Hotplate April 2017 by Northern Ireland Hotels Federation

April 2017

FOOD TOURISM NEW TRENDS UNVEILED AT TASTE OF TOURISM SUMMIT + HOUSEKEEPING AWARDS, UNDER-18 EVENT ADVICE, ROI MARKETING AND MORE

DONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T MISS TASTE OF TOURISM ON 4TH APRIL IN THE CULLODEN ESTATE & SPA

INSIDE HOTPLATE

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HOUSEKEEPING AWARDS WINNERS ANNOUNCED AT GLITTERING EVENING IN THE CLAYTON HOTEL

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TASTE OF TOURISM THE CONFERENCE FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED IN FOOD IS BACK P. 14-15

P. 19 MEMBER NEWS Refurbishments, awards and celebrations in the Northern Ireland hotel world.

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SAY HELLO TO MORE AGAIN 100,000 households in Dublin receive latest hotel brochure.

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DALATA HOTEL GROUP FRONT COVER. Taste of Tourism P. 14-15

Dermot Crowley speaks to Hotplate about the groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s expansion plans.

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PRESIDENTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S MESSAGE INFLATION AND WAGE RISES THREATEN HOTEL PROFITABILITY BUT CIARAN IS DETERMINED TO REMAIN POSITIVE

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FORMAL GUIDE THE LATEST LEGAL OPINION ON UNDERAGE PERSONS IN HOTELS P. 10-11

pring is in the air and the hotel industry has performed reasonably well over the winter months. Forecasts for the coming season are very positive and the mood in the industry is good. There are continued reports of hotel growth; Belfast will be transformed with the addition of 1,000 additional rooms by the end of 2018 but this is not the full story. DerryLondonderry is likely to see three, if not four, new hotels and there are a number of resort properties under consideration along the North Coast.

Ciaran Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neill President

HOTEL EXPANSION Nearly 4,000 possible new rooms for Belfast in the pipeline.

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WASTE MANAGEMENT How to save money with your hotel waste.

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STUDENT OF THE YEAR Awards to the best college students in food preparation and service.

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HOTPLATE Northern Ireland Hotels Federation The McCune Building, 1 Shore Road Belfast BT15 3PG Tel: 028 9077 6635 Web: nihf.co.uk Email: office@nihf.co.uk

Its good to see things on the up but there is a still some anxiety around Brexit and how this will affect the sector. Staff movements, currency fluctuations and any change in border controls could adversely affect tourism in Northern Ireland. Uncertainty around the process continues and all we can do is operate in a business as usual mode until the details are finally agreed. The recent rises in inflation are an early result of the currency fluctuation. If this situation is not controlled, it will result in a rise in prices and more pressure on trading. Economists are flagging up its effects on UK business and are keen to see controls put in place to protect the economy. The Federation has spoken about Brexit in the political arena and has given evidence to a number of Westminster committees. We will continue to address member concerns in these circles and press

for a better business environment for all. Other concerns include rising payroll costs and a lack of skilled labour pool. The National Living Wage increases again this month, well ahead of inflation. It is important that the hotel sector and the wider hospitality industry are not seen as a dead-end lowpaid career choice. We recognise that image is a factor in attracting people into the industry. However, hotel profit levels cannot sustain a spiralling wage bill. We live in interesting times and as I celebrate my first year of trading at Bishops Gate Hotel, the one thing I am certain of is that there is uncertainty ahead. Like many others, I am keen to keep this in perspective and remain positive about the season ahead.

BREXIT

BUSINESS AS USUAL ARTICLE 50 WILL HAVE BEEN TRIGGERED BY THE TIME YOU READ THIS. NOW THE BREXIT NEGOTIATIONS BEGIN. The NIHF has promoted a ‘business as usual’ stance since the Brexit vote and will continue to do so until the details of the United Kingdom’s exit are agreed. The latter half of 2016 saw a strong performance from the hotel sector with data from the Economic Policy Centre at Ulster University indicating that tourism in effect saved the region from entering recession in 2016. While it’s important to note the uncertainty of what Brexit might look like and how a reduction in confidence could affect the tourism economy in Northern Ireland, the NIHF believes that the industry should maximise the benefits from the current exchange rate and wait until negotiations are concluded before adopting any significant business changes. Due to its geographic location, we will be the only UK region to share a land border with the European Union. This places us in a unique position with a special set of circumstances. How these are dealt with is up for debate. Both the UK and Irish Governments are keen to stress that they do not wish to see a return to a hard border and are keen to preserve the common travel area. The NIHF has highlighted the need for workers, visitors and guests to be able to travel freely. We have been lobbying on this issue to the NI Assembly and several Westminster committees including the NI Affairs Committee. This matter, along with the role of non-nationals already employed here, has vexed many people. The short-term answer is that nothing will change until at least two years after Article 50 is triggered.

But, there are some points to note: Promotion Tourism Ireland is responsible for the promotion of Ireland overseas and this cross-border body was set up under the Good Friday Agreement. The island of Ireland is promoted as a single island destination. Both governments are on record as supporting the institutions set up under the agreement and Tourism Ireland’s role may not alter considerably post Brexit. Exchange Rate The fall in the value of Sterling has made Northern Ireland an attractive destination for travellers in the Euro and Dollar economies. Northern Ireland has seen a good performance from the US and Republic of Ireland (ROI) markets in the latter half of 2016. Communicating the region’s offering, promotion in the marketplace and an attractive exchange rate has contributed to an increase in visitor numbers from our nearest neighbour. Inflation The flip side of a good exchange rate for visitors means that importing goods from outside the Sterling zone becomes more expensive purely on an exchange basis. In the short term this could lead to inflation. Longer term, limited access to the common market could result in significant food, service and energy inflation. This would see disposable income drop and base costs for hotel businesses rise. VAT The NIHF has long campaigned for a VAT reduction. Aside from

JANICE GAULT Chief Executive

the Treasury’s reservations about implementing a reduction, EU regulations also prohibit the introduction of a reduced VAT rate in a sub region of a country. Leaving the EU would effectively remove this barrier. Over the coming months, a clearer picture will emerge. Businesses, including hotels and those in the hospitality sector will evolve and no doubt adapt to changing circumstances. The hotel sector has always been a resilient one and with major investments underway, it is set to grow considerably. The NIHF has given evidence on the issue of Brexit to several government bodies most recently the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee. We have highlighted our concerns about the uncertainty but stressed that Brexit also brings opportunities. Particularly, the opportunity to reduce VAT on a regional basis which would help Northern Ireland maximise its business potential.

