Hotel Operations

🏨 The Coniston Hotel Country Estate & Spa, a family-run business for over 50 years located in Skipton, North Yorkshire, partnered with Journey to enhance its commercial strategy and increase direct revenue. The hotel offers 70 bedrooms, a 1,400-acre estate with amenities like a private lake and the Nàdarra Spa, and activities including fishing and off-road driving. Director Louise Bolton, with 25 years at the hotel, emphasized the need for digital expertise to attract a wider customer base.

🍴 Vodka sauce, a tomato-based pasta sauce with vodka for flavor depth, varies in color from reddish-orange to pink, appealing for social media. Named "New European" cuisine of 2024 by Datassential, it's gaining popularity on restaurant menus. Present on 5.5% of US menus, 35% of Americans have tried vodka sauce, a traditional Italian-American dish.

🎉 DoubleTree by Hilton has surpassed 100 properties in Asia-Pacific, driven by new openings in Indonesia, Japan, India, and China. The brand's expansion, particularly through its franchise model in Greater China, aims to cater to increasing demand for diverse travel experiences. With nearly 80 more properties in the pipeline and a goal to exceed 1,000 trading hotels in the region by 2025, Hilton is optimistic about growth, evidenced by recent signings like the first DoubleTree in Kochi, India.

🏨 The Westin San Diego Bayview in California completed a $20 million renovation of 436 guestrooms and meeting spaces. Aimbridge Hospitality operates the property and managed the renovation with HVSDesign's creative input. The hotel offers city or bay views, and the revamp includes natural cork headboards with metallic sheen. Over 30,000 square feet of meeting spaces have been updated, catering to various events and group sizes.

🏨 S Harrison appointed Ogilvie Construction to convert Osborne House in Edinburgh into a 157-room hotel, scheduled to open Spring 2026 by Meininger Hotels. A London Earls Court Hotel has been refurbished into a co-branded Mercure (282 rooms) and Ibis (226 rooms) property, with more Mercure rooms coming by early 2025. Dalata Hotel Group opened a 268-room Maldron Hotel in Liverpool, its first in the city, designed for sustainability. The Queen at Chester hotel completed a £5m refurbishment, upgrading 104 bedrooms and public areas.

🏖️ Sage Hospitality Group has expanded into Florida by acquiring One Ocean Resort & Spa through a JV with Aspect Real Estate Group, Corner Lot, and Kelco Management and Development. The resort, located on over 3 acres of oceanfront in Atlantic Beach, FL, was purchased from Ashford Hospitality Trust in June for $87 million ($451,000 per key). Sage plans significant renovations and repositioning in 2025, aiming to elevate the property's 193 rooms, spa, and dining facilities, which include over 10,000 square feet of event space.

🏡 Radisson Hotel Group opened the 154-room Radisson Blu Hotel in Sheffield city center, near Town Hall and The Peace Gardens. A 10-minute walk from the train station, it offers a rooftop Indian restaurant, event spaces, outdoor terrace, and fitness center. As part of Sheffield's 'Heart of the City' project, it's the city's first new hotel in years, aiming to blend history with modern hospitality.

🍳 Lifetime, the UK's largest training provider, reports a 47% rise in female chef apprentices during 2022-2023, with 373 out of 1241 new starters being women. The hospitality sector faces a 21% vacancy rate. The number of female chefs has grown by 46% since 2018, reaching 24% in 2023. Stella Carter, 18, with Crohn's disease, began a Level 2 apprenticeship at The Boot & Slipper in Amersham in 2022 and aims to own a restaurant. Nyla, 20, from Nottingham, embraces the industry's diversity. Bianca Martens, 36, in Liverpool, leads a team after completing chef apprenticeships. Lifetime Training emphasizes changing workplace culture post-pandemic to attract diverse talent, while Marston's and Mitchells & Butlers promote inclusive cultures and development programs.

🍴 Chef Dani García recounts his unconventional journey into the hospitality industry, driven by childhood experiences and learning from renowned chefs along Costa del Sol. His process for blending traditional Andalusian recipes with global flavors involves structured work and adaptation to local ingredients. Successfully managing multiple restaurants worldwide, García emphasizes the importance of team dynamics. His transition from a Michelin-starred restaurant to more accessible dining formats like BiBo Andalusian Brasserie & Tapas involves creating a relaxed atmosphere. Media exposure has broadened public perception of his culinary scope. Adapting menus to local tastes—alcohol-free in Qatar, pork-free in Dubai—García's group tailors to each location while maintaining concept essence. Smoked Room, born from Leña, earned two Michelin stars within six months through constant culinary evolution. Global expansion of Dani García Group focuses on launching Leña globally, with new projects underway in Miami, and plans for London, New York, Barcelona, Ibiza, and Morocco.

🏨 The Queen at Chester completed a £5m refurbishment, upgrading 104 bedrooms and public spaces. The hotel also features 11 conference rooms, including the Colonnades Ballroom, with a capacity of up to 400 delegates.