractive option for flights to South America.

All-out business

New generation business cabins are now so good there is probably no potential for any return to the all-business class airline gold rush seen a decade ago. The Noughties saw the collapses of Eos, MAXjet and Silverjet, and since then scheduled all-business class flights have become a rarity.

The UK’s sole exception is British Airways’ London City-JFK fight, although this is now a single frequency, with BA having disposed of one of the pair of custom-built A318s serving the route. BA also closed its Parisbased Open Skies all-business airline in 2018, but its place has been taken by France’s La Compagnie, which flies ParisNewark and Nice-Newark.

La Compagnie now has two new A321s in an all-business class configuration, with 76 fully flat seats in a 2-2 layout. The carrier has obtained more slots at Orly, so will likely expand and in January it operated a limited flight series to Las Vegas for the

TAP AIR PORTUGAL

Consumer Electronic Show, with fares priced from $2,100 return.

Before its closure, Open Skies switched from being all-business to a multi-class cabin and this is the approach Qantas has to its non-stop 17-hour Heathrow-Perth service and the planned London-Sydney non-stop flights.

All-business class services are a niche and one that only BA has managed to work in a small way on its most profitable route. After BA and La Compagnie, Singapore Airlines, whose non-stop service to Newark is

The Noughties saw the collapses of Eos, MAXjet and Silverjet, and since then scheduled all-business class flights have become a rarity” around 19 hours, comes nearest to an allpremium cabin. Its aircraft has no economy section, but together with the 67 business class suites, the Airbus A350 has 94 premium economy seats – proof that regular all-business class flights are too much of a commercial risk and perhaps a thing of the past.

Room to manoeuvre

QANTAS A380

UNITED POLARIS

Premium economy, rather than business class, is the big growth area, but the business cabin is holding its own as some carriers dispense with first class altogether.

The gap between business and first is now so small, with new generation business seats offering an enclosed personal space, that many carriers now feel it makes first class redundant.

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BUSINESS CLASS

Few carriers will now consider upgrading their business cabins without a seat plan that offers aisle access to all passengers. As this layout takes up more floor space, in some cases this can mean bigger business cabins than before.

An example is Qantas, which is fitting new Business Suites to its A380 fleet. Capacity is increased by six seats to 70 and there is a larger lounge area accommodating ten people. This extra room comes at the expense of 30 fewer economy seats at the rear of the upper deck, which also permits an enlarged premium economy section.

Just how far you can take overall business class capacity on a given aircraft is illustrated by British Airways. On HeathrowNew York, the world’s most profitable route, estimated to be worth $27,000 an hour to BA, first and business class seats make up around 30%-plus of its seats, so the scope

IATA expects average long-haul business class ticket prices globally to rise only 1% and for regional business class fares to increase 2% in 2020”

LATAM

VIRGIN ATLANTIC

for any carrier to go beyond this seems limited. There is a small exception in Singapore Airlines’ ultra long-range A350, with its business class making up 42% of the aircraft’s capacity, but generally speaking, it’s seen as foolhardy to go much beyond BA’s measure.

The price is right

Looking at the year ahead, IATA predicts a combination of factors will contribute to a broadly stable 2020 and small airfare price increases. It says the year will see “a moderate pick up in global growth and

SAS

world trade” and a modest reduction in fuel costs – great for airlines, but not necessarily good for business travel managers. However, IATA also expects an increase in capacity growth, which should dampen fare increases.

Examining the predictions more closely, IATA estimates global passenger numbers will reach 4.72billion in 2020, compared with 4.54billion in 2019, with global airline profits increasing from $25.9billion to $29.3billion. It expects world trade to grow 3.3% in 2020, compared to only 0.9% in 2019 as commercial relations with the US and the rest of the world improve during an election year – a forecast it made before the US-Iran spat. IATA added then that “oil supplies are plentiful” and predicted kerosene prices would fall to an average $75.6 a barrel, compared to $77 in 2019.

Whereas passenger capacity rose 3.5% in 2019, it is forecast to grow 4.7% in 2020 as aircraft deliveries rise “significantly”, causing load factors to marginally decrease to 82% from 82.4% in 2019.

Taking all this into account, IATA expects average long-haul business class ticket prices globally to rise only 1% and for regional business class fares to increase 2%.

Globally, BCD Travel says continued capacity expansion will offset the collapse of carriers like Jet Airways and Air Berlin, limiting fare increases. However, this is not the picture across the board, with IAG, for example, reining back expansion until 2023 from the previous 6% estimate to 3-4% until 2022.

BCD warns the drop in profitability of Middle East airlines will also have an

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BUSINESS CLASS

Pulling the levers

ANA

effect: “Even Middle Eastern carriers, once seen as a low-cost, one-stop option for flights to Africa and Asia, are increasing fares to repair their finances.”

Winners and losers

Conversely, BCD predicts keener transatlantic pricing in 2020, with the British Airways and American Airlines joint venture responding to the strengthened Virgin Atlantic and Delta partnership.

Thomas Stoeckel, BCD’s Senior Vice President, Supplier Relations, EMEA, says: “Transatlantic is going in one direction and the Middle East and Far East in the other. I was on transatlantic flights a lot in 2019 and aircraft were full. Airlines are managing inventories quite well. In the Far East we already have over-capacity, mostly due to the Middle East carriers.”

He predicts future pressure on the Middle East airlines as more non-stop flights on new A350s and B787s overpass the region.

“We are also now seeing flights to secondary Chinese cities from Europe, so there’s often no reason to change in the Middle East or elsewhere,” he adds.

Historically, we have always had an element of fare parity, but that’s going to shift this year and we will see different agents able to negotiate different types of fares through NDC”

DELTA AIR LINES

Transatlantic is set for another shake-up in addition to the battle of the joint ventures, Stoeckel predicts: “We will see the Airbus A321 XLR have an effect. TAP and SAS are using them and JetBlue is coming in 2021.

As a result, we’ll see secondary airports on both sides get connections.”

The new aircraft mean some travellers need to revise their ideas about what they can expect from business class: “People need to get used to this; the product is probably not the same as on a wide body, but I think it’s a perception thing; after a few minutes, you forget.”

When it comes to fares, Jo Lloyd, a partner at consultants Nina & Pinta believes there is one overriding consideration this year: “I think we’re likely to see some landmark shifts around the whole NDC landscape,” she says. “My suspicion is this will be the year that parity will not be as clear as in previous years. Historically, we have always had an element of fare parity, but that’s going to shift this year and we will see different agents able to negotiate different types of fares through NDC. “There are certain markets where we will start to see more traction in this than others. I predict Europe will be one to go first and Australia will be another. Then we will see how it works elsewhere.”

Lloyd has one wish for the year ahead: “Fares are generally driven by revenue management looking at market share and adjusting. I’d like to see them take a look at commercial relationships so that it’s less focused on routes and more on mutual benefits and commercial gain. I think we’ll see that with airlines that are making more traction with NDC.” Lloyd’s final prediction is simple: “The market is going to be more complicated,” she warns. Prepare for some tough negotiations in 2020.

BRITISH AIRWAYS

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awards

S ara h S y mingt o n

MICE MANAGER OF THE YEAR Capita Travel and Events’ Sarah Symington talks about her triumph at The Business Travel People Awards 2019

work every single day, and I am involved in running the whole Events team which is now over 30 strong. I also manage events from 10–3,000 people for some of the world’s best-known companies, which is what makes every day so different.

How did you clinch the award?

I’d say one factor was probably that I guided my team through a big transition period, yet my team’s retention remained at 100% and continues to do so. I was also heavily involved in re-securing two of our biggest event contracts and I like to think I have a strong relationship with both of those customers. I’d say these both played a part because we always say our customer and staff loyalty are our strongest measures in substantiating our success. Aside from that, I am a self-confessed worker bee, and I consider myself an all-round team player. I really do put our customers and my team at the heart of my approach all the time.

What do you particularly enjoy about your role?

It is so varied. I can honestly say I have never been bored in this job so I guess you could say I enjoy being kept on my toes! I consider myself very lucky to work with some great customers in lots of different industries, and no two events are ever the same. I also really enjoy watching the team grow and develop, both in size and in their personal development.

How did it feel to be named MICE Why did you enter the awards or how Manager of the Year at The Business did you come to be nominated?

Travel People Awards 2019?

My managers nominated me. Caroline, our I was shocked and thrilled! The day Director of Events, won the inaugural before the awards, I had just award in 2017. I know I was completed a really complex, described by my team as its seven-day-long event and I ‘lynchpin’. This is a huge The Business was still coming down compliment as I’m lucky Travel People Awards from that. The next to have such a talented recognise outstanding thing I know my name team. We have was being called out achieved some individuals and teams across as ‘MICE Manager of amazing things. all aspects of the supplier the Year’ – I really element of corporate travel. hadn’t seen it coming.

Tell us about your Nominations for the 2020 Aside from the surprise, role at Capita Travel awards are open until I was also proud. It’s a and Events and the fantastic achievement, and work you did to clinch March 2 one for my amazing team the award? too, as I couldn’t do what I do I manage a team of five Event without them.

Managers who all bring their A-game to

What do you think of the awards and of the ceremony?

The awards dinner was great. It’s a fantastic way to network with industry peers and, as it is held during the day, it means that travel is not as tricky as I am not based in London.

The winners' lunch at the Shard was lovely too, as it was an extra chance to celebrate and meet the other winners.

What are some of the biggest challenges you’re currently facing in your role?

We have had such an amazing few years.

My main challenge is keeping that momentum going and keeping our service levels at the top.

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AWARDS

THE

AWARDS! The Business Travel People Awards comprise 16 categories across the TMC, MICE and supplier elements of the corporate travel industry.

Recognising outstanding individuals and teams across all aspects of the supplier element of corporate travel

Nominate a colleague,

“The People Awards are quite simply one of the best award ceremonies I have been to” “You could tell by the excitement of

acquaintance or yourself at

everyone in the

thebusinesstravel peopleawards.com

room that these awards are taken very seriously by

Nominate now!

the nominees and winners”

CHAIR OF THE JUDGES

NOMINATIONS CLOSE

March 2, 2020

THE AWARDS CEREMONY

Friday 22nd May 2020 Park Plaza, Westminster Bridge, London

26

Leigh Cowlishaw WE ARE delighted that Leigh Cowlishaw has joined The Business Travel People Awards 2020 as Chair of the Judges.

Joint Managing Partner of business travel consultancy Black Box Partnerships, Leigh has more than 20 years’ experience in travel with particular expertise in accommodation, meetings and events.

She has previously worked for Capita Travel and Events, is a board member and former Chair of the HBAA, and has recently been named interim Global Supplier Partnership Director for the Advantage Travel Partnership.

“I’m delighted to take on the role of Chair of the Judges,” says Cowlishaw. “It’s so important that the business travel industry has these awards that recognise brilliant individuals and teams alongside their companies.”

Cowlishaw continues: “I’ve worked in the industry a long time and know that behind every successful company are excellent employees who deserve to be rewarded.

“I’m really looking forward to overseeing the judging process and seeing some of the great work that’s gone on behind the scenes in the last 12 months.”

“These awards are all about recognising the people in our industry that don't always get the recognition they deserve” “It feels absolutely amazing to win one of these awards and it's a brilliant recognition of our hard work over the years”

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AWARDS

R E C O G N I S I N G

“Probably the best awards in travel.

It's very motivating for our staff to see their name in lights and socialise with industry peers” “An excellent opportunity to recognise and reward what is at the heart of our industry - its amazing people”

E X C E L L E N C E

2019 WINNERS TMCs AND HBAs CATEGORIES >> Account Manager of the Year: Colin Harvey, BCD >> Account Management Team of the Year: Click Travel >> Operations Manager of the Year: Tracey Wilson, Blue Cube Travel >> Operations Team of the Year: Client Services, Business Travel Direct >> Reservations Consultant of the Year: Jill Burnett, BCD Travel >> Reservations Team of the Year: Production, Sports & Creative Team, Corporate Traveller >> Sales/Business Development Manager of the Year: Andy Boorman, Advantage Travel Partnership >> Sales/Business Development Team of the Year: Click Travel >> MICE CATEGORIES >> MICE Manager of the Year: Sarah Symington, Capita Travel and Events >> MICE Team of the Year: TBR Global Major Global Events Team >> SUPPLIER CATEGORIES >> Account Manager of the Year: Mohammed Laher, Sixt Rent A Car >> Account Management Team of the Year: Corporate and TMC Account Management Team, Virgin Atlantic and Delta Air Lines >> Sales/Business Development Manager of the Year: Jason Dunderdale, Sixt Rent A Car >> Sales/Business Development Team of the Year: London North Eastern Railway (LNER) >> INDUSTRY AWARDS >> Best Newcomer: Rob Cope, Corporate Travel Management >> Rising Star: Hugo Jarvis, Blue Cube Travel

A W A R D C AT E G O R I E S Travel management company categories Reservations Consultant of the Year Reservations Team of the Year Operations Manager of the Year Operations Team of the Year Account Manager of the Year Account Management Team of the Year Sales / Business Development Manager of the Year Sales / Business Development Team of the Year

MICE categories Meetings & Events Manager of the Year Meetings & Events Team

“The Business Travel People Awards has quickly become one of the most sought after and prestigious events in travel” “I feel this is a true awards presentation that celebrates genuine criteria and winners”

A special thanks to our esteemed judges A STELLAR panel of judges has been convened to assess nominations in The Business Travel People Awards 2020.

Joining the panel for the first time are Jan Jacobsen, Global Accommodation Manager at AIG; Elizabeth Anderson, Manager of Global Travel Operations at Inmarsat Global; Blue Cube Travel’s Hugo Jarvis, winner of the Rising Star Award 2019; and Cilla Goldberger of Focus Travel Partnership.

Meanwhile, returning as judges in 2020 are Nikki Rogan, Global Travel Manager at Synamedia; Chris Travis, Director for Global Travel Strategy at MSD; and Julia Lo Bue-Said, CEO of Advantage Travel Partnership. Each of our experienced judges will be allocated several categories to judge – we thank them all for their time and commitment to highlighting the best in the business.

of the Year

Supplier categories (Open to all industry suppliers, including airlines, accommodation providers, car hire companies, train operating companies, travel technology solutions, duty of care specialists... and more!)

Account Manager of the Year Account Management Team of the Year Sales / Business Development Manager of the Year Sales / Business Development Team of the Year

Industry categories Rising Star Award

Best Newcomer

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ground transport

In the driving

sEat

The world of taxis and chauffeur hire is not one to stand idle, reports Nick Easen, who discovers a fast-paced and increasingly innovative sector

I

t is said that we live in turbulent times – and the taxi, transfer and chauffeuring sector demonstrates this alarmingly well.

On-demand vehicles, booked instantly via mobile phones, is now the norm for the general public. And so it is no surprise that business travellers expect the same experience when on company time.

As a result, everyone in the industry is having to step up and deliver. “The current rate of change has never been so fast. This space continues to evolve with technology as its driving force,” explains Craig Chambers,

28

Group CEO of TBR Global Chauffeuring.

Ride-hailing services abound, led by Uber and Lyft and followed by challengers such as Kapten, Bolt, Gett, FreeNow, Ola and Kabbee, to name just a few. Bloated by investor money, they’re maturing rapidly and becoming an integral part of the mix.

Hail storm

Today’s ground transport scene is a far cry from booking Addison Lee over the phone a decade ago. Digitally enlightened natives are setting the bar high when it comes to booking experiences.

Ease of use, flexibility, seamlessness and cost savings are the new buzzwords. They’re lapping up a new cohort of travellers – Generation Y and beyond – who are invading the corporate scene and happy to book everything via smartphone.

“There has certainly been a shift in focus from the buyer, arranger and traveller to being more focused on the interface with the provider,” says Greg Mendoza, Regional Vice President for International Operations at Carey International.

A change in booking patterns also has travel managers, policy makers and travel management companies sitting up in their swivel chairs. That’s because this sector has been overlooked, until now.

Executive travellers have been largely left to their own devices, quite literally. Yet with changing buying patterns comes a notable change in attitudes.

“The industry increasingly views transfer and chauffeur services as the next big opportunity after flights and hotels, as part of taking a more holistic view of managed travel,” explains Angelina Bunting, Commercial Director at Reed Mackay.

Remarkably, over 50% of companies still have no restrictions in place with regards to taxis, or have nothing specified within their travel policy, according to a recent survey.

“Taxis are one of the least regulated modes of transport,” states Leanne Riley, Business Travel Specialist at CMAC Group, whose company conducted the poll.

“The main challenge is finding the time to prioritise ground transportation and also finding a way of incorporating taxi travel into an existing programme.”

Taxis are still considered one of those petty expenses you can sort out easily with accounts at a later date. Yet road travel can contribute to 10% or more of any corporate travel budget. It’s therefore increasingly on the radar for managed travel programmes.

This is at a time when it’s becoming increasingly difficult to contain, since there’s a proliferation of choice. 

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ground transport

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Recognising outstanding individuals and teams in business travel Nominate yourself, a colleague or acquaintance now in 16 categories recognising and rewarding hardworking reservations consultants, account managers, operations managers and business development personnel

NOMINATE NOW the business travel people awards.com Nominations close March 2

SAVE THE DATE Awards ceremony, May 22 Park Plaza Westminster, London

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ground transport

“Dealing with ground transportation is a growing challenge with more options available all the time,” states Stephen Brook, Manager of EMEA Distribution Strategy at Amex GBT. “These range from taxis and chauffeur cars, ride-hail, car share, and car clubs to newer options like e-scooters. It doesn’t help that travellers have a lot of autonomy when it comes to arranging things in this sector,” says Brook.

But let’s face it, the market has always been fragmented. Yet many corporations are beginning to incorporate language into their travel policy about when employees can and should take different types of ground transport – for example, a preferred chauffeured service for airport transfers or a ride-hailing app for short inner-city trips.

However, there’s still caution about using certain services, such as ridesharing, where there are safety, security and duty of care



06:48 PM

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Ground transport has become commoditised. Price and ease of use are the major determining factors” concerns, even though it makes a lot of sense to share ground transport, especially if a number of executives are heading to one destination.

“Corporations are starting to look at all historical travel patterns captured from expense data or corporate charge card information in order to demonstrate best practices for this category,” says Melanie Benedetto, Senior Consultant for Ground Transportation at CWT Solutions Group.

With so much competition, digital innovation and efficiency, ground transportation has become commoditised.

Price and ease of use are the major

determining factors; hidden fees have also been summarily scrapped.

Traditional taxi and chauffeur services have had to up their game, and some have consolidated in order to offer more globalised coverage, as well as different levels of service. Others have gone for a more human approach appreciated by c-suite travellers.

It helps that ride-hailing apps no longer have a monopoly on good technology.

“They may have led the way several years ago, but now ground transportation has a multitude of technology options,” says Carey International's Mendoza.

“This starts with the booking process, moves on to providing arrangers and travellers with real-time information as services are taking place, and is followed by hyper-efficient billing and back office functionality. This can now be integrated with online booking tools of all shapes and sizes,” he explains. 