MEMBER LUNCH VAT SUPPORT

OVER ONE HUNDRED MEMBERS AND TRADE GATHERED IN HILTON BELFAST FOR THE BI-ANNUAL NETWORKING LUNCH WHERE THE FEDERATION PRESENTED ITS PLANS FOR THE COMING YEAR

A THIRD PARLIAMENTARY SELECT COMMITTEE HAS INDICATED THAT IT IS IN FAVOUR OF REDUCING TOURISM VAT. The Northern Ireland Affairs Committe in Westminster made the recommendation after it heard from representatives of the tourism sector in Northern Ireland about their concerns for the future of the land border with the Republic of Ireland following Brexit, and the impact they believe any changes would have on their industry. Among those to speak at the hearing were Janice Gault, Chief Executive of the Federation. She set out the case for hotels in Northern Ireland and explained how the reality of differing VAT rates and the threat of border restrictions, was of major concern to hoteliers.

Chief Executive, Janice Gault, sets out plans for the coming year.

The Cut Tourism VAT Campaign already has the support of 171 MP across all parties and has secured recommendations from the Culture, Media and Sport Committee and the Welsh Affairs Committee. Eddie McKeever of McKeever Hotels Group, which operates both north and south, and deals with an 11% VAT difference, said: “As a family business that operates on both sides of the border I’ve been surprised at the difference it makes. The 11% VAT gap between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland has benefitted my business and guests in the Republic. As a result, I’ve been able to secure more jobs than initially forecasted and has created further jobs in the local community. I hope the UK government will now understand the benefit and opportunities of reducing tourism VAT.“

Mal Metrustry, Ecolab; Ciaran O’Neill, President, Fergal Mulligan, Bunzl McLaughlin and Michael Chapman, Ecolab.

NATIONAL LIVING WAGE AND MINIMUM WAGES COMBINE RISES TO APRIL. The National Living Wage rises again on 1st April 2017. The rates for all workers will be brought into alignment, with future rises taking place on the 1st April every year going forward. The new National Living Wage for workers over 25 will be £7.50 from April. Workers between 21-24 have a new rate of £7.05.

Katrina Martin, Park Avenue Hotel; Gavin Carroll, Vice-President and Bridgene McKeever, McKeever Hotel Group.

MEMBER NEWS

LOUGH ERNE RESORT. » Bride-to-be Zoe Leonard, who is getting married at Lough Erne Resort in March next year, swaps her veil for a hard hat as she helps put the finishing touches to the work on the Ross Suite at Lough Erne Resort. A six-figure redesign has just been completed. It’s part of Lough Erne Resort’s multi-million-pound investment programme and comes as the hotel celebrates its 10th anniversary.

NIHF MEMBER DEVELOPMENTS

BUSHMILLS INN CELEBRATES GOLF AWARD

CROWNE PLAZA REBRANDS AND APPOINTS NEW MANAGER

EVERGLADES HOTEL OPENS NEW BALLROOM

The Bushmills Inn is delighted to have been named the Best Boutique Golf Hotel in Ireland in the 2017 Golfers Guide to Ireland Awards. The results were announced at a function held in Carton House Hotel, Co Kildare, which was attended by over 100 golf club and golf sector interests.

The upgrade and rebrand follows a complete refurbishment of the grand ballroom, lobby and conference suites. The hotel now features new Club Bedrooms and a Club Lounge featuring complimentary continental breakfast, snacks and drinks. The restaurant also has a new look, complete with an all new menu concept.

The £1.5M refurbishment of the Grand Ballroom at the Everglades Hotel in Derry~Londonderry is set to be unveiled at the beginning of April.

The hotel also announced that it has been recognised, for the 2nd year in a row, as one of the top 25 UK Hotels in the 2017 TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice awards, the only hotel in Northern Ireland to be listed 2 years running.

There are plans to spend a further £3.4 million over an 18-month period, which will see a complete refurbishment of all 120 bedrooms and the creation of 34 new bedrooms. When the work is complete £6 million will have been invested.

And, they chose the NI Children to Lapland Trust as one of their nominated charities and have already raised £3,300.

IHG’s UK and Ireland operations vicepresident Karan Khanna joined owner Lord Rana and new General Manager, George Graham, for the opening. George recently joined the hotel from the Roe Park Resort.

Sir William Hastings said: “We have a team of 25 builders working hard to get the project completed and we are looking forward to the new event space opening. “Upon completion, it will be able to seat 650 people theatre style and over 400 when set up for round table events making it the largest facility of its kind in the North West and I am confident that it will enable the city to attract events that it was unable to accommodate previously including larger conferences and business events,” Sir William added.

MEMBER NEWS

JURYS INN BELFAST. » Jurys is spending around £2 million on renovating all of their bedrooms and ground floor, with two bedroom floors of five completed already.

DA VINCI’S DROPS RAMADA BRANDING

SILVERBIRCH CELEBRATES 10 YEARS OF BUSINESS CENTRE

AWARD-WINNING DOGGY FUN AT FULLERTON ARMS

As part of an extensive investment programme, Ramada Da Vinci’s Hotel will operate as an independent hotel, no longer part of the Ramada Brand franchise.

Silverbirch Hotel & Business Centre is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the launch of its dedicated business centre and bedroom extension, which was completed in 2007.

The Fullerton Arms, run by doggy loving dream team Geraldine and Sean, is officially Northern Ireland’s best dog-friendly pub of 2016. Pooches are provided with water, treats, cuddles, and you can even stay in one of two dog-friendly rooms, which are handily close to the outdoors for doggy bathroom breaks.

Garvan O’Doherty, says ‘It has been a pleasure working with the Ramada Franchise team, but moving forward, the Ramada brand does not suit the vision or ambition for Da Vinci’s Hotel. Our aim is to create an innovative lifestyle hotel providing the best in hospitality services to existing and new customers’ The investment will include the restoration of the bar, reinvention of the restaurant, refurbishment of bedrooms and the creation of a new private dining space. The entire complex will undergo significant landscaping as a prelude to commercial properties within the site.

