Leisure Media Issue 3 2009 - Leisure Opportunities

NEWSHospitalityRezidor to open Missoni-branded hotelRezidor Hotel Group intends to openits first Missoni-branded hotel inEdinburgh in a joint venture with theItalian fashion house.The five-star, 136-bedroom HotelMissoni Edinburgh will open on theRoyal Mile in early June comprising abar and a restaurant as well as conferencerooms. The opening will beshortly followed by the launch of theportfolio’s second property - Missoni inKuwait City - this autumn.Additional facilities will include a1,000sq m (10,750sq ft) spa, two tenniscourts, a private beach, numerousswimming pools, meeting rooms and a400sq m (4,300sq ft) ballroom.Missoni aims to open 30 hotelsover the next decade – designed byMilanese architects Studio Thun – inThe hotel will be located on the city’s Royal Mile and boasts 136 bedroomspartnership with Rezidor. Initial focuswill be on Europe and the Middle East,later expanding to the North and SouthAmerican and Asian markets.“Its design, combined with the bestof bars and restaurants, will make thisa truly unique hotel experience,” saidKurt Ritter, CEO of Rezidor.Mixed results forhotel operatorsHoteliers in London reported a 0.9 percent increase in average room occupancyduring April, compared with2008 figures, according to a report byPKF Hotel Consultancy Services.However, the statistics also revealedthat room rate decreased by 10.6 percent to £123.85 at hotels across thecapital, which has been blamed on theextensive use of promotional offers toattract more visitors.Meanwhile, regional hotels havereported a sharp decline in the threemain performance indicators afterreporting double digit decreases inRoom rates continue to fall rapidlyroom rate, occupancy and yield as aresult of the recession.Hotels in Birmingham reported a 20per cent fall in occupancy and a 15 percent reduction in room rate.Plans submittedfor £250m hotelA new £250m hotel is beingplanned for the banks of London’sRiver Thames as part of the redevelopmentof the Mermaid Conferenceand Event Centre on Puddle Dock inBlackfriars.Designed by Alsop Architects onbehalf of developers Heatherfield,and managed by BlackfriarsInvestments, the 28,000sq m, fivestoreyhotel comprises a conferencecentre, ballroom and a gym and spafacilities. The scheme, submitted tothe City of London for approval, alsoincludes bars and restaurants and arooftop terrace.Brits’ summer savings spent on leisureMore than 40 per cent of British peopleadmit that they spend the money savedon bills during the summer on leisureactivities, according to a new report byNational Savings and Investments.The Quarterly Savings Surveyrevealed that 42 per cent of peoplebelieve that they save an average of£77.39 a month during the summer, aperiod when 48 per cent say that theyspend around £110 a month on leisureactivities. A further 43 per cent ofthe people who answered the questionnaireadmitted that the warmerweather encouraged them to feel morerelaxed with their spending habits,while entertaining children on schoolholidays and the cost of socialising alsoimpacting upon summer spending.The report also revealed that morethan half (60 per cent) of the populationare inclined to spend more on holidayingduring the summer rather than thewinter, and 39 per cent said that theyare more likely to spend money at restaurantsand bars.Summer increases spending in leisure10 Read Leisure Management online leisuremanagement.co.uk/digitalISSUE 3 2009 © cybertrek 2009