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ground transport



Mobility as a service

One development in the market is for ground transportation players to offer a greater range of mobility services integrated under one roof, a concept called Mobility as a Service (MaaS).

This could help solve the fragmented market by bringing individual operators together with one comprehensive solution, available on demand, whether it be taxis, chauffeur services, ride-hailing or even bikes, perhaps even linked in with public transport options.

For instance, platforms have been developed to enable local taxi firms to work with travel aggregators and provide mobility solutions.

“These connections will eventually facilitate change across the industry and help us to create seamless Mobility as a Service networks that everyone is envisioning,” says Paul Wait, Commercial Director at iGo, a platform that already processes one million trips a day.

Since we’ve potentially hit ‘peak car’ in the UK and vehicle sales are now falling, it’s starting to make financial and environmental sense to have fewer vehicles on the road and use them more efficiently, as well as on a shared basis.

“This should be viewed in the same way we consume other services like planes or hotels and that is on an as-you-need basis,” says John McCallion, CEO of

32

GroundScope. “You don’t keep an aircraft in the garage so why keep a car that spends most of its time in a car park not being used? Why not just book it when you need it?”, he says.

The delivery of a comprehensive and fully inclusive ground transport solution that can be incorporated into policy and managed in terms of cost, expensing and duty of care has not been available up until recently, but this is changing.

“The future will be to offer the business traveller added value by closing the gaps between the different components of his or her travel chain,” says Dr Sascha Meskendahl, Chief Revenue Officer of Blacklane. “Providers will aspire to become a one-stop-shop for frequent travellers aimed at handling just about anything the traveller needs on their trip.”

A question of sustainability

Sustainability is certainly becoming more important. The transport sector as a whole accounts for a whopping one-third of all of the UK’s emissions. The sector, particularly ground transport, is viewed as a vital nut to crack if the country is to tackle the climate crisis and achieve the goals it has set for cutting emissions.

The use of technology can help; it is able to increase the efficient deployment of vehicles with GPS tracking, apps and smart technology. There is also a move towards

Using artificial intelligence, machine learning and big data will further decipher how business travellers use ground transport in a bid to optimise the customer experience” electric vehicles to help create emissionfree fleets, which could make a huge contribution to carbon neutrality.

“The ability to choose an electric vehicle when booking a ride through a firm’s app has become an important differentiator for some operators,” states iGo’s Wait.

Some companies, such as Blacklane, are offsetting not only the emissions created by their fleet, but also their entire operations by partnering with an offsetting provider. Certainly, everyone is now much more aware of the damage emissions are causing, especially within cities.

“People now want to reduce their carbon emissions as much as possible,” says McCallion. “Yet the high cost of electric cars and lack of high-speed charging points is holding back significant adoption of electric vehicles.

He continues: “But with car manufacturers now facing significant fines for selling high-carbon emission vehicles, the next few years will see electric car purchase costs significantly drop. There is also more high-speed charging point infrastructure being installed.”

So, what can we expect in the future?

Using artificial intelligence, machine learning and big data will further decipher how business travellers use ground transportation in a bid to optimise the customer experience. Who controls the data could control the future. This is what Uber hopes for.

Development and investment also continues apace for driverless car technology. “There’s a big appetite for innovation in this sector and successful providers will be keeping informed about traveller needs and aspirations, and using this insight to create new ground products,” states Amex GBT's Brook. It’s an exciting space to watch.

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THE CONVERSATION

CEO, Click Travel

JILL PALMER The TMC leader tells Andy Hoskins about doing business in the “sweet spot” between technology and customer service

J

ill Palmer describes her route to the top at Click Travel as “idiosyncratic and very non-linear”. Indeed, she is not from a travel background, has worked in both the public and private sectors, and was the first non-family member to join the TMC's board.

After senior roles at Mercedes-Benz, several non-executive directorships and a stint in consultancy, Palmer “got bored and decided I wanted to run something”. Click Travel seemed like an unlikely opening at the time.

“It was local but I had no expectation of it being a job I wanted,” she says. “I didn’t think I’d work for a company that small – it was only 40 employees then. But I met with Simon [McLean, one of the TMC’s two founding brothers] and I remember walking out, calling my husband and saying ‘I have to have this job’. I was blown away. The company was doubling turnover every year and the role brought together a lot of my skills.”

Suddenly enveloped by unknown acronyms, new terminology and GDS green screens, it was a steep learning curve but Palmer started to make her multifarious experience count.

“The legacy systems and the way people phoned up to do bookings struck me as quite an outdated way of doing business,” she says.

Eight years later, the company’s annual turnover has grown from £30million to £280million and Click now has 240 staff.

Nearly a quarter of its business comes from the public sector; 64% of all travel is domestic, the majority of which is rail and hotel; 97% of bookings are made online; and the client retention rate is 98%.

“We’re a real rail and hotel-first organisation.

We’re not heavily dependent on flights unlike other TMCs,” says Palmer. “Developing our 34

own rail platform was key. It’s meant we’ve been in control of our destiny and can do those transactions at very low cost.”

Palmer calls Click a “technology business” but is at pains to convey the quality of its staff and the link between employee engagement and good customer service. “We exist in the sweet spot between tech and customer service,” she says. “Technology is the future of travel but to dismiss our customer service is wrong. We manage high-touch organisations as well as customers who never want to talk to us – and everything in between. We’ve never failed to implement a customer.”

What’s great about the TMC market at the moment is that they’re all buying each other!”

Its core business is clients spending up to £12million on business travel annually and it has been “exceptionally good” at winning accounts of £1m-£3m. “If there’s an account of that size with a lot of rail and hotel in it then I would expect to win it,” says Palmer.

“What’s great about the TMC market right now is that they’re all buying each other!”

She continues: “You have the specialists working in particular areas or large players like Amex GBT, but in the middle, when you don’t own your own tech, there’s a lot of squeezing and competition right now. Not everyone’s having the easiest time so it’s naturally leading to consolidation.”

The TMC’s rise to prominence has not been

without its setbacks, above all when Simon McLean sadly passed away in July 2018 at the age of 41. “The most difficult thing I’ve ever had to face in my professional career without a shadow of a doubt was coming in that day and telling the team that he had passed away. It was a terrible time,” says Palmer.

“I still think of him everyday. He was an absolute one-off and an incredibly influential person in the industry. He is still very much talked about and loved in this business.”

The TMC had secured its first external investment, from Business Growth Fund, just two weeks previously. “They were obviously shocked but were extremely supportive.”

Palmer describes BGF as patient investors.

“It’s not like a private equity investor where you have to double in size in three years and then sell,” she says. “They took a minority stake because we want to stay in control and dictate the pace and the route that we take in the future. We’re not heading for an exit.”

For now, the TMC is concentrating on increasing its efficiency – “we can still reduce our cost per booking” – and incorporating more artificial intelligence in its systems.

“We are obsessed with the user experience and we want to deliver a seamless process.

Recognising the user and making recommendations based on that is something we’re focussing very hard on,” Palmer states.

“The next obvious step beyond that is going global. That is something we will look to do in some way in the future.” She concludes: “At some point BGF will want to leave the business but the options then are wide open to either take another investor or float the business, both of which are entirely possible from where we are at the moment.”

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THE CONVERSATION

in brief...

Tell us a little about Click Travel’s history…

Click was started by brothers James and Simon McLean as a hotel bookings project.

One of its early clients was Carphone Warehouse, who asked Click to do their rail and air bookings as well, and that’s how we developed our own technology. At one point Carphone Warehouse accounted for 90% of Click’s total bookings – and then they took it overseas. Can you imagine losing 90% of your revenue? Absolutely terrifying! But James and Simon took it on the chin, made sacrifices and kept the business running. A key aspect of Click’s success has always been developing our own technology and putting that out to customers.

Has Brexit affected the business?

I haven’t seen our customers slowing down their business travel. We do an awful lot of UK rail and hotels so maybe we’re less vulnerable than some other TMCs. I’m delighted to be a TMC that is focused on rail and hotels more than air, especially given the sustainability questions right now.”

JILL PALMER Jill Palmer joined Click Travel in May 2012 as Operations Director. She was appointed Managing Director in 2015 and then CEO in 2017. She has extensive experience across operations, legal, customer service, HR and consultancy in both the public and private sectors.

How do you like to spend your free time?

I’m a big cricket fan. Often in the summer I can be found at Edgbaston cricket ground watching a match – it's my happy place! I was 50 last year and I had my birthday party at a box there during the Ashes series. Incredible!

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THE BIG PICTURE

Indian summer

MUMBAI Air India will commence services between London Stansted and India’s economic hub, Mumbai, on February 21, with flights operated by new Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.

The carrier launched services from Stansted to Amritsar last October and additionally flies from Heathrow to Mumbai, together with British Airways and Virgin Atlantic.

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TECHNOLOGY

Rogue bookings

Managing the unmanaged Linda Fox discovers how FCM and Shep plan to help corporates capture more rogue bookings

F

resh from a funding round that includes participation from FCM Travel Solutions, US-based Shep is readying itself for larger enterprises to complete pilots of its browser extension technology.

The Texas startup helps companies track down, capture and manage bookings that are made outside of corporate travel policy.

Joining FCM in the undisclosed investment were startup accelerator Plug and Play and angel investors working at companies such as Google.

Of the investment, John Morhous, Chief Experience Officer for FCM, says: “We’re excited to leverage some of this technology into our platforms as we feel the browser extension is a simple and elegant solution to a problem many of our customers face, which is gaining visibility over spend on travel that happens outside of the managed programmes they provide.”

The company, which is believed to have taken a minority stake, says it plans to incorporate Shep’s technology into the “next generation” of its corporate travel platform.

While Shep had earmarked 2019 as a breakthrough for working with TMCs and travel managers, its Chief Executive and Co-founder Daniel Senyard says the startup underestimated the long sales cycles as well as the work it needed to do to ensure its technology would pass muster with big corporate organisations.

Senyard describes 2019 as being about getting “enterprise ready” but the plan now is that some of these larger companies will become full customers.

He hopes to be able to announce some of these customers, currently undergoing

private pilots and under non-disclosure agreements, later in 2020.

This year will also see Shep becomes more of a “connective tissue” between consumer sites, online booking tools and expense management systems by developing further integrations.

The startup, which was founded in 2016, has changed from its original plan which was to guide and capture data for small and medium-sized businesses on their

travellers’ behaviour on online travel agency and supplier websites.

However, Shep found that Fortune 500 companies and TMCs were interested in what it was doing so it developed into a “microservice” that collects booking data from some 70 sites and behavioural data from more than 1,300.

While the corporate travel startup space has been attracting a great deal of investor attention in recent months – TripActions announced $250million in June 2019 – Senyard believes Shep stands out because of its ability to improve the experience.

“By providing contextual guidance and prompts we can tell you what you should book based on your policy on an OTA or why you should consider staying within your online booking tool,” says Senyard. “We are agnostic as to whether you book in or out of channel but we believe that either way, employees need guidance and prompts and data should be captured along the way.”

This is not the first time that FCM has invested in a travel startup, with the company announcing the acquisition of SAM – the technology behind its mobile assistant – in March last year as well as additional investment in chat-based booking platform 30SecondstoFly.

By providing contextual guidance and prompts we can tell you what you should book based on your policy”

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CONSULTANTS

Independent

DAYS

Using a business travel consultant can help give an expert and non-biased view on how to improve your travel programme, writes Rob Gill

O

ver the past few years there have been a growing band of independent consultants working in the corporate travel world.

But what exactly do these mysterious figures do when it comes to helping buyers and their organisations? What benefits can they bring to the table and, perhaps most importantly, how much do they cost and are they worth the money?

Let’s start with who the consultants are in the first place. They generally break down into several categories including former travel buyers, managers and procurement specialists, as well as those from the supplier side of the business such as travel management companies (TMCs) or leading travel technology firms.

A huge wealth of experience tends to be what consultants bring to the party, with many of them having held senior travel buying positions within major global organisations or at a leading TMC – and sometimes both. The size of consultancies also varies hugely, with some having a global presence with partners spread around the world and others effectively being a one or two-man band.

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CONSULTANTS

A SELECTION OF BUSINESS TRAVEL CONSULTANCIES 3Sixty Global The London-based consultancy has been working in the sector since 2009 specialising in areas such as travel programme optimisation, outsourced travel management, supplier sourcing and payment/expense solutions.

Areka Consulting Created in 2010, Areka is now managed by five partners and has offices in the UK, France, Germany, Australia and the US.

Jo Lloyd, a partner at Nina & Pinta, sums up the main selling point: “Consultants are a good independent guide to help companies navigate their way through the travel landscape, make informed decisions and avoid some potholes.”

What they do

Consultants offer a wide range of services to clients and these depend on the skillsets of their particular experts. This makes it imperative to know exactly what you want to achieve before deciding who to work with.

Most consultants can assist and advise on all elements of a travel programme and policy – from helping with RFPs to finding the right TMCs, online booking tools and

Consultants are a good independent guide to help companies navigate their way through the travel landscapes, make informed decisions and avoid some potholes”

expense management providers. They will also create airline, hotel and ground transport programmes.

Often consultants provide the missing link in knowledge that an organisation might not have internally for managing travel, or sometimes it can just be a case of looking at a programme with a cold, professional eye and giving advice on how the client can most efficiently meet its objectives.

Rachel Watson, co-founder of consultancy Opteva, says: “We are engaged to support organisations that don’t have an internal travel and expense skillset, or do have a travel and expense skillset but recognise that they don’t have the knowledge of the broader marketplace and appreciate external consultants are best placed to provide independent market intelligence.”

Independence is also a key selling point for consultants, agrees Pascal Jungfer, founder and partner of Areka Consulting.

He explains: “As consultants are independent, they are in a position to offer impartial advice, guidance and business case development.”

Some consultancies also go beyond assisting with the practical mechanics of 

Black Box Partnerships Specialising in business travel, meetings and events, Black Box is led by managing partners Leigh Cowlishaw and Raj Sachdave, both formerly of Capita Travel and Events.

Festive Road Headed up by managing partners Paul Tilstone and Caroline Strachan, Festive Road now has consultants based around the globe including France, Germany, Sweden, Australia and the US. GoldSpring Consulting The Texas-based consultancy has increased its UK and European presence by joining forces with independent consultant Chris Pouney.

Nina and Pinta This London-based managed travel consultancy and training provider recently added industry veteran Chris Crowley, previously of BCD Travel and HRS Group among others, as a new partner.

Opteva The UK consultancy was set up in 2005 by directors Rachel Watson and Johanne Young.

Opteva’s industry experts have more than 100 years combined experience in the corporate travel market.

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CONSULTANTS

 travel procurement and management, and can help clients to fundamentally “rethink” the strategy and sourcing within their programmes.

Paul Tilstone, Managing Partner at global consultancy Festive Road, says: “We focus on supporting customers with rethinking the “why” and the “what”, and only then do we take them through the “how” of the future of their travel programme.”

Who should use them

So are consultants just for large companies and organisations who need help with complex travel management issues? Most leading consultants say this is not always the case and that SMEs are also able to benefit from their services.

Raj Sachdave, Managing Partner at Black Box Partnerships, says: “We have small businesses that are realising they need to get their house in order as they punch up the scale in expenditure, behaviours and processes.

“There is a place around the table for all shapes and sizes, with the right infrastructure, support and aspirations. We’re here to support them, offering a sound voice in business decision-making and commercial positioning.”

Nina & Pinta’s Jo Lloyd agrees. “Our clients are of all sizes, depending on their needs and the services we provide. For airline and hotel programme management, clients tend to be larger – just by the nature of their spend,” she says.

“But smaller companies can also benefit from the independent data we have through using our dashboard for managing air contracts. For projects related to strategy, policy and expense management, we find that companies of all sizes reach out to us for support.”

Value for money

Another obvious consideration is cost.

There are myriad different payment models including fees per project, hourly or daily rates, ongoing retainers and ‘success’ fees based on meeting specific objectives. Often it will depend on the nature of the work or project that the consultants are being asked to help with.

Travel technology specialist consultant Guy Snelgar, from Barndello Consulting, says: “For very clear, well-defined projects, it can make sense to agree a specific project fee. The advantage for the client is obviously the certainty. On the downside, it may not allow the flexibility for the scope of a project to change as it evolves.

“Complex or longer-term projects are usually more suited to paying an ongoing daily rate, especially if the specific solution or outcome is not known at the start.”

Measuring return on investment can be tricky, although Areka’s Pascal Jungfer estimates a consultant usually returns “three to 20 times the cost” for the client.

Most would agree that is money well spent.

There are myriad different payment models including fees per project, hourly or daily rates, ongoing retainers and ‘success’ fees based on meeting specific objectives” 40

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21/01/2020 09:15 1/27/20 03:21 PM 20/01/2020 17:42

TALKING TRAVEL

A call to adventure

HELEN SKELTON The globe-trotting TV presenter tells Angela Sara West about her record-breaking charity challenges and adventures around the world

H

elen Skelton is as well known for her adventurous exploits as she is for her TV career, with roles presenting Blue Peter and Countryfile opening doors and feeding a taste for adrenaline-fuelled activities and philanthropic wanderlust.

Children's TV was a gateway to action and adventure, leading vivacious Skelton to undertake incredible challenges for charity.

She’s not only famously kayaked the length of the Amazon solo (breaking two Guinness World Records), but tackled the treacherous 500-mile icy Antarctica terrain, enduring extreme temperatures of -48C to reach the South Pole by ski, kite and bike. Helen’s Polar Challenge for Sports Relief pushed her limits, gaining her yet more world records.

“On Blue Peter, I had colleagues who didn’t think I was mad for wanting to take on crazy adventures, so I ran with it! You get out of life what you put in, and I get a buzz from pushing myself,” says Skelton.

Other notable accomplishments include becoming only the second woman to have completed the gruelling 78-mile Namibian Ultra Marathon, and her ‘Magnificent 7’ which saw her fly with the Red Arrows and face a daring rope bridge trial.

Her most hair-raising moments? “High-wire walking between the towers of Battersea Power Station was nail biting. I was so scared I could barely breathe!”

She says living on a boat in the Amazon, not knowing where or when she would eat or sleep, was “an adventure in every sense of the word”, while driving a camper van across Turkey and travelling in India top her most 42

memorable and exhilarating experiences.

“They were trips that challenged me every single day. Turkey was scary at times… I got grief for travelling as a solo woman. I was swarmed at times in India and, in Bangladesh, people couldn’t get over how pale and blonde I was. Seeing so many people so shocked by me made me realise how different and varied the world is.”

Returning to her rural roots as a presenter on Countryfile, Skelton’s UK-wide adventures and travels for the show have taken her all around the UK, seeing her mud wrestling,

In Bangladesh, people couldn’t get over how pale and blonde I was. It made me realise how different and varied the world is” capsized in a canoe in a raging torrent, and stuck in a dry suit after helping fish in a canal while heavily pregnant.