As a result of a £4m rebuild project the Business Centre increased its capacity to provide meeting and event organisers with a choice of six conference and meeting spaces, varying in size and shape to facilitate various layouts and delegate numbers, as well as larger dedicated arrival reception and break out area and addition of a new dedicated business centre entrance for delegates. Each conference suite offers the latest in-built audio-visual technology, lecterns with integrated controls and audioinduction/ hearing loop technology to assist those with hearing difficulties, plus complimentary Wi-Fi throughout.

Sean says, “We are absolutely delighted and have all tails-a-wagging here at The Fullerton Arms to hear the news. To win this award is a testament to our love for dogs and the hard work we put in to make sure that all dogs and their families are well looked after when they visit. We have embraced the dog-friendly ethos very strongly and we’ve met people and breeds of dog from all over the world since we launched in March 2016.”

MORE MEMBER NEWS

MORE NIHF MEMBER DEVELOPMENTS

CANAL COURT HOTEL

BISHOP’S GATE CELEBRATES 1ST BIRTHDAY

GALGORM FITNESS

New menu from Head Chef, Cathal Grant.

Hotel turns one and celebrates awards, occupancy and exceeding its opening targets.

The Canal Court hotel has launched a new A la Carte menu in its Old Mill Restaurant celebrating some of the finest produce available from the local area.

Bishop’s Gate hotel in Derry-Londonderry, which was unveiled as one of the UK’s top 25 rated hotels by TripAdvisor earlier this year, is celebrating its first birthday.

Galgorm Resort & Spa added to The Spa in March with a brand new Fitness Suite unveiled.

New dishes include appetisers such as steamed seabass, noodles, Bok choi, spring onion, Carrot Ribbons with a Ginger, Soy, Lime & Coriander dressing. Main course options will now range from roast rump of Wicklow lamb, garden pea puree, potato & Thyme Rosti, Honey Glazed Parsnip, Red Wine Jus to Fresh Seafood Grill sourced from Kilkeel harbour.

Within the hotel’s first year of trading it has exceeded both occupancy and business targets. Ciaran O’Neill, operator of Bishop’s Gate and President of the Northern Ireland Hotels Federation discusses the initial projections and how these have been surpassed: “Within our first year, we have exceeded the occupancy levels projected in our business plan and we are currently employing almost twice the number of people that we anticipated. We set

out to create 48 jobs and we’ve created 76. “In the month of March, as we celebrate our first year of trading, we will have welcomed over 12,000 visitors. Our amazing team is committed to excellence and this is reflected in the comments and feedback we receive. Visitors have described the food experience as ‘a fantastic eatery’ while the sensitively restored, exuberant Edwardian surroundings have regularly been termed a ‘fantastic overnight luxury stop’.” Bishop’s Gate Hotel ranked second in TripAdvisor’s UK top 25 rated hotels in the annual Travellers’ Choice awards just weeks before celebrating its first birthday.

MALDRON BELFAST Lynn Redden has won the Dalata Rooms Revenue Trophy 2016 at the Dalata Awards in Dublin. The hotel is also undergoing a major refurbishment, due for completion by Easter 2017.

CLAYTON BELFAST Head Chef, William Johnston, of Clayton Belfast has made the short list for the first Dalata Chef Live Challenge. All judging was carried out blind and judges graded the dishes on visual appeal, content, suitability for menus, quality of SOP supporting the dish, marketing, HACCP and allergen advice.

MORE MEMBER NEWS

PEOPLE & AWARDS FITZWILLIAM HOTEL. » The Fitzwilliam Hotel’s Concierge, Gerard McCavanagh, has been awarded ‘Concierge of the Year 2016’ by industry peers at the annual Les Clefs d’Or Ireland gala ball.

RADISSON BLU BELFAST. » Kamila Lipnicka from the Accounts Department at Radisson Blu Belfast won 3 HOSPA awards last month at the Hilton Park Lane in London. Highest Achievers Stage 1 and Highest Achiever Stage 2 and Learner of The Year. Kamilla was also the only representation from the Rezidor Group.

CULLODEN ESTATE & SPA. » Hastings Hotels has announced the appointment of Eoin O’Sullivan as the new General Manager of the Culloden Estate & Spa. With over 20 years’ experience in the hospitality industry, Eoin has spent the majority of his career in management roles of five star properties including The Westbury in New York and London, Dromoland Castle in Co Clare and held the position of group general manager of Unna Luxury Resorts and Residences in Barbados.

LEGAL UPDATE

Your guide to

UNDERAGE PERSONS IN HOTELS. Following events highlighted in the media recently where licensed hotels were forced to cancel school formals and other similar events involving persons aged under 18, it is perhaps useful to set out the current legal position in Northern Ireland.

RELEVANT LAW The general prohibition of young person from licensed premises is contained in Article 58(1) of the Licensing (Northern Ireland) Order 1996 (“the 1996 Order”). Article 58 states that a person under the age of 18 is not permitted on; (i) 5(1)(a) premises (i.e. a bar) which is structurally adapted for the sale of intoxicating liquor for consumption off the premises and is not connected by any internal means of passage open to customers with a part of the premises used for the sale of intoxicating liquor for consumption in the premises. (ii) any part of premises of the kind mentioned in Article 5(1)(b) (i.e. an off-sales); (iii) any part of any other premises which contains a bar or is used exclusively or mainly for the sale and consumption of intoxicating liquor.

EXCEPTIONS This prohibition is excepted where a licensee applies for and is granted

by the court an Article 59 Children’s Certificate. A Children’s Certificate is only granted when certain strict conditions are met, namely the suitability of the premises for young persons, the availability of nonalcoholic drinks, the provision of adequate tables and chairs and any other conditions proscribed by law. If a Children’s Certificate is in force, under 18s are permitted to be on a licensed premises until 9pm. If a meal has been purchased before 9pm, this time is extended to 9.30pm.

