http://news.caterer.comNews from Caterer.comen-gbWed, 30 Jan 2008 13:57:45 GMTCopyright: (C) Totaljobs Group Ltd, see http://www.caterer.com/Contents/Content/TermsAndConditions.html for terms and conditions of reuseHospitality recruitment in the UK could be in for a positive year after accountancy firm PKF revealed the hotel sector performed admirably over April despite tough macroeconomic conditions and inclement weather.

London hotels enjoyed a 9.7 per cent year-on-year increase in room yield through a combination of increased rates and a growth in occupancy levels.

Hotels in the region also posted an impressive recovery after a dismal winter season, with room yield jumping by 3.7 per cent to reach £39.27.

Robert Barnard, partner for hotel consultancy services at PKF, described these figures as a "stellar set of results" given the weak economic conditions and lack of consumer confidence in the UK.

"We may have seen even stronger performance if not for it being..

Read full article]]>http://news.caterer.com/article/view/hotel/801366672/hotels-defying-economic-conditions-/http://news.caterer.com/article/view/hotel/801366672/hotels-defying-economic-conditions-/Fri, 18 May 2012 16:10:07 15MayGMTHotel and National & WorldHospitality recruitment could be boosted in the coming years after a partnership formed between Oxford Hotels, Capita Symonds and Equiture announced plans to target investment opportunities in the British hotel sector.

They will focus on acquisitional opportunities as well as attempting to turn around and refurbish existing hotel sites in their portfolio, the group claimed.

Simon Wood of Oxford Hotels said this "unique model" will improve the value of hotels through cost management and increases in revenue.

"As the market improves and travel budgets increase, our portfolios should be well placed to benefit," added Mr Wood.

Capita Symonds will supervise the full design of hotel developments and refurbishments, while Oxford Hotels and Equiture will carry out the day-to-day asset management involved in running..

Read full article]]>http://news.caterer.com/article/view/hotel/801359495/oxford-hotels-and-capita-symonds-target-hotel-investment/http://news.caterer.com/article/view/hotel/801359495/oxford-hotels-and-capita-symonds-target-hotel-investment/Wed, 9 May 2012 16:33:11 15MayGMTHotel and National & Worldhotel management jobs and other administrative leisure staff are feeling confident about the upcoming quarter, despite difficult trading conditions in the UK.

This is underlined by the fact that 18 per cent of respondents are feeling more positive about the business outlook compared to the previous quarter, while 92 per cent of owners claim to be planning for further growth over the next three months.

However, the mooted advantage to hospitality brought about by the Olympic Games in London may not occur, with 45 per cent of companies polled disagreeing with this concept.

Jonathan Perrin, RSM Tenon's head of hospitality and leisure, argued that the recession has not prevented "confidence returning..

Read full article]]>http://news.caterer.com/article/view/hotel/801355008/hospitality-businesses-feeling-confident-/http://news.caterer.com/article/view/hotel/801355008/hospitality-businesses-feeling-confident-/Wed, 2 May 2012 12:33:06 11MayGMTHotel and National & WorldHospitality recruitment has continued to play a major role in the British jobs market despite a lack of consumer confidence and tough trading conditions, according to the chief executive of the Institute of Hospitality.

Philippe Rossiter argued that the number of employment opportunities being created by the industry has increased in recent years, claiming the number of restaurant jobs has risen by 100,000 since 2007.

"The UK hospitality industry is bucking the general economic trend and is predicted to continue growing.

"It can offer a variety of roles to match the needs and skills of individuals," added Mr Rossiter.

He suggested that the wide demographic spread of people within the sector and its relatively low barriers to entry make for an interesting..

Read full article]]>http://news.caterer.com/article/view/hotel/801350093/hospitality-sector-bucking-economic-trend-/http://news.caterer.com/article/view/hotel/801350093/hospitality-sector-bucking-economic-trend-/Thu, 26 Apr 2012 12:57:43 11AprGMTHotel and National & Worldhotel jobs over the next three years after reporting impressive sales growth in 2011, with underlying profit and revenues both increasing.

Total income leapt by 11.2 per cent on a year-on-year basis to hit £1,778 million, while underlying profit increased by 11.3 per cent.

A great deal of this growth was driven by a strong performance by Costa Coffee, with total sales jumping by 27.5 per cent and profits soaring by 38 per cent.

Chief executive Andy Harrison stressed that the company remains on track to achieve its ambitious expansion plans.

"In the new financial year both Premier Inn and restaurants have shown positive like-for-like sales growth and Costa has continued its good momentum,..