As an ambassador for Sports Relief and Comic Relief, Skelton’s also journeyed overseas, to Sierra Leone, Uganda and India, where she supported Operation Smile.

“I helped charities perform facial surgery on children living with cleft lips and palettes. In Bangladesh, I met children struggling with malnutrition and physical disability, while in Peru I spent time with children living on rubbish dumps and making a living there.”

She says her travels have taught her “empathy” and has top tips aplenty for staying safe abroad. “Research, research,

research… Don’t travel alone. Don’t get too drunk, and keep valuables out of sight. I got mugged once for wearing earrings.”

The waterbaby was in her element living by the sea, having relocated to Canet-Plage with a toddler in tow, when her rugby league player husband, Richie Myler, signed with the Catalan Dragons in 2015. “We loved the weather, importance of life and amazing food. We never had a bad or expensive meal in Perpignan. The local market is so cheap, and we could get five litres of wine for €5 from the vineyard next door!”

The slow pace was another bonus during their two-year French stint. “We couldn’t get over how relaxed everything was, taking two hours for lunch. We’d spend summers outdoors, on the beach, people watching.”

Now back in Blighty, the future holds further epic challenges. “I’m attempting an ultramarathon relay in a couple of months, running 10km chunks with six girlfriends from Los Angeles to Las Vegas.”

Born and brought up on a dairy farm, farming's in the family blood, but does her rural upbringing influence her travel choices?

“Yes and no. I’m happier amongst greenery and I like fresh air. A perfect holiday to me is swimming in natural water over anything else. That said, we’ve always lived so far from cities that going to the city is always a treat.”

Summer is for switching off. “I live in my campervan. I love the Yorkshire coast, and I want to take the van to Switzerland,” while recent family winter travels took in Cyprus.

“We found fantastic hidden beaches and quirky places, ate unrecognisable food and watched sunsets every day… it was perfect.”

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TALKING TRAVEL

HELEN SKELTON Helen Skelton is an ambassador for Sports Relief and Comic Relief. Her new book, Wild Girl... How to Have Incredible Outdoor Adventures, is an inspirational guide to getting outdoors. Aimed at children aged 10 and over, it is published by Walker Books.

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Spring Sparkle PA & EA Networking Evening Brought to you by The Business Travel Conference

 Monday 23rd March 2020 The Bloomsbury, Doyle Collection – London Join us for an evening of hospitality and networking in the George V ballroom at this luxury property from The Doyle Collection. Set in London’s literary heartland, this hotel is housed in a stunning 1930s listed neo-Georgian building offering chic guestrooms and luxury suites.

The hotel features one of London’s most instagrammed restaurants – Dalloway Terrace – as well as The Coral Room and the intimate and atmospheric Bloomsbury Club Bar. PAs & EAs can discover the hotel facilities and meet a range of travel companies whilst enjoying complimentary drinks, delicious food and the chance to win some fabulous prizes courtesy of our event sponsors.

PAs & EAs interested in attending can apply for places via thebusinesstravelconference.com

Suppliers can contact Kirsty.Hicks@bmipublishing.co.uk or Callum.Blackwell@bmipublishing.co.uk regarding sponsorship opportunities

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

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IN ASSOCIATION WITH

1/28/20 05:38 PM

THE REVIEW

the

Review [ T H E LOWDO W N ]

[ RO O M R E PO R T ]

T H E NE W S & V I E W S THAT REALLY MATTER [ M E E TIN G PL AC E ]

[ O N TH E GROU N D ]

Scale of hidden health woes among travellers unveiled

Independent Mayson Hotel opens for business in Dublin

East Midlands Conference Centre's £2million refurbishment

Enterprise adds Tesla Model S to electric car hire line-up

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[ I N T H E AI R ]

British Airways lines-up Portland

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THE REVIEW

T H E

“these awards recognise the people that turn the wheels of our industry every

L O W D O W N

Wellbeing ‘top issue’, reveals ITM research

climate crisis and trump are business risks

Traveller wellbeing is one of the major priorities for travel managers in 2020, according to the latest annual survey by the Institute of Travel Management (ITM) in conjunction with FCM Travel Solutions.

Almost half of respondents have already incorporated traveller wellbeing into their company’s travel policy, but most said they measure traveller wellbeing on a reactive basis, by defining basic policies, or gathering metrics.

Only 5% of travel managers have optimised and integrated wellbeing throughout their organisation and 16% said they take a proactive consistent approach.

The study also found that content accessibility is a key concern for 41% of travel buyers, while budget control, implementation of technology and managing traveller behaviour will be among the biggest challenges this year.

THE impact of climate change and the final year of the current Trump administration will be the biggest sources of travel risk in the year ahead, according to intelligence company Riskline.

The company ranked the top ten threats to watch out for in 2020, and climate change topped the board for its potential to cause abnormal weather patterns and natural disasters.

Political, social and economic unrest caused by the US 2020 elections, Brexit and the US-China trade war could also cause travel disruption, say experts.

Other major threats include Islamic and far-right terrorism, the outbreak of infectious diseases amid on-going migration, and civil rights protests and water shortages in regions such as India and Pakistan, and in the Middle East.

single day”

NOMINATE NOW

Don’t miss out... nominations close on March 2

turbulence in 2020, but air fares stay flat

thebusinesstravel peopleawards.com AWARDS CEREMONY

May 22, Park Plaza Westminster, London

Delhi and Cairo are the cheapest cities to visit worldwide according to a survey from digital bank Starling. istanbul, kuala lumpur and beijing were the next most affordable cities, Which were ranked on the costs of hotels, eating out and local transport

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air fares are expected to remain relatively stable around the world in the year ahead albeit with marginal rises in Europe.

The Air Monitor 2020 from American Express Global Business Travel (GBT) says airline consolidation, high regulatory costs and inefficient infrastructure will keep air fare rises in check this year.

Economy fares in Europe are forecast to rise 0.6% and business class fares 0.7%, while business class fares from the UK to Europe are expected to rise 1.5%.

The report says airlines face pressure because of over-capacity, strong competition in the open aviation arena and the rise of flygskam (‘flight-shame’).

1/28/20 04:01 PM

THE REVIEW

T H E

L O W D O W N

IN BRIEF

ITM

parkes joins fTp

scott davies

Focus Travel Partnership (FTP) has appointed former Business Travel Association (BTA) Chief Executive Adrian Parkes as its Non-Executive Chairman. The industry stalwart has worked for several airlines and travel management companies and joins FTP as it ramps up activity as a limited company independent of the Advantage Travel Partnership.

cT targets esports

CT Travel Group has launched what is believed to be the first department dedicated to the travel needs of the esports industry. The team includes former competitive gamers “who understand the pressures of esports and have first-hand experience of what gamers need when working towards the biggest events worldwide”.

Egencia's cO2 focus

Egencia has enhanced its carbon emissions reporting tools within its Analytics Studio. The Carbon Emissions Workspace has dashboards for air and hotel-related emissions data, with a dashboard for rail travel going live early this year.

TaG opens in Miami

TAG has extended its US presence with a new office in Miami, Florida, serving clients on the East Coast and in South America.

The specialist TMC, formerly known as The Appointment Group, already has US offices in Los Angeles, Nashville, Atlanta and New York.

Chief Executive

capita identifies scale of hidden health woes ONe-THirD of UK business travellers have felt ill or suffered from a lack of sleep as a result of travelling for work.

Research from Capita Travel and Events in support of its Unnoticed Impact of Business Travel report revealed that 33% of business travellers have experienced sleep deprivation as a result of travelling to meetings, and one in six workers said that travelling to and from meetings affects their mental health.

According to the poll, travelling for work affects people’s personal lives too, with 41% of respondents saying they end up working beyond their core hours, and 24% admitting they had an argument with their partner due to early starts or late finishes.

cOsTs and bEnEfITs Of TRaVEl ‘aRE nOT clEaR’ TO busInEssEs COrPOraTe travel and expenses are the second biggest cost to companies, yet 60% of businesses do not have a system for reconciling expenses with revenue data, according to a recent survey of finance directors by software provider SalesTrip.

The survey found that 70% of finance teams spend more than one day per month tracking

business travel and expenses.

Almost half of respondents said they don’t understand the ROI of business travel, and 39% said business travel and expenses are the most unpredictable cost to a business. In addition, 70% of organisations said they lack the insight to accurately forecast spend – and nearly half don’t have full visibility of its benefits.

Our industry is swimming in awards ceremonies these days, including our very own ITM Buyer Achievement Awards, but I have come across some curious organisations that are rather reticent about putting their star players forward.

I imagine there may sometimes be justifications for this, but it would take some doing to convince me of the wisdom. To me, it suggests that either the company doesn’t think it’s important enough to free up some resources to write a submission highlighting its heroes, or worse, it is concerned that competitors will poach their best people.

This bothers me because employers ought to be aware of their most valuable staff already and treat them well, with appropriate rewards, responsibilities and career paths so they wouldn’t dream of jumping ship. Besides, if they’re really that special, competitors will likely already be looking on with envy.

But the most important questions of all... how long is it OK to display that jagged piece of glass or perspex on your desk/shelf/windowsill for? I think two or three years.

But maybe it’s the taking part that matters? That’s what I’ve always comforted myself with anyway!

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THE REVIEW

I N

T H E

A I R

RUSSIA AT THE DOUBLE FOR ON-TIME WINS

“it feels absolutely fantastic to win this award – it means so much!”

NOMINATE NOW

Don’t miss out... nominations close on March 2 thebusinesstravel peopleawards.com

BA looks near and far with summer choices BRITISH Airways will launch flights from London Heathrow to Portland, Oregon, in June.

The five-times-weekly operation is the first year-round service between the destinations, with Delta Air Lines operating a summer-only schedule. Portland will become BA’s 27th US destination and will take the number of transatlantic flights with joint venture partner American Airlines to 86 per day.

Also new for BA this summer are weekly services to Pristina in Kosovo and Podgorica in Montenegro, operating from London Heathrow from July 4 to August 29. In addition, the airline is launching services to Perugia in Italy, and Rhodes, and is reintroducing Dalaman and Bodrum services.

AWARDS CEREMONY

May 22, Park Plaza Westminster, London

5.1 million

A record number of passengers at LCY in 2019

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London City Airport had its busiest-ever year in 2019, catering for just over 5.1million passengers. The figure represents a 6.3% annual rise, which it attributed to increased frequencies and new routes. Amsterdam was the airport's busiest route, with more than 660,000 passengers

RUSSIAN carrier Aeroflot has been named the world’s best airline for on-time performance in 2019, while Moscow’s Sheremetyevo International was the best performing airport.

The On-Time Performance Review from travel data and analytics specialist Cirium showed 86.7% of Aeroflot’s flights operated on time last year, with ANA (86.3%) and Delta Air Lines (85.6%) the next best performing airlines. Virgin Atlantic (78.2%) was the most punctual airline in the UK and Ireland last year.

More than 95% of flights departed or arrived on time at Sheremetyevo in 2019. Jeremy Bowen, Cirium CEO, explains: “Looking at the Russian carrier’s past year it’s clear that as Aeroflot has more controls in place over their environment than most, that helps enormously to drive operational efficiency.”

FLAG CARRIER PUTS CARBON TOP OF AGENDA BRITISH Airways has begun offsetting carbon emissions on all its flights within the UK as part of its commitment to achieving net zero emissions by 2050.

The new scheme sees the airline investing in a range of verified carbon reduction projects such as renewable energy and rainforest protection programmes.

BA and parent company IAG will invest $400million on alternative sustainable fuel development over the next 20 years.

In November, easyJet became the first major airline to operate net-zero carbon flights when it began offsetting emissions from the fuel it consumes.

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THE REVIEW

I N

T H E

A I R

IN BRIEF

BTA Clive Wratten

Walsh steps down

Chief Executive Officer

Willie Walsh is to retire from his role as Chief Executive of International Airlines Group (IAG) on June 30, being replaced by current Iberia boss Luis Gallego. Walsh, a former pilot, joined British Airways in 2005 and oversaw the creation of IAG during his time in charge.

Oneworld addition

Royal Air Maroc will join oneworld from April 1, becoming the alliance’s first full member in the African continent. The carrier adds 39 new destinations in 23 countries to the network, and is the first new oneworld member since 2014. Regional subsidiary Royal Air Maroc Express will also join the alliance as an affiliate member.

ANA opening

ANA will open its third lounge at Tokyo Narita International Airport on March 29. Located in Terminal 1, Satellite 2, the lounge will feature a traditional wooden wall design and offers a buffet service with a range of dining options, plus a dedicated noodle bar.

Ural’s Moscow first

Russian carrier Ural Airlines has launched the first scheduled flight to Moscow from London Stansted airport. The service to Domodedovo Airport in the Russian capital will operate four times a week using an A320 aircraft offering business and economy class service. Fares start at £23 one way.

PLAZA PREMIUM HAS OPENED ITS FIRST PAY-PER-USE LOUNGE AT DUBAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. THE FACILITY FOR 300 GUESTS INCLUDES SHOWER ROOMS, FAMILY SUITES WITH BUTLERS, A CIGAR ROOM AND A ‘NAPPING SPACE’

United targets techies with new Dublin link UNITED Airlines will introduce flights between Dublin and San Francisco in the summer – the first services between the Irish capital and the US West Coast.

Commencing on June 6, the daily flights will depart Dublin at 11.50 and arrive in San Francisco at 14.20, with return flights departing at 15.55 and landing in Dublin at 09.45 the following day. “Dublin and the Silicon Valley are two regions synonymous with big tech,” says Patrick Quayle, United’s Vice President of International Network.

United already operates year-round flights from Dublin to New York/Newark and seasonal services to Washington/ Dulles and Chicago, and from Shannon to New York/Newark.

The airline will also add a sixth daily flight between London Heathrow and New York/Newark from March 29.

The beginning of a new decade is an apt time to reflect on the progress the business travel industry has made, and to set future goals.

The BTA’s members are responsible for 32 million transactions every year, and we will work closely with them to raise the profile of the vital role that business travel plays in our national economy.

We will use our position as the authoritative voice of the industry to drive successful, sustainable and safe business decisions and opportunities for the sector.

The BTA will be working to enhance collaboration throughout the supply chain, and leading the development of a robust communication stream. Technological innovation will play a vital role, and the BTA supports that, but as an enabler of human potential rather than a solution in itself.

We’ll be shining a light on the critical human element at the heart of every transaction, and advocating enhanced awareness and action on employee wellbeing.

And we’ll be focusing on sustainability, building practical solutions that deliver measurable results, and developing a series of tangible commitments for the BTA’s members to sign up to.

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R O O M

“we talk a lot about product and service – these awards are all about the people that make all of that

R E P O R T

Royal neighbourhood gets Fairmont boost

nec visitors tune in to moxy sounds

ACCOR will open a new hotel under its luxury Fairmont brand in Windsor in the second half of 2020. The hotel operator is currently carrying out a multi-million-pound renovation of the former Savill Court Hotel and Spa, which will reopen as the Fairmont Windsor Park.

Located next to Windsor Great Park and Savill Gardens, the hotel will be the third Fairmont property in the UK, joining The Savoy in London and Fairmont St Andrews in Scotland.

The new Windsor hotel will feature more than 200 bedrooms and suites, as well as a Royal Suite with exclusive access to a private section of the spa and wellness area.

A large spa and wellness area will also be a key element of the hotel, with both an indoor lap pool and outdoor vitality pool, treatment rooms, salt room, Hammam and Japanese foot spa with views over the courtyard and fire pit.

For events, there will be 16 meeting rooms including a space catering for events of up to 700 guests.

MARRIOTT has opened its ninth Moxy hotel in the UK – a 224-room property at Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre.

The latest opening, like other Moxy hotels, reflects the locality and in this case takes inspiration from the music industry. The Moxy Birmingham NEC features “stylish nods to the music industry at the heart of its interior design” according to Belvar, the management group operating the hotel.

The hotel’s newly appointed General Manager Vicky Glover says: “I’m excited to bring the Moxy brand to a city that I know so well. Travellers will discover something unique at the hotel with phenomenal high-tech features, buzzing social spaces and a real fun vibe.”

Donovan Sumner, Director of Operations at Belvar, adds: “This will be our ninth UK opening in just over three years. The NEC is a great destination.”

come to life”

NOMINATE NOW

MHR tweaks loyalty with GDS upgrade

Don’t miss out... nominations close on March 2 thebusinesstravel peopleawards.com AWARDS CEREMONY

May 22, Park Plaza Westminster, London

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the UK has the second-largest budget hotel market in the world, after the US, according to research from globaldata, and it is also the uk's biggest hotel category. its rise is partly attributed to 'uneven travel trends' and 'brexit uncertainty'

Millennium Hotels and Resorts (MHR) has enhanced its loyalty programme for corporate bookers.

My Millennium was launched in March 2019 and the hotel group has now enhanced its central reservation system to accept loyalty programme membership numbers from corporates booking through GDS-based systems.

Clive Harrington, Chief Commercial Officer at MHR, explains: “My Millennium was created with transparency, value and access in mind. This is an important message for both our individual leisure guests and our corporate bookers.”

1/28/20 05:00 PM

THE REVIEW

O RN O TO HM E RGE RP OO UR NT D

IN BRIEF PREM goes Dutch

Dublin-based hotel management company PREM Group will open its 16th Premier Suites in mainland Europe this June. Premier Suites Plus Amsterdam will be located within the HourGlass Building in the heart of the Dutch city's financial district. The development includes 88 one-bedroom units, 26 two-bedroom apartments and one three-bedroom apartment. The group also has 25 UK and Ireland properties.

Hyatt brands bring luxury to the fore

grand days ahead for birmingham

HYATT will expand its luxury portfolio with more than 20 new hotels around the world in 2020, including five new hotels under its Park Hyatt brand.

New Park Hyatt properties will be opened in Qatari capital Doha, Indonesian capital Jakarta and the cities of Niseko, Japan; Suzhou, China; and Auckland, New Zealand.

Meanwhile, the Hôtel du Palais Biarritz, the former imperial residence of Napoleon III, is due to reopen in June 2020 after an extensive renovation.

New additions to the group’s portfolio include properties under its Andaz, Alila, Grand Hyatt, and Miraval brands. In December the Great Scotland Yard Hotel opened in London, located in the former Metropolitan Police headquarters.

The 152-room property is the first UK site for Hyatt's Unbound Collection.

THE landmark Grand Hotel in Birmingham is poised to reopen this summer more than 20 years after it last welcomed guests.

Starwood Capital Group has invested more than £45million in the refurbishment of the historic Grade II-listed building, which was one of the city's grandest hotels when it was built in 1879, and is famed as the venue where human rights activist Malcolm X gave his last speech in England in 1965.

The Grand will reopen as a luxury 185-room property, mixing 21st century design with its original mix of Victorian and Art Deco grandeur. Facilities include the ornate Grosvenor Ballroom, which can host 350 guests, 15 suites and two penthouse apartments, two bars, a restaurant, a new courtyard terrace and modern meetings spaces.