WHAT IS A BAR? Under the 1996 Order a bar is described as ‘an open bar’. There is no further explanation or consideration of whether the bar is currently offering alcohol for sale or not. What constitutes an ‘open bar’ has not yet been tested in the courts. An ordinary interpretation would suggest it is a bar open to the public for the sale and consumption of alcohol, as opposed to a bar selling only nonalcoholic drinks and where alcohol is not on display.

WHAT IS A “PREMISES USED EXCLUSIVELY OR MAINLY FOR THE SALE AND CONSUMPTION OF INTOXICATING LIQUOR”? This is the point on which the Glenavon House Hotel case was decided. In considering whether a room is used exclusively or mainly for the sale and consumption of alcohol, regard shall be given to the purpose of the room during the whole portion of the day the premises is open. A room can’t be described as a bar during parts of the day and not during other parts. In real terms, this means you can’t argue that a function room of a hotel selling alcohol during one part of the day is not classed as a bar during other parts of the day when alcohol is not being sold.

DISTINCTION FOR HOTELS Article 2 of the 1996 Order distinguishes between hotels and other licensed premises in its definition of a ‘licensed premises’. Hoteliers should seek to distinguish themselves from pubs and off-sales given that bedrooms in a hotel are licensed, under 18s will obviously be in those rooms past 9pm and will often be unaccompanied. Other parts

of a hotel will also not have any open bar facilities e.g a lobby or conference and meeting rooms.

this point that police are prepared to take enforcement against under 18s attending weddings past 9pm.

GUIDELINES

4. According to Article 58(13), these restrictions do not apply to under 18s who are resident in the licensed premises. This should provide some relief for hotels but common sense should still prevail in relation to children being permitted in the residents’ bar, etc.

Remember the following points; 1. Provided the premises has a Children’s Certificate, under 18s should only be permitted on parts of the hotel containing an open bar until 9pm (or 9.30pm) and when accompanied by an adult e.g. bar, restaurant, function rooms etc. 2. In any part of the hotel not containing an open bar, consideration should be given as to whether the room is used exclusively or mainly for the sale and consumption of intoxicating liquor. This will depend on the circumstances of each case. For example if the room is used for weddings, conferences, parties etc. there could be an argument that it is not exclusively or mainly used for the sale and consumption of alcohol and that the sale of alcohol is only an ancillary use. 3. School formals remain a grey area. If there is an open bar serving alcohol then under 18s must not be permitted past 9pm. If there is not an open bar, then point 2 above applies. Technically weddings fall into the same category but it seems unlikely at

Common sense will go a long way in insuring your premises remains trouble free. Keep an open and honest relationship with your local police, follow their advice or directions and think twice before accepting bookings that will bring you unwanted attention. There is a Licensing Bill at Stormont where these issues were supposed to be resolved but until such times as our political institutions are back and running the current law will remain. While great care has been taken in the preparation of the content of this article, it does not purport to be a comprehensive statement of the relevant law and full professional advice should be taken before any action is taken in reliance on any item covered.

ADVICE. » Contact the NIHF on 028 9077 6635 for advice or Linus Murray at O’Reilly Stewart on 028 9032 1000.

DALATA HOTEL GROUP

THE RISE AND RISE OF DALATA DERMOT CROWLEY, DEPUTY CHIEF EXECUTIVE, DALATA HOTELS, SPEAKS ABOUT THE DALATA GROUP, THE HOTEL SECTOR AND THE GROUP’S METEORIC RISE. Q. Dalata is Ireland’s largest hotel operator and you’ve just announced an amazing set of results - can you outline these for us? “2016 was another strong year for Dalata with significant growth in our portfolio, investing €150.9 million in a combination of leasehold and freehold interests of hotels new to the Group, new leases, sites for new hotels and the freehold of hotels we previously leased.

DERMOT CROWLEY Dalata Hotel Group A fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland, Dermot joined Jurys Doyle Hotel Group plc as Head of Development in 2000 where he oversaw the development of 15 new Jurys Inns and Hotels in Ireland, the UK and the US and the disposal of eight hotels in Ireland for a combined total of €450 million. Dermot joined Dalata Hotel Group in 2012, leading the acquisition of the Moran Bewley Hotel Group and playing a leading role in the IPO of the Company in 2014. With extensive experience in the financing, development, acquisition and disposal of hotels, Dermot has overall responsibility for finance & business development of Dalata Hotel Group.

“In all, seven hotels with c. 1,600 rooms were added to the portfolio during the year. In addition, we created a pipeline of 1,200 rooms in prime locations in Dublin, Cork, Belfast, Galway and Newcastle. “Beyond building a stronger portfolio, 2016 was a year in which we demonstrated our ability to drive improved performance against all key performance indicators from our existing hotel portfolio. Our RevPAR performance outperformed the markets in most of the cities in which we operate, we consistently converted strongly down the EBITDAR line, and delivered very strong performance in provincial UK, a key indicator given our ambition and growth prospects for provincial UK.”

Q. Dalata is a relatively new operator - What is the secret of your success? “While Dalata is a relatively new operating entity, our management team has a long track record of acquiring and operating hotels in Ireland and the UK. “What makes Dalata fundamentally different is the way we manage our business. Our decentralized structure is a core management philosophy. Our hotel general managers are empowered to run their hotels as their own, with autonomy in terms of pricing and staffing. We support our hotel general managers by investing in our systems infrastructure and these programmes enable the Group to scale operations and maximise returns from our expanded portfolio.” Q. You have a new development in Belfast - how has this market gone for you to date with your other hotels and what do you see as the challenges ahead? “We are very happy with the performance of our three hotels in Northern Ireland – the Maldron Hotel in Derry performed strongly throughout 2016, while the Clayton Hotel, Ormeau Avenue, Belfast and the Dalata-managed