Read full article]]>http://news.caterer.com/article/view/hotel/801349830/whitbread-to-create-10-000-jobs-in-three-years/http://news.caterer.com/article/view/hotel/801349830/whitbread-to-create-10-000-jobs-in-three-years/Thu, 26 Apr 2012 11:00:04 10AprGMTHotel and National & Worldhotel management jobs and other leading figures from the hospitality sector have expressed their support for the British Hospitality Association's (BHA's) call for a reduction in VAT for the industry.

According to the group's latest survey, 98 per cent of people working in the sector feel the current high rate of VAT is hampering growth and expansion.

Furthermore, 85 per cent of respondents expressed the opinion that reducing VAT to five per cent would create new job opportunities in the hospitality industry.

Ufi Ibrahim, BHA chief executive, said the results underline the groundswell of support for a reduction in hospitality VAT rates.

"Research indicates that 78,000 jobs will be created following a reduction of VAT to five per cent. This will..

Read full article]]>http://news.caterer.com/article/view/hotel/801349351/bha-survey-shows-support-for-vat-reduction/http://news.caterer.com/article/view/hotel/801349351/bha-survey-shows-support-for-vat-reduction/Wed, 25 Apr 2012 16:26:16 15AprGMTHotel and National & WorldHotel recruitment in Britain is set to be given a boost through the news that major hospitality firm Hilton Worldwide is planning to recruit around 700 people as part of a major UK expansion drive.

Management and apprentice chef jobs will be among the roles offered by the firm, along with a number of apprenticeships for those just starting out in the industry.

This comes after the company created around 1,500 employment opportunities by opening over 18 new hotels in Britain.

Ben Bengougam, vice president of human resources at Hilton Europe, said the company is looking for staff with a good work ethic and a positive attitude towards customer relations.

"In return, we provide a fun, exciting, varied and supportive environment to..

Read full article]]>http://news.caterer.com/article/view/hotel/801341635/hilton-launches-uk-recruitment-drive/http://news.caterer.com/article/view/hotel/801341635/hilton-launches-uk-recruitment-drive/Tue, 17 Apr 2012 12:42:41 11AprGMTHotel and National & Worldhospitality recruitment while attempting to operate on a sustainable plane.

The global hotel group, the largest company of its kind in Europe, claims to be placing the concept of "responsible growth" at the forefront of its ongoing expansion.

Planet 21 involves the setting up of 21 commitments and targets by the company for 2015, including introducing fair trade products into 85 per cent of its hotels and water and energy consumption cuts of ten per cent across its portfolio.

"We are putting sustainable hospitality at the core of the group's strategy, development and innovation. I am..

Read full article]]>http://news.caterer.com/article/view/hotel/801340260/accor-to-commit-to-sustainable-development/http://news.caterer.com/article/view/hotel/801340260/accor-to-commit-to-sustainable-development/Mon, 16 Apr 2012 10:50:13 9AprGMTHotel and National & WorldHospitality recruitment in the UK could receive a boost this year as almost half of firms in the sector are feeling good about their business prospects, according to a new report.

The latest outlook survey from insolvency firm Baker Tilly revealed that 49 per cent of respondents are positive about the remainder of 2012, while 47 per cent are unsure and four per cent are negative.

Nine in ten leisure and hospitality businesses said they expect their profit levels to either stay the same or increase throughout the year.

Ali Aneizi of Baker Tilly said there is confidence in the sector despite the threat of a double-dip recession.

"It seems that the general sentiment amongst hospitality and leisure firms is fairly positive and..

Read full article]]>http://news.caterer.com/article/view/hotel/801337191/study-finds-half-of-hospitality-firms-are-positive-about-2012/http://news.caterer.com/article/view/hotel/801337191/study-finds-half-of-hospitality-firms-are-positive-about-2012/Wed, 11 Apr 2012 13:05:21 12AprGMTHotel and National & Worldhotel jobs and other hospitality sector roles through plans to develop major leisure projects on their campuses.

The company revealed that 79 per cent of the universities they surveyed are anticipating carrying out building projects costing £5 million or more over the course of 2012.

While some of these schemes will just involve improvements to student accommodation or measures to house more students from overseas, some universities are planning to take on major projects such as building hotels.

Ian Vickers of Wates said the increasing cost of a university degree means students are expecting more from their campuses and their education providers.

"In order..

Read full article]]>http://news.caterer.com/article/view/hotel/801333753/universities-could-build-hotels-on-campus/http://news.caterer.com/article/view/hotel/801333753/universities-could-build-hotels-on-campus/Wed, 4 Apr 2012 12:36:05 11AprGMTHotel and National & World