Accor plastic promise

Accor has committed to ditching single-use plastics from its properties by the end of 2022. It has already eliminated plastic stirrers, cotton buds and straws from 94% of its operations, and says bathroom products will be plastic-free this year.

bristol gets second taste of urban life

Getting real in Madrid The Four Seasons Hotel Madrid is now taking bookings in advance of its May opening. The upscale property sits inside the historic Centro Canalejas building and has been under construction for seven years.

Tudor transformation

The Oatlands Park Hotel in Weybridge, Surrey, is nearing completion of a four-year, £10million renovation project. Built on the site of a former Tudor palace, work at the four-star property has seen the bulk of its 144 rooms upgraded, a bar and restaurant added, and the overhaul of its meetings and events spaces.

mayson celebrates cream of irish with dublin opening THE 94-room Mayson hotel has now opened for business in the heart of Dublin.

Located at 81/82 North Wall Quay, the independent Irishowned hotel incorporates Ryleigh’s rooftop restaurant, The Timberyard event space, DIME Coffee bar, and the Bottle Boy Pub. The design-led hotel features a range of guestrooms – from small doubles to Warehouse

suites and a penthouse – and more than 250 original artworks

by Irish artists.

Targeting ‘business travellers, explorers and city dwellers’, rates start from €140 per night for a small double room and rise to €1,000 per night for the Liffey Penthouse. Guestrooms feature rainfall showers, Dyson hairdryers and Smeg fridges – as well as record players, guitars and amps.

BRISTOL property business Urban Creations has launched its second serviced apartments operation in the city, following its first foray into the sector in Clifton.

The 16 new studio apartments, at Alison Court on Apsley Road in Clifton, are aimed at young professionals and contractors.

Its first development, Beech House, in St Pauls Road, Clifton opened two years ago and is now reporting 90% occupancy year-round.

Apartments have modern kitchens with appliances, living areas with sofas and flatscreen TVs, private bathrooms, and beds with Egyptian cotton linen. Free parking is available on site and rates start at £48 per night.

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east Midlands venue set for major revamp thE dE VERE East Midlands Conference Centre (EMCC) has begun a three-month refurbishment to modernise the venue, adding a state-of-the-art video wall and remodelling the atrium area to create a collaborative space. The meeting rooms and banqueting spaces will also be refreshed with cutting-edge audio-visual technology.

East Midlands Conference Centre's General Manager, Tom Waldron-Lynch, says: "As well as enhanced event spaces, the work will also see us investing in several facilities as part of our ongoing drive to operate more sustainably, including the installation of new hydration stations throughout the venue, new food and beverage offerings, new breakout spaces, and the refurbishing of over 900 banquet chairs."

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2.1%

Rise in meetings spend within Europe in 2020

52

Corporate spending on meetings and events is forecast to rise 2.1% in Europe in 2020. Growth in North America and Asia Pacific will be slightly slower at 1.6% and 1.3% respectively. The number of attendees is expected to grow by 1.1% to 3.1%, according to Amex GBT research

ConFEREnCE and events centre specialists etc.venues is planning a further £20million expansion this year, with the opening of three new venues.

By the end of the year its portfolio will feature 20 venues in London, Birmingham, Manchester and New York, offering more than 300 meetings rooms and over 500,000 square feet of dedicated meeting and event space.

With 278 meetings rooms in London, it boasts more business space in the capital than many major hotel chains. The firm will also invest a further £1million in its online meetings technology.

MACAo'S neW MiCe DeStinAtion a MaJoR new meeting and events venue is set to open in the Chinese special administrative region of Macao in the first half of 2021, featuring a contemporary design, advanced technology, and flexible event spaces catering to varying configurations, set-ups and capacities.

According to the developers behind Galaxy International Convention Centre (GICC), the venue will be Asia's most iconic and advanced MICE destination, covering 40,000 square metres of floor space.

It will form part of a larger complex that features the 16,000-seater Galaxy Arena, as well as several international hotels including The Ritz-Carlton Macau and JW Marriott Hotel Macau. The integrated resort and MICE destination boasts a clutch of event venues, a skytop Grand Resort Deck, and a selection of global dining options.

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THE REVIEW

O N

T H E

G R O U N D

SWR's £70M refurb now complete

IN BRIEF Green car club

Tewkesbury Borough Council in Gloucestershire has reduced its road travel emissions by more than four tonnes of CO2 in the first six months since introducing a green car club for its staff. The council estimates it will make annual carbon savings of around 8.6 tonnes (see page 11 for a case study on car clubs).

Bolt functionality

Users of ride-hailing service Bolt can now request rides with stops at up to three locations with an estimated fare for the entire journey. The multiple destinations feature was rolled out to Bolt users on Android and iOS devices in January.

Enterprise Rent-A-Car has expanded its range of electric rental vehicles by adding the Tesla Model S to its fleet. it is available for daily rentals at enterprise branches nationwide, with rates starting from £99

iGo-Mozio tie-up

Taxi network iGo has partnered with ground transport platform Mozio to offer business travellers a seamless ‘on-demand’ service when booking local taxis. TMCs using the Mozio platform will be able to tap into the iGo network, which operates across 90% of UK postcodes and includes more than 100,000 vehicles from over 500 private hire and black cab operators.

Connected commitment More than 200,000 vehicles in Avis Budget Group's fleet are now digitally 'connected'.

Benefits for customers include more responsive and personalised technology and expedited pick-ups and drop-offs, although developments so far have only "just scratched the surface".

South Western Railway has rolled out its final refurbished train as part of a £70million upgrade of its fleet.

The rail operator has modernised all 172 Desiro trains on its long-distance network between London Waterloo, Weymouth, Poole and Portsmouth stations.

The refurbished trains feature improved wifi access, new tables and power sockets, refreshed toilets and new ergonomically designed seats.

As part of the revamp, SWR has added 1,305 standard class seats.

The refurbishment is part of a wider £1.2bn plan to offer more capacity and more frequent trains.

Neil Drury, SWR’s Engineering Director, said: "This massive refurbishment programme is a huge investment by SWR which offers customers using our long-distance services a quality on-board experience." New trains will be introduced on its Reading and Windsor lines later this year.

Grand Central shows off fleet makeover

UBER ADDS 2,000 'green' cars in uk

Grand Central Railways has completed a £9million refresh of its Adelante train fleet which serve the North West and West Riding routes.

The rail operator's refurbished fleet of 10 Class 180 dieselhydraulic trains includes a number of upgrades such as free wifi, extra legroom, table seating and electric charging points.

The trains have been redecorated and kitted out with smart new interiors, including new seats with fabric and leather edging in standard class. The train toilets have also been renewed with improved disabled access.

The refit comes as Grand Central prepares to launch a new service between London Euston and Blackpool in 2020. The company has also been granted permission to run additional services between Sunderland and Kings Cross until 2021.

UBER is adding 2,000 extra electric cars to its operations in the UK as part of its pledge to operate a fully green zero-carbon fleet in London by 2025.

Made in Sunderland, the new Nissan LEAFs will be offered to Uber drivers as part of the company's Clean Air Plan, launched last year to support the transition to electric vehicles.

The ride hailing service will continue to operate in London while it appeals Transport for London's decision not to grant it a new license due to repeated safety failures.

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THE REVIEW

O N

T H E

M O V E

EVENTS FEBRUARY 13

TBTM DINNER CLUB

LOUISE SMITH

London thebusinesstravelmag.com FEBRUARY 26-27

BUSINESS TRAVEL SHOW Olympia London businesstravelshow.com MARCH 2

THE BUSINESS TRAVEL PEOPLE AWARDS Nominations close! thebusinesstravelpeopleawards.com

LEIGH COWLISHAW

JOHN ELIESON

JOINS: TBR Global Chauffeuring AS: Head of Sales EMEA FROM: Avis Budget Group

JOINS: Advantage Travel Partnership AS: Interim Global Supplier Partnership Director, Advantage Business Travel

JOINS: Travelport AS: Chief Operating Officer FROM: Radixx International

Louise Smith has moved from Avis Budget Group to TBR where she will direct the EMEA sales team. TBR has 'ambitious growth targets' as part of its 'Road to 2021' strategy.

The Advantage Travel Partnership has hired Leigh Cowlishaw as interim Global Supplier Partnership Director. Cowlishaw continues as Managing Director of Black Box Partnerships.

Travelport has appointed John Elieson as its new COO to take charge of its growth strategy, sales organisation and M&A agenda. He is based at its Berkshire headquarters.

CHRIS MARTIN

JAMES MCILVENNA

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ITM SUSTAINABILITY SUMMIT Melia White House, London itm.org.uk APRIL 26-28

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ITM CONFERENCE 2020 Brighton itmconference.org.uk MAY 15-18

ADVANTAGE CONFERENCE 2020 Madeira advantageconference.co.uk MAY 22

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BEX DEADMAN

PROMOTED AT: Wings Travel Management TO: Senior Vice President – Global Business Development

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Chris Martin takes on a newly created global role at Wings, having initially joined the TMC as Vice President Business Development for the Americas.

He was previously at ATPI.

James McIlvenna steps into the position of Head of Account Management UK at Corporate Traveller. He joined the TMC in 2015 following a number of sales and marketing roles.

Bex Deadman is the new Managing Director at travel management company Blue Cube. She joined the company in 2013 as Director of Sales, rising to Commercial Director.

ALSO ON THE MOVE... The Apartment Service has promoted Melanie Degand to Managing Director >> Paula McColgan is the new Director of Sales & Marketing for The Carlton Tower Jumeirah and Jumeirah Lowndes Hotel, London >> Alex Kington has joined TAG as Head of Global Marketing and Communications while Bruce Wildgust is the TMC's new Chief Technology Officer >> J.D. O'Hara is now CEO at Travel Leaders Group following the resignation of Ninan Chacko >> Vanessa Heydorff is the new Chief Commercial Officer at Karhoo, joining from booking.com >> Grant Miller has joined the Anvil Group as Director of Risk Mitigation and Intelligence while 13225-Sirius-BritishTravelMag-AD-138x40.ai 1 11/05/2017 15:01 Kevin Andrews has joined as Director of Strategic Operations.

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The depth and diversity of hotel and long-stay options for business travel is forcing a rethink in the way it is sourced and managed. find out more in an extended guide to

accommodation Introduction, 56-58 / UK hotels, 60-64 Six of the Best, 65 / Spend management, 66-71 Sustainability, 72-74 / Long-stay options, 76-80 Speaking out, 81 / Global hotel groups, 82-85 / Data, 86

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Accommodation / Introduction

Rise and

SHINE

A desire for more sustainable stays and increased emphasis on wellbeing is changing the face of accommodation, writes Gillian Upton

W

e have a lot to thank the likes of Booking.com and Trivago for as online travel agents (OTAs) have alerted the travelling public to the idea of shopping around to get the best hotel deal and forced travel managers to sharpen their focus on hotel spend management.

Traditionally, hotels played second fiddle to air spend management but times are changing. With fares, particularly short-haul, well under the £100 mark, the total cost of a hotel stay when food and beverage has been included, can be up to three times as much.

TMCs are also pushing stronger hotel spend management as they want to ensure the “attachment rate” of every flight booking being booked with accommodation so that they can capture hotel spend and enhance their negotiating power.

Over and above these elements is the fact that travel managers are more savvy nowadays and far more aware of market dynamics. Although they are resisting the trend to dynamic pricing and pushing twoyear hotel RFPs, it’s almost certain that they are already using these rates unwittingly in low-volume areas as they are usually the lowest price on the day.

“It’s already happening,” says the BTAʼs Hotel Strategy Group Chair, Maria Baty.

“Corporates need dynamic pricing as there’s a good argument for it but it’s always best to add a cap on it.”

56

The more, the merrier

Content underpins any good hotel programme and aggregating OTA content enriches traveller choice and introduces lower price points for buyers from this distressed inventory, so it’s a win-win. Not embracing this type of content runs the risk of travellers booking direct with an OTA, thus losing duty of care.

“With greater emphasis on traveller wellbeing, choice is key,” says Angelina Bunting, Commercial Director at Reed & Mackay. “Corporates are increasingly looking to give staff the opportunity to select the right accommodation for their needs.”

We can also thank OTAs for helping spread the word about hotel alternatives such as aparthotels, serviced apartments and home rentals. As this non-hotel market blossoms for long stays, business travel usage has grown alongside.

The Global Serviced Apartments Industry Report (GSAIR) report tracks this increased usage; while project work has shrunk, business travel and relocation have both shot up, by 11% and 52% respectively over the last year.

Corporates turn to serviced apartments the majority of the time for one to threemonth stays, followed by 14-30 nights when the equivalent hotel cost would be prohibitive. But apartments still only represent a small part of their accommodation spend

(10%), according to GSAIR, and only one-third of corporates include serviced apartments in their RFPs. Those figures are not surprising when you consider that there are inherent challenges of booking non-hotel accommodation. The pricing is attractive and the capacity is there but “the main challenges for buyers have traditionally been the booking process, availability of MI, compliance with duty of care, as well as inconsistent levels of quality and service,” sums up Reed & Mackay’s Angelina Bunting.

It’s hard to commodotise non-hotel properties as by their very nature they are not standard, but there is an upside, says Bunting. “Non-hotel supply rarely outstrips demand in key locations. Due to minimumstay restrictions in place and average lengths of stay, serviced apartments don’t usually take shorter stays too far in advance, meaning they don’t suffer from the usual black-out dates over events and festivals,” Bunting explains.

Business travellers, who are getting younger and younger, are drawn to these nonstandard, often quirky properties. Commercial property consultants Lambert Smith Hampton say serviced apartments and aparthotels are the fastest-growing segment of the UK’s hospitality market, albeit it from a small base of 3%. Some 6,000 new units will open over the next two years in the UK. 

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Introduction Introduction // Accommodation Accommodation

It's hard to commodotise non-hotel properties as by their vary nature they are not standard�

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Accommodation / Introduction

The US is the heartland of the extendedstay market, representing 64% of all serviced apartments in the world. This is also where the Residence Inn brand from Marriott dominates, with 175 long-stay properties across the country.

Altered image

Globally, Residence Inn has more than 800 properties located in more than 10 countries and territories. Within Europe, there are more than 10 properties and a quickly expanding portfolio.

“We have a development pipeline of over 15 openings over the next two years, demonstrating the brand’s response to the growing demand for extended-stay within the continent,” says John Licence, Vice President Premium and Select Brands at Marriott International, Europe.

Alex Neil, Group Head of Relationships at Oakwood, explains the shift: “Many seasoned travellers choose to be in a residential block and live in the city as a local. Giant communal areas are a big trend; they’re good for graduates, for business travellers on a training session perhaps, or just somewhere to hang out together in a social space or meet new people.

“It’s not such a strange concept nowadays as the demographics of employees are changing. The average age of travellers is 27 so that’s what they want.”

Hotels have reacted to the changing demographics, probably best exemplified by The Collective, a brand with a co-living vision, but others include CitizenM and more mainstream brands such as Sheraton which has introduced a communal lobby concept across Europe. This includes a community table, private booths and a coffee bar.

One mega hotel brand with no plans to join the apartment sector is Radisson, focusing instead on traditional hotel expansion as 80% of its business is stays of less than two days” 58

House of fun

“Business hotels are becoming more of an experience, they’re becoming more fun, with rooftop gardens, wellbeing facilities and the like,” says the BTA’s Baty.

Hotel capacity is growing and the ‘fullʼ sign is appearing in the top cites. Major player Accor is focussing on two development levels over the next few years, luxury and extended stay. The latter will come via the established Adagio aparthotel brand and the company’s EMEA expansion plans include Romania, Poland and Bosnia, its heartland of France and Germany, plus the UK. “We’re expanding everywhere,” says Karim Malek, CEO of Aparthotels Adagio. “The big guys are stepping up their capacity and so are we. Our expansion is based on the momentum we see in the market.”

The home-stay market is also adding capacity despite being tainted by negative experiences in Airbnb properties. Airbnb opened the market to hotel alternatives and it’s driven the short-term rental market, currently growing 30% year on year across Europe and worth €330billion by 2025 according to PwC figures.

Upmarket home-stay brand Under the Doormat, which offers everything from onebed flats to seven-bed homes in London, reckons that most hotel brands will have their own home accommodation brands in

their portfolios “within the next five years”.

It appears to be a question of, if you can’t beat them, join them.

Under the Doormat prides itself in offering the comfort of a home with the quality service of a hotel, according to founder and CEO Merilee Karr. “For a night or two a hotel serves its purpose. But travellers want a lounge to sit in and they want to make their own breakfast,” she says.

One mega hotel brand with no plans to join the apartment sector is Radisson, focusing instead on traditional hotel expansion as 80% of its business is stays of less than two days.

It’s in a good place, says Gianni de Fede, VP Total Revenue Performance, EMEA for Radisson; pragmatic about Brexit – “We cannot deal with Brexit until it happens” – although admitting that the company has concerns about finding staff.

Nonetheless, the group is busy investing in its UK properties, namely the 900-room Heathrow Park Inn, which is undergoing a major refurbishment. “The picture looks pretty good in the UK,” says de Fede.

The wide-ranging accommodation sector is booming and broadening as new entrants grab a piece of what is a large, lucrative market. Furthermore, travel managers are now in a good position to manage their spend as well as they have traditionally managed their air spend.

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Accommodation / UK hotel groups

close to home

The development pipeline for the likes of Travelodge and Premier Inn is testament to the UK’s burgeoning hotel sector, writes Catherine Chetwynd

D

espite the uncertainty caused by the political and economic environment, there is still a substantial development pipeline in the UK, especially in the major cities.

“Whereas recent years have seen branded budget hotels lead the charge, there is now a greater pipeline of full service and boutique properties. And although the sector is becoming more branded, some interesting smaller boutique hotels are being established as well,” says consultant to the hotel industry Melvin Gold.

Edinburgh, London, Brighton, York and Birmingham are the top five most attractive cities in Knight Frank’s UK Hotel Development Index 2019, a major factor in the 2.9% expansion in supply forecast for 2019, with some 19,300 rooms opening. Of these, 34% were slated for the capital.

Edinburgh secured the top ranking position in the report. Despite significant hotel supply 60

coming on stream in Edinburgh during 2018 and 2019, and with a continued strong pipeline of properties, the city outperformed the index, profiting from growth in its total occupied room nights and rooms revenue, and benefiting from strong economic and tourism fundamentals. However, it is important to factor in the volume of pipeline that continues to enter the market, as this is likely to result in a short-term downturn in trading performance while it is absorbed.

Budget hotels in particular set up shop in small towns and cities, as well as several establishments in larger urban areas.

Premier Inn leads the way, providing 20% of supply during the first seven months of 2019.

Travelodge follows with 9%.

Whitbread-owned Premier Inn now counts over 800 hotels in its UK portfolio, and is gearing up to open another 37 in 2020, onethird of which will be in seaside towns and cities. The group has also diversified by

adding Premier Plus rooms at around 20 city centre hotels and a number of standalone super-budget ZIP hotels and tech-focused hub by Premier Inn hotels.