SEVEN HOTELS WITH 1,600 ROOMS WERE ADDED TO THE PORTFOLIO DURING 2016 AND WE HAVE A PIPELINE OF 1,200 ROOMS. Maldron Hotel at Belfast International Airport performed particularly strongly in the second half of the year after a relatively slow first six months. “Progress in our Northern Ireland portfolio continues with the construction completion of the new 206-room Maldron Hotel in Brunswick Street, Belfast, expected in late April/early May 2018. While we remain positive on the future of the market, we would be slighted concerned if the supply of rooms were grow too aggressively in Belfast.” Q. Skills shortages have been highlighted as a risk factor for expansion - how does a large company like Dalata overcome this issue? “To mitigate the risk of skills shortages and allow our decentralised model to be scaled up, we are determined to develop and promote our own managers to support future growth. With sustained investment in training and development, we have a very strong pipeline of young general managers, revenue managers, financial controllers, sales managers coming through the system. It’s our ambition, when we open our five new hotels in 2018 that all senior management in these properties will come from internal talent.” Q. How important is it to raise the awareness of the Dalata Brands (Maldron and Clayton)? “Dalata Hotel Group is the corporate brand of our business. Through Dalata we partner with various charitable initiatives including, Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin as well as the National Children’s Research Centre and the Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity. We are delighted to support these

charities and we appreciate our responsibility to contribute back to the communities in which we live and work. “The Clayton and Maldron brands are now the two largest hotel brands in Ireland. The brands are of a scale in Ireland that presents us with opportunities to significantly increase consumer awareness and to engage directly with more of our customers. Given our provincial UK growth ambitions, increasing the visibility and prominence of the Maldron and Clayton brands in the UK is a key priority for Dalata in 2017. Q. Are you looking at markets beyond the UK and the addition of further brands? “For now we’re focused on opportunities to expand our presence in the UK through our leasehold model. Given our ambition to grow in the large cities of provincial UK, we were particularly happy to see the extent to which we outperformed the market in terms of 2016 RevPAR growth in Manchester, Cardiff and Leeds.” Q. How will Brexit effect your business and have you made any plans to deal with this? “The UK’s decision to leave the EU has not impacted our business or our plans to expand our presence in the UK. While geo-political events and fluctuations in the value of sterling could result in uncertainty and impact general economic activity in the UK and Ireland, to date we have not seen any significant change in booking patterns. With no trading impact directly attributable to Brexit, the level of leisure and corporate business coming from the UK remains strong and the market continues

to expand. We’re delighted with our progress to date and excited by our prospects for 2017. Q. You have worked in the hotel industry for nearly two decades - what are the major changes you have seen over this time? “The nature of change in the industry is the manner in which consumers book hotel rooms. This presents challenges and opportunities. Twenty years ago nobody had heard of booking.com or expedia.com. These are now key players in the hotel industry. “Secondly, the manner in which major hotel brands have moved their focus from operating hotels to becoming franchisers. This presents the most interesting opportunity for a company like Dalata, which possesses a team with a high level of experience and expertise.”

BELOW. » An artist’s impression of the new Maldron Hotel under construction on Brunswick Street in Belfast.

The Taste of Tourism Summit takes place on Tuesday 4th April in the Culloden Estate & Spa. This full-day event includes breakfast, lunch and refreshments. Delegates leave with a special Takeaway Bag and the inspiration from some amazing, internationally-acclaimed speakers. If you run a hotel, restaurant, bar or any hospitality business with a food focus, this is the conference for you. Here’s what’s on the menu.

Success and Service Creating a successful business, maintaining profits and attracting customers.

Star Chefs Our three guest chefs share their stories, their vision and what inspires them to keep cooking.

Cost Tickets for Taste of Tourism are priced at £95 inc VAT. This includes all meals, refreshments, takeaway bag and the full speaker programme.

Food Trends Are you ready for the next food revolution? International influences and what’s next for food.

Find out more and book online now at tasteoftourism.com.

The Taste of Tourism Summit is supported by

tasteoftourism.com 028 9077 6635

TASTE OF TOURISM

CATHERINE FULVIO » Catherine appears with Jun Tanaka and Noel McMeel at Taste of Tourism in the Culloden Estate & Spa on 4th April.

BOOK YOUR PLACE NOW AT TASTEOFTOURISM.COM

GREAT CHEFS ON THE MENU AT TASTE OF TOURISM One of the best things about events is meeting creative people and hearing what they have to say. The hotel and hospitality industry is packed full of people with immense talent; in particular, chefs who create fabulous food every day incorporating new ingredients and inventing great dishes. Over the years, the NIHF has been lucky enough to work with some of the UK’s best known culinary ambassadors: Angela Hartnett, arguably Britain’s best female chef; Tom Kerridge, one of the first chefs in Britain to get a Michelin star at a pub; and Raymond Blanc, a French genius whose career in his adopted home of Oxford has spanned over thirty years. Today’s chef is keen to share and most days our twitter feed is full of images of new dishes. Instagram features creations and inviting plates showcasing local ingredients. So when it came to

choosing the line up for this year’s Taste of Tourism event we were spoilt for choice. We’ve gone for an eclectic mix of local talent, Michelin magic and country house heritage. Our local hero is chef Noel McMeel. A true ambassador of Irish cuisine and a man whose loyalty to local suppliers has seen him lead the renaissance of the hotel restaurant at Lough Erne Resort. In his role as executive chef, he has created a haven of modern Irish cuisine featuring local produce and nurtured artisan suppliers. Noel will join an industry panel to discuss developments in the Northern Ireland food scene and the challenges it faces going forward. Jun Tanaka is an American-born British Japanese chef. Jun trained in some of London’s leading restaurants; Le Gavroche, The Square and Restaurant Marco Pierre White. He trained in classic French cooking and headed up the Pearl

restaurant for nearly a decade before opening his own restaurant The Ninth in London’s buzzy Fitzrovia. The restaurant opened its doors in November 2015 serving modern Mediterranean plates based on a sharing concept. The Ninth is Jun’s first solo venture and the ninth restaurant he has worked in, hence the name. When he speaks of the restaurant, it is with an immense amount of pride and a real sense of contentment. He says it’s a feeling of belonging with the cuisine based on his desire to feed his customers the type of food he enjoyed serving at home. The restaurant didn’t disappoint and gained a Michelin star within the first year of opening. Jun will join compere Pamela Ballantine in conversation about his culinary influences, his career to date and what inspires him in the kitchen. Catherine Fulvio grew up on a farm in Co Wicklow, married a Sicilian and became the custodian of Ballyknocken Country House. The house has been in her family for over one hundred years and she has used her entrepreneurial flair to place the property firmly on Ireland’s culinary map. In addition to the house, she runs a cookery school at the same location, has authored a hugely successful number of cookery books and a newspaper column. She combines her love of local cuisine with her knowledge of Italian cooking. At Taste of Tourism, Catherine will speak about life at Ballyknocken, her commitment to local produce and her commitment to a sustainable product.