Meanwhile, Travelodge opened 17 hotels in the UK, including the seventh Travelodge Plus, the group’s ‘budget chic’ hotels with new look standard rooms; SuperRooms, with Lavazza coffee machines, irons and ironing boards, USB power outlets and a more comfortable desk and chair – mini-chiller cabinets follow; and redesigned restaurants.

SuperRooms feature in more than 50 UK hotels. Travelodge started a modernisation programme more than five years ago and has invested more than £150million in improved quality and greater choice.

Meanwhile, brands such as Moxy, Hampton

by Hilton and Holiday Inn Express have also enjoyed respectable growth, each adding between 500 and 620 new rooms in 2018, the Knight Frank report states.

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UK hotel groups / Accommodation

malmaison Hotels

New faces

“Although economic and political uncertainty slowed the transaction flow, it has created opportunities for inward investors, including new brands,” says Gold.

There are a number of examples. Having acquired The Randolph in Oxford, Graduate Hotels will enter the market, and in the same deal, investor Adventurous Journeys (AJ) Capital Partners bought Rusacks in St. Andrews from Macdonald Hotels.

And Hong Kong and Canadian investor Great Century recently acquired the Fairmont

Premier Inn now counts over 800 hotels in its UK portfolio, and is gearing up to open another 37 in 2020”

Hotel St. Andrews. “The transaction market is quieter but still active,” says Gold.

Bespoke Hotels is adding three properties to its portfolio. It took over management of Dalmunzie Castle in Glenshee, Scotland, and Hotel Brooklyn opens in Manchester in February with 189 rooms; it plans to be ‘Manchester’s most accessible hotel’.

The third property is The Telegraph Hotel, occupying the former Coventry Evening Telegraph building after a £20million refit with 88 bedrooms, a 160-seat meeting room, restaurant and three bars, and bursting on to the scene in 2021.

In Scotland, the Malmaison Edinburgh City launched in December, with the group's growth plans including properties in Manchester, York and Bournemouth.

The purchase of a site at West George Street, Glasgow, signals the arrival of BLOC Hotels in the city, and a £120million redevelopment will produce a seven-storey

smart hotel and retail space. The planned 25-storey BLOC Grand Central in Birmingham is on the site of a vacant office block; and the company is launching apart-rooms for longer stays at its existing property in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter.

The group is also planning to expand its hotel at Gatwick Airport South Terminal, adding 231 rooms to the existing 245 for 2021. Other BLOC properties are destined for London, Brighton, Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester and Edinburgh.

Outside the UK, plans for growth embrace five cities and the appointment of Dominic Mayes as Property Director flags the company’s expansive intent.

Owned or franchised properties make up the easyHotels development pipeline. On the list are Chester, Cardiff, Oxford, Blackpool, Cambridge, Derby and Bristol, the latter subject to planning consent. The self-styled ‘super budget’ group also plans to open 

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At Adagio, we do everything to make you feel at home Spacious apartments with equipped kitchens, common areas to share moments of conviviality, a team always at your service and very attentive: it is no coincidence that you very quickly feel at home in an Adagio aparthotel. Over 110 destinations in the heart of major cities in Europe and around the world.

Explore our UK aparthotels in London, Liverpool, Birmingham, Edinburgh and now Leicester.

Stay, live, enjoy

adagio-city.com Untitled-3 1 UK Hotels.indd 62 EXT Feature

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20 14:06

UK hotel groups / Accommodation

APEX HoTELS  further properties outside the UK, including in Dublin, Paris CDG Airport, Malaga and Tel Aviv.

“The hotel markets have remained challenging in the second half of the financial year, particularly in the UK, where we are seeing dampened consumer confidence,” wrote Chief Executive Guy Parsons in the year-end company report.

“Our owned hotels have continued to outperform the market but we have not been immune to the weaker regional hotel market and trading across our franchised portfolio has continued to be subdued,” he stated. “While we don’t foresee any improvement to the trading environment in the medium term… we believe the current economic uncertainties will present attractive investment opportunities to continue to expand our development pipeline.”

Hotels have little ground to give in an environment where costs are rising... hoteliers and corporate buyers will need to balance this reality carefully”

Forward thinking

Jason Carruthers, Managing Director of Jurys Inn and Leonardo Hotels UK & Ireland believes both the sector and the government must shape up as Brexit poses difficult questions: “I think it is the responsibility of everyone, especially the business community, to ensure that those charged with accountability for negotiating the UK’s exit and subsequent transition on January 31 and beyond are fully aware of the implications.

But this also includes us.

“Whatever the outcome, we will remain focused on delivering our plans for the

Z HoTELS

business. We have a strong portfolio of hotels that are well positioned and supported by very talented people. We have looked at and tailored every touch point for our customers, which is being reflected in the high occupancy we are seeing across the group,” says Carruthers.

This year sees the opening of Edwardian Hotels’ The Londoner in Leicester Square after a £300million investment to create 350 rooms, two screening rooms, six restaurants and bars, meeting spaces, gym and spa.

The group has also relaunched its Manchester property as The Edwardian Manchester, a Radisson Collection Hotel, after a £12million refurbishment.

“We have supported our workers who are EU nationals to ensure that they feel a level of stability with us, and we are investing significantly in the training and development of our teams. This is most notable through our strategic ten-year partnership with Imperial College London Business School to create the leaders of tomorrow,” says Edwardian Hotels' Commercial Development Director, Iype Abraham.

But buyers are driving rates: “Given the slowdown in trading, it is unsurprising that corporate buyers are negotiating hard with hotels,” says Melvin Gold. “But hotels have little ground to give in an environment where costs are rising, especially payroll costs.

Hoteliers and corporate buyers will need to balance this reality carefully.”

And Edwardian’s attitude reflects this, according to Abraham: “We have embraced dynamic rates and continuous sourcing analysis, allowing travellers more choice 

BLoC HoTELS

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Accommodation / UK hotel groups

With the UK’s exit from the EU in 2020, this will hopefully come with an element of much-needed clarity and a better defined outlook for the industry, employees and customers” PREMIER INN

and flexibility,” he says. “As an innovative business, we are aware that there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to distribution channels and as our brand evolves, we continue to review and amend these.”

In 2018, the sector looked resilient. STR data shows RevPAR growth of 3.1% in London and 1.5% in regional UK and this has helped fuel the strong pipeline of hotels under construction in 2019, reflecting the confidence developers and investors continue to have in the sector.

As at the end of July 2019, 10,000 rooms were under construction and expected to open during the second half of 2019, plus an additional 1,000 rooms from hotels currently closed and undergoing extensive refurbishment are due to reopen, the Knight Frank report states.

London accounted for 38% of the development pipeline of hotels, either under construction or under renovation and that were due to open by the end of 2019, equating to some 4,000 new hotel rooms.



[

]

Style

Number of hotels

Opening in 2020

Apex Hotels

City centre, luxury hotels

10

None

Various

77

Manchester, Coventry

Quality, short-stay, smart design

2

Birmingham

Dakota Hotels

Design luxury

5

None confirmed

EasyHotels

Super budget

40 in the UK, Europe and Middle East

Cardiff, Oxford, Derby, Bristol and more

Boutique

12

London

Country house hotels

19

None

Boutique

16 Malmaison & 19 Hotel du Vin

Manchester, York, Bournemouth

Jurys Inn: mid-market; Leonardo: upscale, some boutique and lifestyle boutique

47

Under negotiation

Premier Inn

Budget

800+ Premier Inn; 12 Hub by Premier Inn

37 hotels across the UK

Travelodge

Budget and budget chic

572

100 hotels in the next five years

Affordable hotels in exceptional locations

13

Several to come in 2020

Bloc Hotels

Edwardian Hotels Hand Picked Hotels Malmaison & Hotel du Vin Jurys Inn & Leonardo Hotels

Z Hotels

64

UK HOT EL GROUPS: WH O D OES WHAT

Hotel group

Bespoke Hotels

DAKoTA

PwC’s forecast for 2020 is less ebullient but also ends on a cautiously positive note, taking account of the effects of the US-China trade war, the risk of a no-deal Brexit, the threat of a sharp Eurozone slowdown and debt default risks in emerging economies.

These factors deterred investors, who sought safer areas for their money. “There has also been increasing talk around the inversion of the yield curve (often cited as a predictor of recessions),” the forecast stated.

“Assuming a Brexit deal is achieved, our revised forecasts for UK GDP expect the economy to continue to grow, but at a slower pace than seen recently, averaging around 1% in 2019 and 2020, below its long-term trend rate of 2%, and with risks skewed to the downside.”

Frasers Hospitality CEO EMEA, Guus Bakker, is more optimistic: “With the UK’s expected exit from the EU in 2020, this will hopefully come with an element of much-needed clarity and a better defined outlook for the industry, employees and customers.”

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Six of the best / Accommodation

Six of the best...

New hotels in London 1

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Nhow London

The NH group opened its first UK hotel as part of the new 250 City Road development in east London in January. Vibrant artwork, decor and furnishings pay homage to icons of the capital including Big Ben and the Royal Family. There's also an Underground-themed gym and Bell & Whistle restaurant.

Hart Shoreditch

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Opening in February, this 126room hotel is the fourth Curio Collection by Hilton in London.

Features include a wrought iron and copper staircase in tribute to the building’s previous incarnation as a cabinetmaker’s factory.

Ruby Lucy

The Munich-based Ruby Hotels group debuted its ‘lean luxury’ philosophy in the UK in January with the opening of the 76-room Ruby Lucy on the capital’s Southbank, by Waterloo station.

Interior design is inspired by the area’s bustling fairs and markets, with a carnival theme throughout.

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The Londoner

Developed by Edwardian Hotels London and located near Leicester Square, the new-build 16-storey property will have 350 rooms and is being described as ‘boutique in feel yet staggering in scale’. It is due to open in June.

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The Guardsman

With 53 guestrooms and six residences for longer stays, this hotel is located near Buckingham Palace and is set to open in June.

Developers Shiva Hotels is touting “relaxed luxury, welcoming feel and personal service normally associated with a club”.

Nobu Portman Square

The Nobu group is preparing to open its second hotel in the capital this spring, the Nobu Hotel London Portman Square. The property will comprise 249 guestrooms, a trademark Nobu restaurant, several meeting spaces and a ballroom.

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Accommodation / Spend management

Sleep

tight As the way corporates manage their accommodation spend evolves, Gillian Upton examines how best to make the most of your money

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ersonal preferences play a large part in hotel selection as there is more emotion attached to booking accommodation compared to an airline seat. This ‘noise’ from travellers further complicates the marketplace as they turn to OTAs for better rates.

Travellers can be engineers, expats, delegates, trainees and business folk, all with disparate needs. And that spend can sit in different silos in companies, often outside the travel department. Relocation sits in HR, training in marketing and so on, making it a nightmare for a travel manager to capture.

Changing traveller demographics adds another layer of complication to content.

Ad hoc booking by PAs has been the norm but smart corporates are now harnessing these fragmented bookings and using the TMC as the sole booking channel to gain visibility and leverage spend. Meanwhile, TMCs are aggregating OTA content to keep travellers compliant, with the likes of SAP

Concur, for example, providing technology – the TripLink app – to capture bookings off plan and bring them back into the eco system to give travel managers a complete view.

“Travel managers are getting much better visibility on total cost of trip than they’ve ever had before,” reckons Louise Miller, Managing Partner Americas at Areka Consulting.

To say that the hotel spend category is in a state of flux underestimates the seismic changes shaping the market. Corporates are adapting to these changes by dealing with different data sets, blending card and expense data to attain total trip cost and keep a tight handle on what can often be a similar-sized spend to air travel.

The fundamentals still apply: consolidate your suppliers, create a preferred hotel programme and pre-approval process, introduce rate caps in certain high-volume locations, encourage advance booking at the time of booking flights (at least 14 days out), negotiate added-value benefits, make use of

dynamic pricing rates in low-volume destinations and offer richer content.

OTA rates can work some of the time.

“Non-flexible hotel rates help manage spend but only if a corporate’s cancellation patterns aren’t too high,” warns Sian Sayward, Supplier Partnership Manager at Inntel.

More difficult to achieve are moving bookings to different days of the week to achieve better rates; trying to combine transient and M&E bookings is challenging due to lack of data and different venues (see box, pg 70); and securing LRA is almost impossible.

“LRA is often the sticking point in negotiations,” says Gianni Di Fede, VP Total Revenue Performance EMEA at Radisson Hotels. “It’s on the table but we need to be prudent and only give it based on volumes and days of the week – not peak nights but perhaps on a Monday.”

Maria Baty, Chair of the BTA’s Hotel Strategy Group, says aggregating transient and MICE booking is challenging, because “they’re

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often dealt with differently and often from two different procurement people, and often they don’t talk to each other.”

Consultant Chris Pouney of GoldSpring voices a word of warning on implementing rate caps: “When we say the word ‘cap’ travellers often hear the word ‘allowance’ and see it as a target or entitlement to aim for.”

What works for hotels is a spread of business across days of the week. Hotels can fill a hotel twice over on a Tuesday night but lack bookings on Sundays and Mondays, for example. Plus, the law of supply and demand means a deal won in a soft-demand city cannot be replicated in one with unconstrained demand.

According to statistics from HVS, key European hotel markets such as London, Paris and Rome are generally supplyconstrained, resulting in demand-led RevPAR. Radisson Hotels points to softer rates in Nordic cites, Dubai and Frankfurt where

supply is currently outstripping demand.

Hotels appear to be in a rapid building phase.

In the mix

Despite these buoyant market characteristics, corporates of all sizes can achieve deals and SMEs should get a fair crack of the whip as hotels go for a mix of different-sized clients to avoid being over-reliant on a handful of global corporates, which would mean giving away too much content at the lowest rate.

Margaret Bowler, Director of Global Hotel Strategy at American Express GBT, explains: “Bigger volumes don’t necessarily equate to deeper discounts as hotels want the mix.

They don’t want all their eggs in one basket.

It’s about managing their inventory.”

Hotels also want clients who offer them a spread of business, across rooms, F&B and meeting space. “Hotels want clients who can give them not only room nights but F&B as well – that’s where hotels make their money,”

says Chris Vince, Director of Operations at Click Travel. “Hotels will give 20% off menus.”

F&B credits and car parking tend to be the most easily-won soft benefits in hotel negotiations, particularly alongside dynamic pricing deals. Wifi should always be free. F&B credits are worth fighting for as the cost of

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Accommodation / Spend management

daily breakfast can account for up to 8% of the room rate.

Amex GBT’s Bowler has noted two other benefits over the last year: “No early check-in fee and same-day cancellation, but hotels are pushing back on it,” she says.

“Also watch out for an urban destination fee in cities such as New York where they can’t push the rate up. It’s like a resort fee without the beach and can be $25 a night.”

When to negotiate is a moot point. Annual RFPs are stretching to two years for bigspending corporates to lock in rates – and hotels acquiesce if it’s across the whole programme. “The upside is that the client doesn’t need to get involved; it’s low-touch for them,” says Rachel Newns, Head of Accommodation Programme Management at FCM. “Re-negotiating is a huge process and you can feel that you’re never out of it. You have to balance the amount of effort and work the programme will take against the savings.”

Corporates are relying on long-term stay providers and the sharing economy to fill the shortfall in destinations at busy times, often at one-third of the cost of a hotel”

70

Smaller hotel chains are more open to two-year deals as the business is far more valuable to them. Hotels are also responding with ‘seasonal pricing’ in destinations such as New York and London to manage capacity.

There might be one rate for January to March and another for April and May, and so on.

“It’s another word for yield management,” says the BTA’s Baty.

What to negotiate is changing too.

Corporates are relying on long-term stay providers and the sharing economy to fill the shortfall in destinations at busy times of year, often at one-third of the cost of a hotel. It works particularly well when a group is attending a meeting on a trip of over three nights and they gain communal space and flexibility of eating options.

Corporates are also becoming cognisant of the changing traveller demographics, observes Amex GBT’s Bowler. “It means changing the type of product to keep travellers happy, for example with Moxy from Marriott aimed at Gen Y and Gen Z, which is more social.”

Corporates’ preference for annually negotiated rates goes hand-in-hand with their need to budget but their policy preference for lowest price on the day means booking a dynamic rate, around 15% below BAR. The static rate is now a benchmark and TMCs offer clients anything under it. Inntel’s Sayward thinks the “fixed rate programme is nearing the end of its shelf life”.

Attention to detail

Dynamic rates also mean dynamic programme management, measuring the success of it and making changes every quarter. “Combine the review with new sources of content and look every 30-90 days,” advises Areka’s Miller.

Another change is corporates avoiding the busy fourth quarter of the year and spreading negotiations across the whole 12 months; to the fiscal year-end in April, for example, when hotels are generally quieter. “In April you might find a hotel that hasn’t secured all the business that it had been promised,” says FCM’s Newns.

[ case study ] When transient and M&E get together EY's Global Travel & Meetings Team achieved a combined transient and M&E programme just across key regions.

Step 1 – Designed a single policy for M&E aligned with travel policy, managed by a single travel and meetings team.

Step 2 – Rolled out a region-by-region new programme.

Step 3 – Put a communications plan in place ahead of the launch, using newsletters, Skype lunch-and-learn sessions, EA networks, internal social media platform Yammer and in-person meetings. It also illustrated the benefits (duty of care being a key message) and mitigated pushback. EAs became an extension of the T&M team as programme champions.

Step 4 – Engaged its TMC to have a joined-up account management team with visibility across the combined spend to support supplier relations and provide data analysis to drive key benefits of a converged programme.

Step 5 – Engaged suppliers to ensure they were on board and view relationships as partnerships. Negotiated master service agreements with hotel chains to reduce the time needed to contract for events, from six weeks to three days.

Step 6 – Visibility changed venue sourcing and it is now done across multiple events and locations to drive savings as part of a joined-up programme.

Step 7 – EY benefitted from major savings, a change in mindset and the way the T&M team works with stakeholders, which is a more consultative process.

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Hotels are continuing to push dynamic rates and Areka Consulting’s Miller says using these gives the right message to travellers. “Putting a re-shopping tool into your programme acknowledges the dynamic rates out there and that static rates aren’t the whole picture,” she explains. “It gives the corporate a marketing spin too, effectively saying, ‘We’re looking out for you’.“ In its quest to win over corporates, Radisson is trialling the use of simultaneous dynamic and static rates this year. “The scope is to softly educate them to understand the convenience of buying the dynamic rate,” says Radisson’s Di Fede. The trial coincides with the launch of integrated platforms enabling open pricing on B2B rates, with discounts based on demand, booking windows, length of stay and so on.

The hotel market is now awash with multiple rates, namely the corporate rate, BAR, dynamic/OTA and, as a last resort, the published rate which has virtually disappeared.