Food is now fashion; driven by new trends, exotic cuisines and flavours previously unfamiliar to our palates. Daikon, Yuzu, Ube - three vegetables you might never have heard of but ones that could be on your menu very soon. Food Trendologist, Charles Banks, knows them all and he’s coming to Taste of Tourism to explain what other trends are likely to appear on our plates.

THE LATEST NEWS FROM THE HOTEL WORLD

WALDORF ASTORIA CLOSES. » When the NY icon reopens, it will still have a hotel, but hundreds of its 1,400 guest rooms will have been converted into privately owned condominiums by the Anbang Insurance Group, the Chinese company that bought the hotel for nearly $2 billion in 2015.

MARRIOTT PLANS MAJOR EXPANSION ACROSS EUROPE

SIGNATURE LIVING BELFAST

Following a historic year for the company in 2016, Marriott International has announced that it expects to dramatically increase the size of its portfolio in Europe across all segments of the industry.

A new George Best themed hotel is among five new hotels planned for Belfast by Liverpool-based Signature Living group which specialises in accommodation that “tells stories”. The hotel will be along similar lines to the Shankly Hotel in Liverpool.

Marriott expects the largest portion of its rooms growth will come from its affordable lifestyle brand, Moxy Hotels.

The planned expansion in Europe is the first development vision announced since the acquisition of Starwood Hotels in September 2016.

Looking to compete with other affordable, experience-driven brands, Marriott expects to add an additional 22,000 signed rooms for Moxy by 2020 of which 18,000 rooms are expected open in the next three years.

The company added 40,000 rooms in Europe with the Starwood acquisition alone, going from 40,000 open rooms in 2010 to 134,000 open or signed rooms at the end of 2016.

Launched in Milan in 2014, Moxy, which currently has over 1,000 rooms open in Europe and over 9,000 in its pipeline, offers travellers a stylish, spirited hotel stay at an affordable price.

The group has also just acquired Belfast’s Crumlin Road Courthouse for an undisclosed sum and plans to invest £25m to transform it into a hotel. This is part of a plan to invest £100m in Belfast over the next few years.

INDUSTRY NEWS

MORE INDUSTRY NEWS

NOVELLI LUNCH

TAKEAWAY FOOD

ALTAR-ED IMAGE

New restaurant previews in Belfast before 2018 opening.

Online beats telephone and in person ordering.

A former Belfast church is to get major makeover in a £1m restaurant development.

World-renowned chef JeanChristophe Novelli has given Belfast diners a flavour of the culinary expertise he’ll be bringing to Belfast when he opens his new signature restaurant in City Quays, the latest development at Belfast Harbour Estate.

Over a third of millennials order takeaway food more than once a week, racking up an average annual spend of £1,516.32 a year, according to research by PaymentSense.

A landmark church on the Ormeau Road in Belfast is set to be transformed into a new restaurant. Tullymore House Ltd, which also owns the Galgorm Resort and Spa and Fratelli group of Italian restaurants, has acquired the former Holy Rosary church and surrounding land.

This will be the only restaurant the multiMichelin-starred and 5 AA Rosette award-winning chef will open on the island of Ireland, and will be part of the new £25 million Marriott Hotel. Ahead of the restaurant opening next year, JeanChristophe showcased food offering he’ll be serving up at the new venture, which will be known as “Jean-Christophe Novelli at City Quays”, in an event at the historic Harbour Commissioners’ office. The four-star AC Hotel by Marriott Belfast will feature the landmark 104-seat restaurant, as well as bar, lounge, gym, meeting rooms and almost 190 luxury bedrooms.

Some 35% of millennials order a takeaway one or more times a week and the vast majority, 56%, do so online rather than on the phone or in person, which proved the least popular way to grab a Chinese, Indian or other cuisine with just 23% of 18-24-year-olds being willing to visit an eatery in order to order. Chinese is by far the most popular form of takeaway with 35% of people voting for it as their favourite, followed by Indian on 24% and pizza on 13%, while the traditional fish and chips trails in on 7%, the survey showed. When it comes to eating out, Italian restaurants came first with 19% of the vote overall, followed by Indian on 16% and the traditional pub in third with 12%.

More than £1m will be invested improving and enhancing the site, which has been derelict since 1980, with plans to convert the church building. More than 40 full and part time jobs will be created once the project is completed, with a further 30 jobs during the construction phase. Project Manager Colin Johnston says the plans will add to the vibrancy of the area. “We plan to regenerate this section of the Ormeau Road with a sympathetic redevelopment of the building, which has stood on the site since 1898. “The Ormeau Road project is part of an ongoing investment programme in the hospitality sector by Tullymore House Ltd, including planned extensions to Fratelli restaurants in Galgorm in Ballymena and Belfast city centre.” Mr Johnston added: “As a major employer in Belfast and Ballymena, we are committed to the development and enhancement of Northern Ireland’s hospitality offering, and this project is one of a number of expansion plans for 2017.” Tullymore House Ltd recently invested more than £11m in a redevelopment programme at Galgorm Resort and Spa. The company has also developed the successful Fratelli group, with one restaurant located in the four-star Galgorm Resort, and another on Belfast’s Great Victoria Street. The company has a significant investment programme planned for the Fratelli brand in 2017, totalling more than £1.5m and creating up to 60 jobs.

BUDGET

SPRING BUDGET

SOMETHING & NOTHING MICHAEL WILLIAMSON FROM ASM BELFAST LOOKS AT WHAT THE RECENT BUDGET DID AND DIDN’T BRING US

he Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, delivered his first (and last) Spring Budget on 8th March against the backdrop of a more buoyant than expected UK economy and improved tax receipts. Nevertheless, it was a cautious Budget with the Chancellor highlighting the need for responsibility and financial flexibility in light of the upcoming Brexit negotiations. Consequently, the Budget offered very little of substance to the tourism sector in Northern Ireland and indeed, it may be one of the least exciting (if that’s not too strong a word) budgets of all. What it hasn’t given us. For some years now, tourism across the UK has been burdened by one of the highest rates of VAT in the EU. Despite much lobbying to, and support within, Westminster for a reduction in the standard rate of VAT as a mechanism for stimulate spending and investment across the industry, those hopes were dashed since VAT rates remain unchanged. Worryingly, there is no indication that any reduction will be applied in the autumn or subsequent budgets. Neither did the Chancellor offer employers any respite from the National Living Wage. Effective 1 April this year, the rate increases by £0.30 to £7.50 per hour. There are also small increases to the national minimum wage rates.