Better by design

“A fixed corporate rate doesn’t save corporates much,” insists FCM’s Newns, “but it can work really well in places like London. We’ve had success moving clients to dynamic pricing but we will look at each individual market, their travel patterns and volumes and the hotel occupancy. We have to ask, ‘Are you the customer the hotel wants?’“ Clever use of rate caps can also work effectively, advises Newns. “One client I have has a particular hotel they want their travellers to stay in so we put a rate cap just above the rate of that hotel. It makes it appealing to travellers as they know that’s the best option within that rate cap and they will book it.”

What’s essential with this strategy is checking that a corporate is able to access that rate the majority of the time.

Ultimately, cost is still the main driver of any corporate hotel programme and in the evolving world of accommodation, corporates cannot take their eye off the ball and must constantly review their programme to ensure that it’s continuing to deliver as promised.

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Accommodation / Sustainability

Getting the

GREEN LIGHT Sasha Wood finds out how the concept of sustainable hotel stays is being integrated into the business travel eco-system

A

thletes participating in this summer's Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo will rest their weary bodies on beds with frames made from recyclable cardboard and mattresses formed of polyethylene materials that will be reused for plastic products after the events.

It's hard to imagine hotel titans Marriott or Hilton going to those lengths, but it is a measure of the way the sustainable travel debate is now permeating all areas of travel and tourism, and not just aviation.

Under mounting pressure as the evidence of global warming continues to stack up, last year the UK declared a climate emergency and the travel industry is taking its call to action seriously.

“We cannot escape the fact that this issue is the most important and multifaceted that travel and hospitality has ever had to face,” says Business Travel Association (BTA) Chief Executive, Clive Wratten.

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Numerous industry surveys show sustainability has shot up the business travel agenda in the last year, with one poll from TripActions highlighting that 80% of business travellers are now concerned about their environmental impact. And with TMCs reporting increased demand from clients for ethical travel options, the hotel industry is looking for new solutions to reduce pollution, waste and environmental damage from its operations.

The banning of single-use plastics, a focus on sourcing local products, and the reduction of water and energy consumption using demand-response units are popular action points for hotel groups large and small, but how can corporates get a clear picture of their hotel-related environmental impact?

After all, some European companies are required to report CO2 emissions resulting from business travel as part of the EU’s Climate Monitoring Mechanism, with the goal to reduce emissions in the EU 43% by

2030. Carbon budgets are set into UK law, but it’s unclear how the reporting system will change as Britain departs the EU.

Measure for measure

In the UK, measurements from DEFRA and allied organisations are viewed as the benchmark standards for estimating carbon emissions. Meanwhile, green credentials are measured by myriad different environmental certifications, though the underlying principles, standards and calculation methods often remain the same.

More and more, new-build hotels are LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) or Green Seal certified, making it easier for travel managers to identify greener accommodation options.

We are quite used to calculating the carbon output of a flight or road journey, but measuring the carbon footprint of hotel rooms is more difficult, says Egencia’s Senior Product Marketing Manager, Caleb MacIlvaine.

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“A hotel stay comprises a collection of activities, each of which emit greenhouse gases. These include things like heating or cooling a hotel room, going up and down in an elevator, taking a shower with hot water or eating at the hotel restaurant that uses electricity or natural gas to cook your food.

Like the car scenario, the bigger the hotel room, the more CO2 that’s created,” he says.

Corporate clamour

Across the board, TMCs are reporting record interest in sustainability. “We are seeing more clients wanting to understand

We hear constantly from the travel community that sustainability of business travel is a critical topic to address”

and manage their carbon footprint, and asking how they can make their programmes more sustainable,” says Amex GBT’s Vice President of Risk and Compliance, Michelle Dyer. “To a large extent, these enquiries are driven by travellers who are increasingly aware about the environmental impact of business travel.”

TripActions’ VP of Product, Anique Drumright, agrees: “We hear consistently from the travel community via our customer advisory board, focus groups and in-product feedback that sustainability of business travel is a critical topic to address, and that they want to do more than just engage in the global conversation by taking action to understand and mitigate their impact.”

Jamie Anderson, Head of Marketing and Communications at Diversity Travel, which specialises in travel management for notfor-profits and the charity sector, says the company has been seeing a similar trend: “Sustainability has become top of the

agenda for many of Diversity Travel’s clients. Not only are potential clients enquiring more about sustainable options in tenders, but existing clients are also showing greater interest in how we can help them reduce their carbon footprint.”

Despite the apparent clamour for sustainable travel options, a recent poll by the Business Travel Show showed only 39% of buyers operate 'ethical' travel programmes and only 17% of organisations offset their aviation-related emissions.

Green pitch

Nevertheless, corporate social responsibility and sustainable practices are becoming a fixture in pitches for new business. The BTA’s Clive Wratten says: “Increasingly, RFPs have sustainability running through them.

TMCs are already serving up travel and accommodation options to clients based on criteria such as the lowest carbon impact or most ethical business practices. 

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“If you are not, then it’s time to get your developers on the case – and quickly.”

In fact a survey from Amex GBT found 26% of travel managers and procurement professionals already include mandatory CSR questions in hotel RFPs, and 16% are already factoring sustainability into hotel sourcing. The global TMC is listening to its clients too: “GBT is actively helping clients create greener travel strategies to meet their environmental goals,” says Dyer.

“We help them develop the best strategy for their business and corporate culture, with an optimal balance between smarter travel and mitigating residual greenhouse gas emissions through offsetting.

Other TMCs are on the case too, with many having introduced carbon calculators into their booking tools to let managers see their company’s projected emissions and act accordingly.

Egencia, for example, has introduced a Carbon Emissions Workspace within its Analytics Studio that tracks the potential emissions for hotel stays. Similarly, Amex GBT's Neo platform includes emissions information, while new business travel player TripActions added a carbon monitoring and offsetting tool to its booking software last October.

Diversity Travel’s Anderson says many of the organisations that the TMC works with now have quotas limiting the carbon emissions they are prepared to emit through their business travel activities.

Others are seeking to become carbon neutral via offsetting schemes.

“Integrating more sustainable options and filters into online booking tools, providing clients with an overview of their overall emissions and aiming for carbon neutrality can all go a long way in bringing awareness to the issue and encouraging bookers to make more responsible decisions,” says



Many TMCs have introduced carbon calculators into their travel booking tools to let users and managers see their company’s projected emissions and act accordingly” 74

Anderson. The TMC’s in-house development team is currently looking at integrating greener options into its hotel booking tool.

Sustainable stays

Initiatives such as scrapping single-use plastics and carbon offsetting are starting to become the norm in the hospitality industry. In 2019, for example, IHG and Marriott both announced they were ditching individual toiletry bottles. Similarly, Hilton committed to recycling all the soap bars used in its hotels, having already reduced water consumption by 20% using LightStay technology.

Another hospitality giant, Accor says it has neutralised some of its carbon output by planting 100,000 trees across the UK in the last five years in partnership with the Woodland Trust. They are small steps, but it shows the industry is moving in the right direction, away from wasteful mass consumption to a more considered approach.

Sustainability accreditation schemes can help buyers identify greener hotel options.

LEED-certified hotels, for instance, typically feature flow-restrictive shower heads, lowflow toilets, energy-efficient lighting and linen programs as a bare minimum.

To reduce energy consumption long-term, some hotels are adopting demand-response units to cut energy use during peak hours.

Major hotel chains such as Marriott began trialling the technology back in 2013 as part of Ofgem’s Low Carbon London programme, which used London as a test bed to support the development of a smarter electricity network.

Banks are even offering Green Loans to help hotels engrain more sustainable practices in their design and operation. A notable recent example is that of Edwardian Hotels London, which has secured a £175million Green Loan from HSBC UK to help make its new super boutique, The Londoner, one of the most environmentally friendly hotels in the UK. With travel buyers, TMCs, hotels and now banks on board, it seems the concept of sustainable development is finally having its day. TMCs are becoming equipped to help design completely carbon-neutral trips for their clients, and with the tools we need to be greener travellers coming online, it won’t be long before we can choose the most sustainable stay in just a few clicks.

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20/01/2020 10:13 1/27/20 05:54 PM 16/12/2019 13:11

Accommodation / Long-stay options

The long

game For longer business stays, aparthotels and serviced apartments can present both traveller wellbeing benefits and cost savings, writes Gillian Upton

W

hen relocating employees or accommodating those on longterm assignment work a hotel just won’t do. For one, it’s a costly way of looking after staff on long stays, and secondly, it’s only fair that these business travellers have more creature comforts available to them than a hotel normally affords in a standard room.

Being able to spread out in a sitting room or cook an entire meal in a kitchen is far more appropriate than perching on a bed to relax when staying away from home for long periods. It’s these situations that have driven the alternative accommodation sector over the past decade.

“It is as much about wellbeing as it is about cost,” explains Charlie McCrow, owner of The Apartment Service specialist booking agency, the largest in Europe. “It’s about space and an environment with a separate lounge.”

Karim Malek, CEO of Aparthotels Adagio, part of the giant Accor hotel group, believes apartments have another key benefit, of a seamless transition between home and the away-from-home environment. “You can keep your lifestyle habits,” he says. “You can do your own thing, so not waste time in a restaurant and keep your exercise habits.

You can work, cook, sleep, invite colleagues 76

round, and even take your pet with you so it’s a much more flexible environment and it gives you more independence.”

Budget bonanza

Traveller satisfaction is the big benefit for the end user, which also ticks the employer box for traveller wellbeing. But the real benefit for travel managers are the cost savings.

Adagio’s Malek reckons savings can be as high as 40% when comparing total cost of stay (ie. room, food, laundry etc), based on a one to two-month stay. Savings would be more in the region of 10%-15% on shorter stays of four nights or more.

Wesley Shelling, Head of Operations at SilverDoor serviced apartment agency, compares a single night in a four-star London hotel at £197 per night to a one-bed apartment for £162 and a studio at £150.

“Plus a one-bed apartment is twice the size of a hotel room,” he says. “The longer you stay the more the cost benefits accrue. After three months there are really significant cost savings.” VAT dropping from 20% to 4% after 28 nights is another cost benefit.

Long-stay accommodation has come on in leaps and bounds over the past decade which means that some of the challenges for travellers in the early days have almost 

airbnb

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Satisfaction is the big benefit for the end user, which also ticks the employer box for traveller wellbeing�

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disappeared. For example, it’s rare today that travellers have to hunt down the pick-up point for the door keys – previously somewhere such as the local newsagent or a safe box – as many have 24-hour receptions.

Similarly, technology has enabled live availability and instant bookings in some cases, so it’s much easier for a corporate to integrate non-hotel accommodation into a hotel policy as a booker no longer has to hang on the phone to secure the apartment.

And there are multiple benefits from major hotel groups entering the fray: it’s easy to negotiate a corporate contract; some soft benefits are available in return for volume; they are present on the GDSs and corporate OTA sites; and can provide live availability.



staycity

Keys to success

However, SilverDoor’s Shelling says that the industry is “still a little bit behind compared to the hotel sector in terms of offering live availability”. SilverDoor provides online availability for most of its supply and blends offline with online, depending on what the client wants. It also offers MI and standardised cancellation policies and payment options.

edyn

The fact that major hotel groups have entered the fray means that it’s easy to negotiate a corporate contract”

Inconsistent quality was another potential pitfall, but today the majority of the larger operators have standards equivalent to hotels. The Apartment Service agency has a database of some 1.17million apartments in managed buildings in its global portfolio spread across 15,500 locations – but the agency only deals with those operators that have been verified. “We know who the operators are, shape our portfolio by the feedback we receive and offer after sales support,” says McGrow.

SilverDoor says 24-hour reception, meet and greet, and online check-in are the norm today across its 170,000 properties. “We are striving for consistency,” says Shelling. The company recently achieved ISO 27001 and ISO 9001 accreditations, which goes a long way in this regard.

Furthermore, ASAP's efforts to introduce a specific serviced apartment accreditation programme will further promote consistency.

Small glitches remain in what is an increasingly fragmented marketplace as some of the small serviced apartment operators may provide 20 units in the same building but are different sizes and different prices. In these cases, online booking can be challenging. “Serviced apartments are not a commodity generally and these smaller operators usually only offer offline booking and are probably from a property background,” says McCrow.

Consistency of product tends to come from the larger operators. TMC Reed & Mackay, for example, works with SITU, City Apartments and Edyn.

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Today, the market embraces a plethora of alternatives to hotels, including home stays, corporate housing, branded residences, extended stay and aparthotels. It’s not only a burgeoning market but one in which the lines between them are being blurred by the day.

Defining factors

“There is tons of confusion out there,” says McCrow. “What is a serviced apartment? At one end is a hotel with 150 apartments and at the other end is a property owner with 15 units.” Call them market growing pains but these characteristics can manifest themselves in non-standardised quality.

Traditional serviced apartment operators are reinventing their products and launching new brands. For example, SACO launched the Locke brand, which has drawn in clientele from the fashion and tech industries, Cheval created Cheval Maison, Staycity added Wilde, Ascott has Somerset and lyf, while Frasers has Capri and Modena. In London, Lamington launched room2 as what it calls a ‘hometel’ brand, combining the best of Airbnb, serviced apartments and boutique hotels.

Meanwhile, the home rental market, popularised by Airbnb, has widened to include more upmarket equivalents such as onefinestay and Under the Doormat.

Airbnb has had its challenges in terms of duty of care to satisfy the corporate sector.

The deaths of five people in an Airbnb singlenight rental in California on Halloween last year hasn’t helped their cause in this regard.

Airbnb co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky has at least announced a change in company

policy as a result, to screen and flag potential high-risk reservations across its 7million listings by the end of 2020. Whether this action will be enough to woo risk-averse corporates remains to be seen.

Merilee Karr, founder and CEO of Under the Doormat, operates 300 homes in London and plans to triple that number by 2025. Part of the Expedia global partner network, it offers live availability through Expedia or via its own website. ”We vet every home and having a licensee ‘lite’ arrangement with Marriott means that all our systems, health and safety standards and quality was vetted thoroughly,” she says.

Onefinestay is part of Accor and offers a curated hospitality experience with personal welcome, 24/7 guest support and the option to add tailored amenities and services such as chauffeurs, grocery deliveries and bespoke destination experiences.

Accor is one of the major hotel players to have launched a long-stay brand, Adagio, while the other key players in this sector are Marriott with Residence Inns and IHG with Staybridge. Adagio provides 112 aparthotels currently and plans to double that figure by 2024. A newcomer is budget hotel operator Yotel with its extended stay brand Yotelpad, currently with three locations in Switzerland, all with meeting and co-working spaces.

Co-living accommodation units are another growing part of the market. Targeted at young professionals, developments tend to be multipurpose with a co-working element.

Accor has already got in on the act with the Wojo co-working brand, which will appear 

Today, the market embraces a plethora of alternatives to hotels, including home stays, corporate housing, branded residences, extended stay options and aparthotels”

staybridge

With four confirmed Locke openings in London and Dublin in 2020 our vision is to create sanctuaries across European cities which provide a sense of belonging to the free-thinking urbanite in all of us.

As a visionary business, SACO has been pushing the boundaries of modern travel for 22 years. With over 80,000 apartments in 260 key destinations across our portfolio, we’ve brought four hospitality brands together under a fresh new identity that reflects our ambition and culture. The transition to edyn signals an exciting new chapter for the serviced accommodation sector.

Our expansion for Locke doesn’t just stop there, we have grand plans further into the future - with openings in Cambridge, Berlin, Lisbon and beyond by 2022.

Find your edyn. findingedyn.com 0330 123 3480 | sales@edyngroup.com

Eden Locke, Manchester

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Accommodation / Long-stay options

in hotels including Adagio as well as in standalone Wojo properties. Developments are focussed on Europe’s capital cities.

Increasingly, property companies are behind many of these developments. For example, Oakwood is now owned by Mapletree, a real estate investment company.

Entities called REIT – real estate investment trusts – are also appearing in the marketplace, which own and invest in hospitality assets. It seems likely that real estate, hospitality and travel will converge and this could also be good for industry-wide standardisation and quality control.

According to findings in the bi-annual Global Serviced Apartments Industry Report 2020/21 (GSAIR), apartment operators have shown improvement against five benchmarks: online reputation, revenue per available room (RevPAR), achieved rate, average length of stay and occupancy levels.





NATIVE

The report says the number of serviced apartments included in an annual hotel RFP is growing conservatively year-on-year but two-thirds still do not include them. Those that do are spending just under 10% of their accommodation budgets on serviced apartments. Corporates tend to book via an agency channel (53.8%) or self-booking tool (42.3%), says the report.

Market growth is something all industry observers agree on. Adagio’s Malek says: “The penetration rate of aparthotels within the hotel sector in Europe is only 3% but in the US it’s at 10% so there is huge potential.”

It’s easy to be optimistic about long-stay options for business travellers as the growing pains will be outweighed by new developments of traditional and new players, by greater choice and, ultimately, by a market that works seamlessly alongside hotels in terms of quality and booking processes.

Arlington House Apartments arlingtonhouse.co.uk

+ 44 20 7629 0021

Located in the heart of St. James’s London, with many apartments overlooking the tranquil and leafy St. James’s Park.

Location, space and comfort underline what Arlington House can offer. Whether for a few nights or a longer stay this is the ideal location. For best deals book direct or check out our website.

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Speaking out / Accommodation

INDUSTRY TRANSPARENCY

HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY The long-stay sector has its many challenges but consistency and quality accreditation remain a priority, says James Foice of ASAP

A

mong my many and varied many roles in tourism, I used to be a hotel inspector. There’s not much about the industry that I haven’t seen, so you’d think I’d be pretty savvy when it comes to my own travel, but I can be duped as easily as anyone else.

I’ve booked a penthouse and arrived to find a basement. I’ve been turned away on arrival because my room is double-booked, and I’ve been relocated across town. I’ve waited weeks for my refund on a ‘free cancellation’ to come through. And you try arguing with any of that. You book online, through one kind of aggregator or another, and when it all goes pear-shaped, the only person you have to shout at is front-of-house, who isn’t really the problem. After all, images are for ‘illustrative purposes only’…

The way we shop for most things is changing, especially since more than 60% of consumers worldwide are now in their twenties and thirties, and almost exclusively mobileled. But the online booking industry must be one of the few where complex and costly transactions happen without an ombudsman or a recognised complaints procedure.

So this is a clarion call to the wider hospitality industry. There’s every chance that if they feel duped, taken for granted or, worse, lied to, consumers might just act with their feet and simply walk away.

After all, it took shoppers returning plastic packaging waste to supermarkets and school kids with a conscience to start a revolution that continues today with barricades, and rebellion that has stopped cities and demanded attention on climate change.

We can’t afford to end up like that.

But it seems to me that by being totally upfront and honest with the consumer about what you are offering, what you’re promising to deliver, and then following through on that, everyone wins.

Back to the star ratings of my past. If you book a two-star motel, you can’t be disappointed if that’s what you get. If by some fluke you find something akin to

five-star service or four-star amenities, you might be delighted and become a brand advocate. But time and again we’re being promised one thing and getting another.

And it’s wrong.

In our own serviced apartment industry, we’re a trade body representing hundreds of members with literally millions of bed nights a year. We didn’t like the fact that however hard we worked as a relatively new and nimble sector, we found it hard to differentiate ourselves from other options available on the booking engines where we feature.

So we pioneered and refined an international accreditation system which ensures – at the absolute minimum – that our members offer exactly what they say they do.

Pictures are real, verified and constantly checked; service is professional and available 24/7; and our code of conduct, to which all members adhere, means the consumer will always be front and centre of every booking.

And frankly, we think that’s the very least that everyone across the hospitality industry should be doing – being honest about our offering and delivering on what we promise.

It’s time to stop disrespecting the consumer by dazzling him or her with science, with flashy websites, with the panic-inducing messages about what percentage of a property has already been booked, or that 15 other people have fingers hovering over the ‘book now’ button.

And it’s definitely time to stop allowing listings on sites which offer no safety equipment or policy of any sort, no fire escape, no carbon monoxide detector, and simply suggest at a late stage in the booking process that the guest might like to consider bringing his or her own fire alarm as the host hasn’t bothered with one. And yes, that can actually happen on Airbnb. And that’s the attitude the company takes right now towards guest safety.

People, we need to clean up our act now, before it’s too late! We can’t let the guest find another way to travel and leave us high and dry. This is too important. Let’s be honest to ourselves and our customers; trust in hospitality has to be a given.

JAMES FOICE James is CEO of ASAP, the Association of Serviced Apartment Providers, the not-for-profit trade body dedicated to the serviced apartment industry. Its members operate 100,000+ properties globally.

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Accommodation / Global groups

Hotel guestrooms are getting smarter thanks to the ‘Internet of Things’ allowing guests to control heating or air conditioning from their phone or turn on the TV by voice command”

hyatt ANDAZ LONDON

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Global groups / Accommodation

New world

order

As expectations mount, consumers are putting pressure on global hotel groups to innovate and set themselves apart, writes Catherine Chetwynd

K

eeping pace with a competitive, constantly changing industry is a struggle for hoteliers. Customer experience continues to be paramount, as does a relationship with the location guests visit – ‘it’s Tuesday, it must be Rome’ no longer washes, if it ever did.

As a result, some brands host talks or demonstrations by local talent, or drinks or food tasting, or engage with nearby activities or buy locally grown food.

Buying local also hits sustainability criteria, something younger guests are particularly gripped with. This includes restaurants that promote vegetarian and vegan options, and hotels that use LED lighting or smart light bulbs and heating to save energy. And according to a report on hospitality trends by Revfine, “there are also decisions to be made about using more sustainable materials for things like towels and bed sheets”. In response Accor last year launched Greet, a community-based, environmentally aware and socially responsible economy brand.

Hotels generally, and bedrooms specifically, are getting smarter, thanks to the ‘Internet of Things’ allowing guests to control heating or air conditioning from their phone or turn on the TV by voice command to a smart

speaker. In some cases, smart rooms automatically adjust the brightness of light bulbs or temperature of a radiator to maintain optimal conditions, turning down both when guests are not in the room.

Going through the gears

Mood Room was launched as a trial in NH Collection Madrid Eurobuilding last year by NH Hotel Group as the ‘room of the future’ and allows guests to customise lighting, music, curtains and temperature.

Hilton is rolling out Connected Room technology across the US, enabling guests to control in-room services via the Hilton Honors app; Marriott is developing smart rooms and even a shower door that allows guests to record thoughts while under the water, overcoming the perennial problem of having good ideas only when you can’t write them down; and Accor’s #360ROOM allows guests to design their room. All this reflects the important role of personalisation.

Once again the sharing economy raises its head as traditional hotel operators enter this space. Marriott International and Hostmaker have launched home-sharing platform Tribute Portfolio Homes, and Hyatt’s Oasis and Accor’s onefinestay also fit this model.

But, as Bjorn Hanson (professor at NY’s Tisch Center for Hospitality & Tourism) recently pointed out in Hotels magazine, it is challenging for groups to find a model that works in the sharing economy.

Hotel groups are diversifying and Managing Director of Katara Hospitality Switzerland, Bruno H. Schöpfer, is unequivocal about that need: “If you do not diversify, the first crisis to hit will put you out of business. The more diversified your business is, the better,” he states in EHL’s Lausanne Report.

IHG is intent on broadening its portfolio. It has 16 brands, most recently adding Avid, which delivers “the basics at a fair price” and upscale Voco, a soft brand. The group is also emphasising luxury through Kimpton, Regent and Six Senses, the latter acquired early last year. IHG increased in size by 4.7% from January to September last year.

Meanwhile, Yotel has expanded from its initial Yotel Air brand to Yotel City hotels and Yotel Pad serviced apartments. “We now have three diverse offerings that provide accommodation for every reason people travel,” says SVP of Brand, Jo Berrington. In the past 12 months, the group has doubled in size to 14 properties, with another seven opening in 2020. 

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Business Magazine Final.pdf

2

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MORE LIVEABLE THAN HOTELS. MORE PERSONAL THAN SERVICED APARTMENTS. MORE DESIRABLE THAN ANY OTHER APARTMENT IN MANCHESTER. C

M

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CM

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#1 Rated Accommodation In Manchester | www.citysuites.com | 0161 302 0202 Untitled-5 1

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[ Subscribe for free ] The multi-award-winning publication for bookers, buyers, arrangers and managers of business travel and meetings Sign-up online at thebusinesstravelmag.com

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Global groups / Accommodation

Soft brands are on the up – generally using the word ‘collection’ to signal the genre – allowing large groups to offer a quirky, independent face and giving those properties worldwide representation” Last year, Accor launched Tribe, which provides affordable high-quality accommodation; and luxury lifestyle brand The House of Originals, in partnership with SBE, which aims to create a community.

In fact, for Accor, lifestyle brands are the way forward, with Mama Shelter, Tribe, Jo and Joe, Hyde and 25hours to show for it.

Diversification comes in the form of Wojo co-working spaces.



The soft touch

Meanwhile, soft brands are on the up – generally using the word ‘collection’ to signal the genre – allowing large groups to offer a quirky, independent face and giving those properties worldwide representation; chains also gain distribution overseas more quickly, especially in Europe, where independent properties outweigh groups.

Last year, 85% of new sign-ups to Best Western fell into this category, sailing under names such as BW Collection, BW Signature Collection and Sure Hotel Collection by Best Western. Marriott has The Luxury Collection, EDITION, Autograph Collection, Design Hotels and Tribute Portfolio; Radisson’s Lifestyle Collection was formerly Quorvus; Curio and Tapestry Collection are Hilton’s entries. In fact, Skift research showed that growth in soft brand rooms for Hilton, Marriott, Choice, Hyatt and IHG has on average been significantly higher than that of the companies’ overall portfolio, suggesting there is also a financial imperative.

Through all this activity, corporate customers have focused on making their global hotel spend more cost-effective.

“Comprehensive cost-saving analysis helps corporates manage their budgets through tailored reporting, clearly showing spend, as well as highlighting where there is the opportunity for personal and company benefits and added-value across the Accor portfolio,” says Director of Corporate Sales & TMC Partners UKI, Jonathan Pettifer.

“Primary volume destinations are still subject to the detailed RFP and granular negotiation process, which is then typically supplemented with a global dynamic discount programme in secondary destinations.”

Pettifer continues: “Our partnership with corporate travel managers is changing. To

doubletree by hilton

support their need for deeper insights and to demonstrate our value in the relationship, we have developed a range of analytics and tools to monitor distribution channels, rate types and measure achieved savings, and explore potential savings and efficiencies.

“We are also mindful that sustainability is part of the selection process for corporates, along with price, location and brands. Accor is passionate about sustainable development as part of our Planet21 commitment. For example, in 2019 Accor saved 110,000 meals in partnership with food waste app Too Good To Go,” says Pettifer.

In an ever-changing world, it is essential for hoteliers to learn on the hoof. Survival of the fittest is a myth; in Darwin’s understanding of natural selection, it was not the biggest and the strongest players that survived change, but rather it's the most adaptable – and hoteliers are embracing that.

[ The world’s biggest hotel groups ] 1. Marriott International (1,335,674 rooms) 2. Hilton Worldwide (953,087 rooms) 3. InterContinental (826,607 rooms) 4. Wyndham Hotels (807,059 rooms) 5. Accor (704,508 rooms) 6. Choice Hotels (578,079 rooms) 7. Best Western Hotels (306,594 rooms) 8. Hyatt Hotels Corporation (222,720 rooms) 9. Jinjiang Holding (189,749 rooms) 10. Radisson Hotel Group (182,087 rooms) SOURCE: STR, a data and analytics specialist.

Data as for November 2019. This list does not yet incorporate fast-growing Oyo Accor's novotel

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Accommodation / Data

A cheap

NIGHT'S SLEEP

Home rental specialists: how they stack up

Budgets, home rentals, the booking experience and more…

18

Cheap and… not-so-cheap The world’s cheapest and costliest cities to visit are Ranked based on the average price of a night’s stay at a hotel, three local meals and the price of public transport.

%

The ten cheapest cities to visit 1. Delhi

Airbnb Airbnb has seven million listings worldwide across more than 100,000 cities

2. Cairo 3. Istanbul ...Of buyers say they will have less to spend on accommodation in 2020 while 37% anticipate similar budgets to last year

4. Kuala Lumpur 5. Beijing 6. Bangkok 7. Marrakesh 9. Buenos Aires 10. Warsaw The ten costliest cities to visit

Source: BTS

8. Lima

1. New York City 2. Los Angeles 3. London 4. Miami

45

%

...of buyers will have more to spend on accommodation in 2020 – an increase of 16% on 2019

HOMELIKE Homelike has more than 50,000 furnished apartments across 400 cities in nine countries. Its target is 100,000+ apartments globally by the year’s end

Source: Starling Bank

5. Punta Cana 6. Paris 7. Dubai 8. Amsterdam 9. Santiago 10. Cancun

Rooms for improvement The most important factors in having a positive booking experience

65

%

...of buyers are expecting to book more room nights, compared to 40% a year ago.

Only 11% of buyers expect to book fewer nights this year

HOMEaway HomeAway, owned by Expedia Group, has more than two million homes for rent across 190 countries

Easily contactable & responsive customer services (33%) Competitive prices (28%)

Source: Expedia Partner Solutions

Ease of website navigation (28%) Offers and promotions (27%) Quality of content about accommodation options (26%) Relevance of accommodation to user needs (24%) Being able to book everything in one place (23%) Variety of accommodation types to choose from (22%) Ability to book using a mobile app (22%) Ability to earn loyalty points/perks (19%)

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ONEFINESTAY onefinestay, owned by Accor, currently has around 5,000 private homes in its portfolio

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YOUR PRIVATE SPACE IN THE CITY

Indulge in the space of your own apartment at Citadines while enjoying the conveniences of a hotel in key bustling cities globally.

Opening soon!

Citadines Islington London • 108 Studios & 1-Bedroom Apartments

www.citadines.com | +44 (0) 20 3119 3405 Bali | Bangkok | Beijing | Berlin | Brussells | Hong Kong | London | Melbourne | Paris | Singapore | Tokyo and in over 180 cities spanning more than 30 countries worldwide

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DEPARTURES

New kid on the block hotel brooklyn, manchester THE LOWDOWN

Manchester is

set to get a little bite of the Big Apple this month as the 189-room Hotel Brooklyn opens its doors. Housed in a former Victorian brownstone factory on the city's rapidly regenerating Portland Street, the design-led hotel features New York-loft style guestrooms. Industrial interiors and

exposed brickwork are softened by quirky touches, such as indoor trees lining the walls in the lobby area.

Alongside the usual mod cons, inside the rooms guests will find brass bedsteads, Turkish rugs on concrete floors and high-end bathrooms contrasting with the street art that adorns the walls. The rooftop Salvation Bar and Big Apple style restaurant Runyon's are ideal for entertaining guests. that's a FACT

According to the

designers, the hotel was named for the area's resonating similarities with the New York borough of Brooklyn in terms of its buzzing industrial growth, its sense of neighbourhood and the grittiness of its culture. they said it

”Brooklyn Heights,

our banqueting and events space, is a state-of-the-art conferencing area, which will double for ‘High Jinks and Jazz’ celebrations with a backdrop of the city to admire.”

RATES

Rooms start from

£130 per night with breakfast.

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DEPARTURES

Meeting in Investment has poured into Birmingham in recent years, including a £600million redevelopment of New Street Station and the opening of Europe’s largest library. With a lively arts scene and thriving service economy, it is a major meetings destination, and with the

Birmingham

Wow factor

Quirky venue

International Convention Centre

Bear Grylls Experience

Broad St, Birmingham B1 2EA theicc.co.uk

Exhibition Way, Birmingham B40 1PA beargryllsadventure.com

On a shoestring

Moxy Birmingham NEC

Adrenaline-filled team-building As one of the UK’s major fun – be it diving with sharks, conference venues, the indoor skydiving, shooting or ICC boasts ten flexible climbing – brought to you conference halls, ten under the branding of flexible and meeting rooms and TV’s favourite adventurer. accessible multiple foyer spaces.

Private evening hire of The complex is bang up to the facilities is available for date – most recently the parties and receptions of up smaller capacity Hall 6 and 7, to 2,000. Located on the NEC for 120 and 140 delegates – campus, the venue is just ten have been upgraded with new minutes’ walk from the city’s AV and technology.

International rail station.

The 224-bed Moxy Birmingham NEC is the new kid on the block, opening its doors in January 2020. Decked out in a music theme, this boutique style hotel offers affordable rooms with free superfast wifi and high-quality sound systems. There are two small meeting rooms and a laid-back lounge for guests. Food and drinks are available from 24-hour vending machines.

Marston Green, Birmingham B40 1NT moxy-hotels.marriott.com

Commonwealth Games heading here in 2022, the city’s future looks bright, writes Emma Allen

Small but perfectly formed

The Alexandra Theatre

Getting there: Birmingham offers excellent connectivity by air, rail and car. Its three main train stations – Moor Street, Snow Hill and New Street – are centrally located in the city and served by the UK’s major rail operators. Links to the M6, M5, M42 and M54 are a short distance from the city centre while Birmingham Airport serves over 140 direct routes worldwide.

Wired up

IET Birmingham

Out of town

A sweeping refurbishment has Austin Court This historic canalside venue revamped the once-drab has 14 event spaces, exterior of this grand including the 150-seat Edwardian theatre, step into the Kingston Lecture Theatre known locally as the Alex, limelight which has been transwhich is located near formed into a flexible live New Street Station. Its event space with enhanced AV stunning Art Deco auditorium and two HD projection walls. can seat up to 1,398, while the Other options include the airy smart piano bar is ideal for Waterside room which can receptions and drinks parties. comfortably host up to 150 The cosy Ambassador lounge theatre style. can seat up to 30.

Suffolk Street Queensway, Birmingham B5 4DS atgtickets.com/venues

80 Cambridge Street, Birmingham B1 2NP austincourt.theiet.org

Hampton Manor Fifteen miles outside of the city centre, this historic restaurant with rooms in the pretty village of Hampton-in-Arden sits in 45 acres of grounds. Guests can dine in Peels, its Michelin star restaurant, or opt for a private event in the wood-panelled library able to seat 16 people in a boardroom set-up. Informal receptions for up to 120 can be hosted in the courtyard atrium with its own terrace.

Shadowbrook Lane, Hampton-in-Arden, B92 0EN hamptonmanor.com

a taste of luxury

Further information Contact Meet Birmingham on 0121 202 5100 or see meetbirmingham.com

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Register now at itmconference.org.uk s Group irline (I A

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12-13 May 2020 | Brighton | itmconference.org.uk

DEPARTURES

On business in...

Dallas-Fort Worth

With a businessfriendly environment, the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex is enjoying considerable economic growth currently, not least in Arlington.

Located between Dallas and Fort Worth, this area alone is home to major bases of Airbus, GM, American Airlines, Bell helicopters and L3 Technologies

the heart of north texas

SLEEPING

30-minute drive away. Arlington is

EATING

15 minutes away. Taxis are plentiful

Sample some of the best Texas steak

Arlington (pictured) is a 300-room,

at the Mercury Chophouse or

14-storey hotel just a short drive

Cut & Bourbon, both in

from DFW International Airport. Set

Arlington, or Dakota’s in

in a popular entertainment district, it

Dallas. The City Hall Bistro,

has proved a hit with mid-week

at the Aldophus hotel, is a

business travellers while at weekends

popular all-day option, while over

it bustles with sports fans attending

in Fort Worth GRACE and Clay Pigeon

home to various museums, theatres

Dallas Cowboys (American football)

are favoured fine-dining spots.

and galleries, and then there’s the

connects to Dallas and TEXRail steak is not so rare in DFW

and Texas Rangers (baseball) games.

Good options in downtown Fort Worth include the Omni and Hilton,

Getting there American Airlines and British Airways operate daily flights from London Heathrow to Dallas Fort Worth. One-stop options are available with Delta Air Lines and United Airlines.

Further information arlington.org / fortworth.com / visitdallas.com

at DFW, while the DART rail service

Opened last autumn, Live! By Loews

trains connect to Fort Worth.

MUST-SEE SIGHTS Dallas’ 70-acre Arts District is

Sixth Floor Museum that celebrates

AFTER HOURS

the life of John F Kennedy on the spot from which he was assassinated in

both close to the city’s convention

Texas Live! in Arlington houses a host

1963. In Fort Worth, the Stockyards

centre, while popular upmarket

of restaurants and bars and is handily

celebrates the city’s Old West

hotels in Dallas are the Ritz-Carlton,

located between the Dallas Cowboys

heritage while the Cultural District

Adolphus and Fairmont.

and Texas Rangers stadiums. North

hosts three art museums.

of downtown Dallas, Lower Greenville is the place to go for lively bars and restaurants, or if out to eat in Forth Worth head to Sundance Square.

GETTING DOWNTOwN DFW International Airport lies midway between Dallas and Forth Worth – both cities are around a

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DEPARTURES

Focus on...

Photo by Augustin Diaz on Unsplash

Britain is eyeing Latin Americaʼs untapped ‘realms of goldʼ for trade and investment after Brexit, so business travel to the continent is only set to increase, writes Sasha Wood

Latin America

“We have neglected Latin America’s realms of gold for too long – Brexit can change that,” said Boris Johnson when he visited the continent as the UK’s foreign secretary seeking closer ties with the Pacific Alliance – a group of free-trading countries that includes Chile, Peru, Argentina and Mexico.

Beyond Europe, Latin America is arguably the best natural fit for the UK in terms of trade and investment, with shared socio-economic and political values, not to mention historical and cultural ties.

Under its Mercosur trade bloc, Latin America does more business with

Europe as a whole than with its geographical neighbours to the north.