Government seems intent on driving the NLW to £9/hour by 2020, in which case, we expect further increases well above the rate of inflation. The freeze on beer and cider tax has been removed and increased alongside wine and spirits by 3.9%, effective 12th March. This will ultimately hit consumers’ pockets. Let’s not forget the Apprenticeship Levy, which will affect businesses with pay a bill in excess of £3m during the 2017/18 tax year. The levy is set at 0.5% of the pay bill, but there is an annual allowance of £15,000 to set against that levy. Nonetheless, for larger employers, this is an additional cost of trading. Was there any good news? Very little that has not been announced previously. The rate of Corporation Tax across the UK will reduce from 20% to 19% for the 2017/18 tax year. As regards the much talked about 12.5% CT rate for Northern Ireland, this now seems to have slid into the shadows although it was a decision for the devolved administration in any event – as is Air Passenger Duty. So, in conclusion, there has not been much to write about – thank goodness the editor limited me to 400 words!

MICHAEL WILLIAMSON ASM Chartered Accountants

HOUSEKEEPING AWARDS

THE VERY BEST HOUSEKEEPERS THE HOUSEKEEPING AWARDS CULMINATED IN A GLITTERING AWARDS NIGHT IN THE CLAYTON HOTEL WITH TOP HONOURS GOING TO TARA LODGE AND HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS BELFAST.

Another record entry for 2017 meant a big task for the judges. The 68 housekeepers competed in four tasks - bed making, cleaning, tea tray creation and room inspections - as well as some team-building activities. Consistency across each task helped to determine the final 12 and each received a surprise inspection at their premises, with the winners announced at an awards dinner on 22nd March in the Clayton Hotel Belfast. Tara Lodge collected the top prize in the under 90 room category for the fifth time in 8 years - a truly outstanding achievement and a genuine reflection of the very high attention to detail throughout the Belfast property. Bushmills Inn and Belmore Court couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be separated for runner-up, so shared the award. In the 90 rooms and over category, Holiday Inn Express Belfast took the trophy with fellow Andras House hotel, Ibis Belfast City Centre taking the runner-up position. Finalists - Under 90 Rooms Belmore Court & Motel - RUNNER-UP Bushmills Inn Hotel - RUNNER-UP Salty Dog Hotel & Bistro Tara Lodge - WINNER Ten Square Hotel Belfast Wellington Park Hotel Finalists - 90 Rooms and Over Europa Hotel Belfast Holiday Inn Belfast City Centre Holiday Inn Express Belfast - WINNER Ibis Hotel Belfast City Centre - RUNNER-UP Park Inn by Radisson Belfast Slieve Donard Resort & Spa The Federation would like to thank all those who entered, the judges who gave their time and to our sponsors: Tourism Northern Ireland, Bunzl Rafferty Hospitality Products, Ecolab, Robinson Services and King Koil. Take a look at photos from the assessment day and dinner on the next two pages.

HOUSEKEEPING PHOTOS PHOTOS FROM THE ASSESSMENT DAY AND THE AWARDS NIGHT. MORE PHOTOS AND THE ASSESSMENT VIDEO CAN BE FOUND ON OUR WEBSITE AT NIHF.CO.UK.

Over 90 Rooms category winners and runners-up, Holiday Inn Express Belfast and Ibis Belfast City Centre, with sponsors Tourism NI and Bunzl Rafferty Hospitality.

Pamela Withers, Nicola McCormick, Kaye Mamwell and Lorraine O’Neill from Salty Dog Hotel & Bistro.

Joint Runners-up in Under 90 Room category, Bushmills Inn, with Vice-President Gavin Carroll and Jo Scott.

Joint Runners-up in Under 90 Rooms category, Belmore Court & Motel.

Rose O’Neill, Aine Finnegan and Sheila Hughes from the Europa Hotel with Steven Williams from Culloden Estate & Spa.

Winners in the Under 90 Rooms category, Tara Lodge, with sponsors Robinson Services, Ecolab and Tourism Northern Ireland.

The Housekeeping Awards are supported by

WASTE MANAGEMENT

WASTE SOLUTIONS THE HOSPITALITY SECTOR IS REAPING THE BENEFITS OF INDUSTRIAL SYMBIOSIS FROM INTERNATIONAL SYNERGIES AND INVEST NI. The Industrial Symbiosis Service – funded by Invest Northern Ireland and delivered by International Synergies Ltd Northern Ireland – has been working with the hospitality sector for close to a decade to reduce operating costs, achieve additional sales, and provide alternative solutions for waste going to landfill. As the longest running Industrial Symbiosis programme in the world, we provide free advisory support and deliver innovative solutions for wasted resources - food waste, equipment, surplus furniture and much more. Legislation regarding food waste in Northern Ireland has been gradually changing and this will step up again in April 2017 with new regulations requiring catering food waste to be separately collected and diverted from landfill disposal. Jurys Inn Belfast approached the Industrial Symbiosis Service in 2014 to help source a sustainable solution for food waste that would meet or exceed the requirements of the legislation. Our staff provided introductions to companies that could take the food waste from the hotel and ensure that it was used in Anaerobic Digestion plants, a stipulation from Jurys Inn. One such company offered the Belfast hotel a trial to help determine the potential success of this collaboration. During the trial, 20 tonnes of food waste was collected from Jurys Inn; this material was diverted from landfill saving Jurys £1,680 in landfill tax. The continuation of this synergy will enable Jurys Inn Belfast to increase its overall recycling rate by 12%, a statistic with growing importance. There are opportunities to replicate this synergy across not only the Jurys Inn Group but to a wide range of hotels and hospitality sector services in Northern

Ireland. Does your business need help sourcing a sustainable solution?

ABOVE.

The IS service is not just limited to food waste: The Beech Hill Country House Hotel save £1,100 per year by using the service to source solutions.

» Terry McCartney, NIHF Board Member, visits the International Synergies stand at Hospitality Exchange.

Other hospitality sector service providers have used the IS service to help deal with surplus furniture, Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment and many more challenging waste streams. In such a competitive industry, these seemingly small savings can provide both a financial boost as well as improve environmental standings. With facilitated Industrial Symbiosis, wasted resources from one organisation become material inputs for another, often in a completely different sector.

BELOW. » A free PDF guide is available from the Invest NI website.

As part of the free service, we will visit your premises, take a tour and produce a report to assess where waste can be prevented and what wasted resources you have or need. Since 2007 the service has achieved cost savings and additional sales of over £40m for businesses in Northern Ireland.

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Industrial Symbiosis

Improving produ ctivity through efficient resource management

Guide for Business

es in Northern Irelan

Contact us today to see how we can help make significant and costly changes to your business. investni.com/industrialsymbiosis Telephone: 028 38333438 info@international-synergiesni.com

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HOTEL EXPANSION

HOTEL EXPANSION BELFAST HOTEL PIPELINE REACHES RECORD LEVELS WITH 3,747 ROOMS AND 27 HOTELS FOR THE CITY. The recently released CBRE hotel report highlights the significant expansion proposed for the hotel market in Belfast. It refers to twentyseven projects across the city at varying stages of developments.

The table gives some indication of the level of activity in the public domain; it is important to note that all these hotels may not come to fruition and that there are several other developers who have not reached the pre-planning stage now.

Of real interest is the number of hotels currently under construction; six in total which will add 1,093 rooms to Belfast’s hotel stock. The bulk of these will be open by 2018.

It is likely that the city will see room numbers reach well over 5,000 by 2018 and possibly breaking the 6,000 mark by 2020.

In addition to these new hotels, there are planned extensions to three existing properties, Jury’s, Fitzwilliam and Bullitt. These projects would add an additional 150 rooms bringing the total new stock to 1,243. This represents an 32% increase overall stock.

3,747 NEW ROOMS IN BELFAS T

As previously reported, Belfast is not the only destination with a growth spurt. DerryLondonderry has four hotels proposed in varying stages of planning. The North Coast also has four hotels planned and there are several other resort projects under consideration throughout Northern Ireland.

BELFAST HOTEL PIPELINE - MARCH 2017 (Source CBRE, for guidance purposes only)

Status

Hotels

Bedrooms

On-site

1093

Planning Granted

1766

Planning Submitted

498

Pre-Planning Stage

390

Total

3747

INVESTMENT OUTSIDE BELFAST. » Invest Northern Ireland’s Chief Executive Alastair Hamilton has announced a £983,000 offer to Jaramas Investments NI Ltd to support the multi-million development of a luxury hotel and spa at Killeavy Castle Estate.

RECORD START TO THE YEAR After a strong performance in the second half of 2016, hotel key performance indicators from STR show a record start for 2017. All market segments in Northern Ireland show strong growth on 2016 figures, with occupancy in Northern Ireland sitting at very respectable 65% for the first two months of 2017. Average room rate grew to £65.57 with RevPAR rising to £42.28. Reports from the industry suggest a strong summer ahead with good business on the books for the coming season.

STUDENT COMPETITION

HOSPITALITY STUDENT OF THE YEAR THE SEARCH WAS ON TO FIND THE TWO BEST HOSPITALITY STUDENTS WITH AWARDS GOING TO SRC AND SWC.

Wednesday 1st February 2017 was an action packed day at Southern Regional College, as hospitality students from across Northern Ireland gathered for the second NI Regional Colleges Hospitality Student of the Year competition, supported by Bunzl McLaughlin, Northern Ireland Hotels Federation and Dillon Bass. Students from Belfast Met, North West Regional College, South West College, South East Regional College and Southern Regional College competed to be named ‘Student Chef of the Year 2017’ and ‘Food Service Student of the Year 2017’. Their challenge was to work in a chef and food service partnership to create a three course meal, design a table setting and serve a panel of judges. The creativity of students was noted by judges, Noel McMeel, Executive Chef, Lough Erne Resort and Philip Waring, Development Chef for Rational. Commenting Noel McMeel said: “The standard was phenomenal this year and it is great to see such passion and knowledge being displayed by students. Competitions of this nature build confidence and are a great link between the industry and education.” Passion and creativity were also on display in the dining room as guest judges were served an aperitif on individually themed tables under the watchful eye of hotel gurus, James McGinn, from

Europa Hotel and Marco Marro, from The Merchant Hotel. Guests marked contestants on their food, service and understanding of the menu. Competition sponsor Noel Branagh, Managing Director of Bunzl McLaughlin said: “Students demonstrated first class standards with a great sense of pride, passion and professionalism. As a company, we are committed to developing talent and I know that some of the students who served me today will be the stars of the future.” The winners were announced at an evening Gala Awards Dinner, which kicked off with a Drinks Reception supported by Dillon Bass, followed by a seven course mouth-watering menu prepared, cooked and served by Southern Regional College’s Level 2, Level 3 Professional Cookery, Foundation Degree Hospitality, Level 2 IT and Adult Access students. Compered by James McGinn, the gala dinner was attended by representatives from the competing colleges, industry stakeholders and supporters. The event honoured and rewarded the achievements of all the students with competition participants receiving a goodie bag of gifts sponsored by the Northern Ireland Hotels Federation. The category winners were: Student Chef of the Year 2017 - Anita Rush (Southern Regional College)

Runner Up - Lewis Robertson (South Eastern Regional College) Food Service Student of the Year 2017 - Nicola McKiver (South West College) Runner Up - Kieran Cleverly (Southern Regional College) Bringing the evening to a close, Chief Executive of Southern Regional College, Brian Doran said: “Thank you to everyone who was brave enough to take part. We are delighted to host this event and hope that it will continue be a fixture in the student calendar. We really valued the support of our industry partners, Bunzl McLaughlin, Northern Ireland Hotels Federation and Dillon Bass.”