Europe is also the region’s biggest investor, and there is plenty of room for the UK to improve its share of trade. France, Spain and Germany all export far more to Chile than the UK, for instance, which makes up just 0.8% of the country’s imports.

This is despite the fact that the region is full of anglophiles – and the feeling is mutual. The British are the second biggest consumers of Argentine and Chilean wine in the world, for example. There is a definite appetite for deeper economic links.

Headway has been made lately – London double deckers are being shipped to Santiago, for instance, and the UK helped Lima lay on the PanAmerican Games last year. And as the Prime Minister pointed out recently, few people realise that “thanks to mining interests the UK is the second largest global investor in Peru”.

Brazil is by far the largest economy in South America, and the seventh largest in the world with a GDP of $2.3 trillion. The state of Sao Paulo is South America’s economic epicentre, and has a bigger economy than the whole of Argentina. Its port, Santos, is the main

LATIN AMERICA Time zones: Argentina GMT -3hrs; Brazil GMT -3hrs; Chile GMT -4hrs; Peru GMT -5hrs; Mexico GMT -6hrs.

Local currencies: Argentine Peso: £1 = 78.10 ARS Brazilian Real: £1 = 5.26 BRL Chilean Peso: £1 = 989.51 CLP Peruvian Sol: £1 = 4.31 PEN Mexican Peso: £1 = 24.82 MXN Visas: UK passport holders do not need a visa for travel to Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru and Mexico. Travellers to Mexico are required to complete an immigration form upon arrival.

Dialling codes: Peru +51; Mexico +52; Argentina +54; Brazil +55; Chile +56.

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DEPARTURES

gateway for imports from Europe.

And 400 of the world's 500 largest companies operate in Brazil including well-known British firms Rolls Royce, Shell, BP, JCB and Experian.

Shell is now the largest foreign company operating in Brazil following its takeover of BG Group, and together with BP it has been awarded contracts for $2billion in exports in the last few years. For obvious reasons, the country has been identified as an important trading partner as the UK leaves the EU. Despite Brazil’s status as Latin America’s powerhouse, Chile’s

economy is actually the region’s most prosperous. Its capital city, Santiago, is considered the safest city in South America – despite recent unrest – and business blossoms in an efficiently run state with low levels of corruption.

Another industrial superpower, Mexico, has a bigger GDP than Brazil, and a stronger economy than any of the world's major emerging markets.

The country’s manufacturing sector is huge, producing more than 60% of Latin America’s exports. Under NAFTA, British companies can take advantage of low-cost production and direct access to US markets. The World Bank

ranks it as the easiest country in Latin America to do business with.

The number of business travellers visiting the region slowed last year as the continent’s big players, Brazil and Argentina, suffered economic uncertainty, but a rapid recovery is expected in 2020, with Oxford Economics predicting 2.6% growth.

The proliferation of hotels across the region means rates for overnight stays have remained relatively steady, though Lima and Santiago are comparatively costly cities for a trip.

Rio de Janeiro has a plentiful supply of hotel rooms including 10,000 extra

rooms that were added ahead of the 2016 Summer Olympics, according to AMEX GBT, while hotel rates increased more than 20% in Argentine capital Buenos Aires last year as the country’s currency plummeted against the US dollar.

Due to recovering demand, regional air fares are set to jump 3% this year, according to BCD Travel’s 2020 forecast. But transtlantic fares should be unchanged.

With Britain shopping for new trading partners and deals postBrexit, business travel to the continent is only set to soar.

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DEPARTURES

Factfile: Latin America FLIGHTS AEROMEXICO: Operates daily direct flights between the Mexican capital, Mexico City, and London Heathrow.

KLM: Serves Buenos Aires, Lima, Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo with direct daily flights from Amsterdam Schiphol airport.

AIR EUROPA: Has daily direct flights from its hub in Madrid to Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo and Lima, among other cities.

LATAM: Flies direct daily from London Heathrow to Sao Paulo.

It also flies from Paris CDG, Frankfurt and Madrid to Sao Paulo, as well as from Madrid to Lima and Santiago.

IBERIA: Flies non-stop from its Madrid hub to Lima and Santiago 10 times per week, with double daily flights to Mexico City and daily flights to Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo.

NORWEGIAN: Flies to Buenos Aires daily and to Rio de Janeiro four times per week from Gatwick.

TAP PORTUGAL: Double-daily flights from its hub in Lisbon to Sao Paulo and it also flies daily to Rio de Janeiro.

VIRGIN ATLANTIC: Direct daily flights to Sao Paulo from London Heathrow begin in March 2020.

Flight information provided by Cirium (cirium.com)

â—?

sleeping ACCOR: Has a wide reach in South America especially in Brazil where it has dozens of properties under its premium brands such as MGallery and midscale Novotel and Mercure brands. The French hospitality giant has a hotel option in every major city from Mexico City to Santiago.

HILTON: Runs more than 100 hotels across the continent with a five-star presence in all the prime business destinations, including two hotels in Rio, the Waldorf Astoria Panama, and properties in Sao Paulo, Lima and Buenos Aires.

IHG: Opened its first hotel in Brazil in 1946 and its number of properties in the region now far exceeds 200. It runs more than 20 Crowne Plaza hotels in Latin America including in Santiago and Mexico City.

MARRIOTT: Is one of the largest hotel operators in Latin America with a range of hotels in the continent's major business hubs under its luxury JW Marriott brand and premium Sheraton brand. As part of its expansion in the region, the new AC Hotel Santiago Costanera stay in Center just opened, santiago's taking advantage of costanera tower the prestige of the city's famous 64-storey tower, while another opened recently in Lima's Miraflores district.

MELIA: Has focused on openings in Mexico and 'bleisure' destinations such as Rio, operating 12 hotels in Brazil, and more than 30 in total across the entire region, including the city centre Melia Buenos Aires.

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Photo by Aarom Ore on Unsplash

BRITISH AIRWAYS: Has daily direct flights from London Heathrow to Argentine capital Buenos Aires and the Brazilian cities of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. It also flies daily to Peruvian capital Lima (summer only) and five days per week to Mexico City and Chilean capital Santiago from Heathrow.

BA flies to lima in summer

off duty BUENOS AIRES: Known as the Paris of South America, Buenos Aires is a cultured city with pretty architecture. Visit colourful La Boca to see the legendary Argentine Tango, wander through the old cobbled streets of San Telmo and enjoy a glass of world-class Argentine Malbec.

LIMA: Visit the city's beautiful Spanish colonial square; head to upmarket suburb Miraflores for ceviche by the sea; sample a pisco sour in the chic bars of Barranco.

mountains to get up close to the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue.

MEXICO CITY: Art galleries and interesting museums abound SANTIAGO: See stunning including the archaeological panoramas of the city and museum and the gorgeous former encircling Andes from the top of home of famed artist Frida Kahlo. the Costanera Center.

Climb the Torre Latinoamericana to gaze down on must-sees such SAO PAULO: Pockets of as the city's central Zocalo heritage architecture nestle square and the ruins of south between the modern Aztec Templo Major. american skyscrapers of central Sao heritage Paulo. Seek out colonial RIO DE JANEIRO: Head to gems such as the city's the city's famed Copacabana founding place at Patio de and Ipanema beaches, and scale Colegio and Santa Ifigenia church.

Sugar Loaf and Corcovado

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Our new cabins have already landed in London.

We offer our passengers a more personalised flight experience, with both more options and flexibility.

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DEPARTURES

Reality check HOT E L : T HE CAV E NDISH, L O NDO N THE HOTEL

The Cavendish is

coffee table, desk and large wardrobe.

located on Jermyn Street, just off

Amenities included a Bose sound

bustling Piccadilly, and a short walk

system, Nespresso coffee machine,

from Green Park Underground station.

large safe and iron/ironing board. The

Part of Singaporean hospitality group

good-sized bathroom had a bath and

The Ascott Limited, the hotel has 223

separate walk-in shower. Room service

guestrooms and seven suites.

is available around the clock.

THE CHECK-IN

The ground floor lobby

THE FACILITIES

A good buffet

is smart if relatively unremarkable, with

breakfast was served in the first floor

subtle art deco design touches and grey

Petrichor restaurant which has a 2AA

decor. It was quiet when I checked in

Rosette rating. Lunch and dinner menus

late one afternoon and the staff

feature ‘seasonally inspired’ European

member on reception had trouble

dishes while lighter bites are also

locating my reservation but was very

available in the adjacent bar and

apologetic as I waited. I was briefed on

lounge. Afternoon tea is also available.

wifi access and breakfast service and

There are five meeting rooms, all with

Piccadilly areas – and further afield

directed to my room on the 12th floor.

natural daylight, ranging in capacity

given its proximity to two central

THE ROOM

The Cavendish is the

from the Nimbus room for 11 people

tallest building on Jermyn Street so I

up to the Alto room for 80 delegates.

had an impressive uninterrupted view

On-site parking is available and there’s

eastwards across the capital from my

complimentary wifi access throughout

window. The décor was simple and

and a couple of computers available for

stylish with striped furnishings, black

guest use by the lobby.

and white framed photography, and

THE VERDICT

Underground stations. The hotel’s

UNDERSTATED STYLE COMPLEMENTED

BY UNFAILINGLY CHEERFUL STAFF

hotel in a convenient location for those

Furniture included a chaise longue,

on business in the Mayfair and

by the staff who were unfailingly cheerful and helpful.

THE DETAILS

The Cavendish, 81

Jermyn Street, St James’s, London SW1Y 6JF. Rates start from £183 per night.

This a good upscale

one sinuous wooden panelled wall.

understated style is complemented

See thecavendishlondon.com

Andy Hoskins

HOT E L : AE R OT E L , L O NDO N HE AT HR O W THE HOTEL

Owned by the Plaza

TV and hangers attached to the wall (no

Premium Group, this in-terminal hotel is

wardrobe), a kettle and tea bags. The

located in the arrivals area at Heathrow

bathroom was of the size you might

Terminal Three. Just a two-minute walk

expect to find on, say, a cruise ship but

to departures, the 82-room hotel is

the showers were hot and powerful and

designed for those looking for some-

toiletries by Urban Skincare. The room

where to crash either before or after a

was air-conditioned and very quiet.

flight, or while waiting for news of a

THE FACILITIES

There’s a ‘Library

delayed or cancelled flight. Booking

Lounge ‘on the second floor which

hours are flexible: you can stay the night

serves as a small common area, with

or for a few hours (minimum six hours).

comfy seating, newspapers and books.

THE CHECK-IN

The check-in and

Open 24 hours it has free tea and coffee,

check-out procedure is designed to be

snacks and an impressive selection of

speedy. A one-man reception desk

hot food such as salads, curry and pasta.

ensured I was checked in swiftly and

There are drinks, including bar items,

shown to my room on the first floor with

and it serves full-English breakfasts.

of my alarm wake-up I had showered,

the minimum of fuss. Guests can check

There’s also a TV and a flight information

enjoyed breakfast and was through

in and out around-the-clock. Aerotel is

screen. Plaza Premium Lounges are

security and sitting airside. The only

located in an area with a lot of footfall,

available in both Arrivals and Departures.

but access felt very secure.

THE ROOM

My Solo Plus room

THE VERDICT

I had an early morning

flight from the same terminal and

A PERFECT OVERNIGHT SOLUTION FOR EARLY DEPARTURES

slight downside was that I stayed a couple of weeks after it opened and signage to the hotel was not obvious.

was certainly compact, but perfectly

Aerotel provided the perfect overnight

comfortable – even stylish. A double bed

solution. The rooms make clever use of

Three, Heathrow Airport. Six-hour,

with an extremely comfortable mattress

the limited space and the ‘soft lighting‘ is

nine-hour and 12-hour overnight stays

filled most of the room. There’s a choice

designed to provide a sound night’s

of firm or soft pillows. There was also a

sleep. The next morning, within an hour

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THE DETAILS

Aerotel, Terminal

start from £50. myaerotel.com

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DEPARTURES

F L IG HT : W E ST J E T , PR E M IU M E CO NO M Y THE FLIGHT

adjustable to enhance viewing. My

I was travelling in

Premium Economy on Westjet’s flight

personal space was roomy and

from Calgary to London Gatwick,

comfortable and was set up with Rocky

departing at 19.55 and operated by one

Mountain Soap company washbag and

of the airline’s new B787-9 Dreamliners.

noise-cancelling headset.

PRE-BOARDING

Dropping off my bag

THE SERVICE

The crew was friendly

was quick and easy at the self-service

and attentive from the start and clearly

kiosks. I had checked in online and

engaged. Sparkling wine or juice, and

progressed quickly through security.

menus, were served as soon as I settled

Westjet built its reputation as a low-cost

into my seat and my attendant

domestic carrier in Canada but is

introduced herself and addressed me

currently transforming itself into a full-

by name, chatting pleasantly as she

service international carrier. Waiting at

took my meal order pre-departure.

the gate it was clear some passengers

She highlighted key features of the seat,

familiar with the low-cost history were

made dinner recommendations based

not entirely sure if they would be

on her favourites, and asked if I had

has done much with the interior design

getting a meal or inflight entertainment,

travelled in a Dreamliner before. I took

to make it their own. Service was

and were busy checking, downloading

my attendant’s recommendation and

and stocking up just in case.

chose the Signature shepherd’s pie.

THE SEAT

It was great – full of flavour and very

My aisle seat, 7D,

offered plenty of leg room, coat hook,

filling. Snacks were available in the

two storage areas, charging point, plug

‘social’ area of the galley and an hour

and headphones jack. The recline and

before landing breakfast was served.

footrest operated smoothly, and the

THE VERDICT

exemplary too – friendly and engaged

THE AIRLINE'S ‘LOW FARE, HIGH CARE’ PHILOSOPHY WAS CLEARLY IN ACTION

the Dreamliner, with its airy feel and

shelf. The seat back IFE screen was also

mood lighting, and the Westjet team

philosophy was clearly in action, and staff seemed to take pride in doing a good job throughout the flight.

THE DETAILS

Return fares from

Gatwick to Calgary start from around

I was already a fan of

arm rest included a wood-effect drinks

throughout. The ‘low fare, high care’

£1,130 in Premium Economy. westjet.com

Julie Baxter

HOTEL: NH CO L L E CT IO N KO L N M E DIAPAR K , CO L O G NE , G E R M ANY THE HOTEL

One of eight NH

floor, two red chairs, a white table

Collection Hotels in Germany, this

with a faux-marble top, a Nespresso

four-and-a-half star, 217-room property

machine, a large walk-in closet and a

had a major renovation in 2016. The

huge bathroom with a standalone

contemporary glass-fronted building

shower and separate bath. The bed was

holds a ISO 14001 environmental

very comfortable. My view looked down

certificate, just one of its many

on the lake with the famous Cologne

sustainability credentials. An easy

cathedral visible in the distance.

15-minute walk from Hansaring train

THE FACILITIES

An informal ground-

station – which connects to the airport –

floor restaurant serves local and

the hotel sits in a ‘media park’ that was

international dishes. The same venue

built to attract TV channels and music

has an extensive breakfast buffet. In the

companies (although many have since

summer a terrace hosts al fresco dining

moved to Berlin). The hotel sits next to

and barbecues. There’s also a small gym

an ornamental lake and a large park

with a steam bath and sauna. There are

with jogging and walking trails. It’s a

seven meetings rooms of various sizes.

jogging trails. The rooms are large and

20-minute walk to the city centre.

The hotel charges a day rate of €75pp

contemporary and the hotel’s many

Set in a spacious and

for these. The hotel will even calculate

airy lobby, the reception desk was well

the ‘carbon cost’ of a meeting or event

staffed. I was greeted with a smile and

and will offset this against an environ-

then given a rundown of the hotel and

mental project it is involved in.

THE CHECK-IN

its facilities, plus a map and suggestions for great restaurants and bars.

THE ROOM

My ultra-modern

THE VERDICT

If ever I return to

Cologne, this is where I will stay. The location is perfect – an easy connection

Premium Room was spacious, clean and

from the train station, a quick walk into

bright. Features included a wooden

the city and surrounded by a park with

THE HOTEL WILL CALCULATE THE ‘CARBON COST’ OF A MEETING AND THEN OFFSET IT

small design touches are fun: I liked the rubber duck in the bath and birdcage filled with sweets and chocolates.

THE DETAILS

Im Media Park 8b,

50670 Cologne, Germany. Rates start from £125 per night, including breakfast, for a stay in March/April 2020. nh-hotels.com

Steve Hartridge

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DEPARTURES

The final word

Room for a pair of alpacas?

A

pair of alpacas called Ant & Dec, a 5ft floral unicorn and a 65-yearold lucky Bonsai tree were among the items left behind at Travelodge hotels in 2019.

The group’s annual report on the unusual objects discovered at its hotels last year also named a complete gingerbread village, an Aston Martin, a Persian cat, an urn containing ashes, and a book full of celebrity autographs.

Numerous items of jewellery and clothing were also left behind including a Tiffany engagement ring, a diamond Chopard watch, a jewelled wedding saree and bridal Louboutin Swarovski shoes.

It also noted a growing trend in wedding props being left behind at its hotels. “This included a 5ft floral unicorn, a huge full moon, a flower wall, palm trees, a Tiffany engagement ring and even a

More than 1,000 UK-based globetrotters were asked to name their top alternative must-visit landmarks 1

Alcatraz, San Francisco

2

CN Tower, Toronto

3

Baths of Caracalla, Rome

4

Minack Theatre, Cornwall

5

Parliament, Budapest

6

Tenement Museum, NYC

7

Ningaloo Reef, Australia

8

Carnac, Brittany, France

9

Wilton’s Music Hall, London

(pictured below)

10 Plaza

best man,” says Travelodge Spokeswoman, Shakila Ahmed.

Staff at its hotels went to great lengths to return some of the items. The manager of the London City Travelodge dashed to Heathrow Airport to return an engagement ring to a departing guest who had flown to the

Personal protection

W

e can’t see it catching on, but kudos to a London hotel group for creating an inflatable ‘personal space’ jacket, a concept sufficiently ridiculous to secure some coverage on this page.

Designed by Leonardo Hotels to help ‘nervous tourists deal with crowds in the capital’, the so-called Space Optimiser jacket, which at first glance looks like a regular jacket, inflates to create ‘an exclusion zone of 18 inches’ around the wearer – the minimum measurement of what is considered ‘personal space’.

98

The Top 10…

Alternative landmarks

de Espana, Seville

capital specifically to buy the ring, while another hotel manager had to arrange a sea tractor to get a Best Man who had overslept to his brother’s wedding on Burgh Island.

The items most frequently forgotten were phone chargers and mobile phones/tablets.

Towels, bathrobes, clothes hangers and stationery are not surprisingly the most frequently stolen items from hotel rooms, but an alarming 20% of hoteliers have also reported the removal of artwork by lightfingered guests, while 9% have had remote controls pinched, 7% have even been relieved of coffee machines, and 6% their TVs, says luxury hotel specialist Wellness Heaven.

Even more desperate is the sheer volume of lightbulbs taken home by hotel guests.

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