Hotel Operations

📈 All-day café and restaurant group Loungers reported a 24.7% increase in revenue to £353.5m and a 25.9% rise in adjusted EBITDA to £59.6m for the 53 weeks ending 21 April 2024. Profit before tax surged by 56% to £11.4m, while operating profit grew by 37.7% to £20.3m. In January 2024, Loungers opened its 250th site in Rochdale and launched 36 new venues throughout the year. The company created 1,200 jobs and invested approximately £39m across the UK, aiming to reach 665 sites. CEO Nick Collins cited consistent sales growth and improving margins for the record profits.

🌀 NOAA predicts an 85% chance of an above-normal 2024 Atlantic hurricane season with 17-25 named storms, 8-13 hurricanes, and 4-7 major hurricanes—averages are 14, 7, and 3, respectively. Hurricane Beryl, downgraded to a tropical storm, hit the Texas Gulf Coast causing power outages for over 2.5 million customers. The Texas Restaurant Association advises operators on disaster preparedness and recovery, offering resources from Ready.gov, Floodsmart.gov, and outlining pre-storm to post-storm strategies for business continuity.

🛠 Häfele, a provider of hardware solutions, has partnered with Like Magic to create 'Work and Sleep' hotel rooms, allowing operators to transform spaces using digitally-enabled furniture and advanced software. The concept reduces costs and increases room utility. Ibis Styles hotel in Nagold, Germany, pilots the technology, integrating keyless entry and personalized services. Like Magic's platform enables 80% of staff tasks to be handled from one system, offering a digital guest journey and reducing staff pressure.

🖤 The Social Hub Amsterdam introduces 'next-generation' room design for bookings starting 20 July, featuring hybrid utility space, king-size bed, rain shower, double sink with Zenology toiletries, and sustainable bathroom tissue by The Good Roll. The year-long design process involved surveys, focus groups, and consulting with design experts Rizoma Architetture, DUM Office, ByBorre, and Kvadrat. The rollout aims to elevate the brand to a higher competitive category.

📱 Simone Puorto interviewed Natalie Kimball, VP of Strategic Accounts at Shiji Distribution Solutions, during HITEC 2024 in Charlotte. Kimball highlighted Shiji's transition from concept pitches to launching live products within a year, aiming to ease labor shortages in hospitality by streamlining hotel content distribution. The Content Hub, developed over five years, centralizes data to ensure accuracy and efficiency. Shiji, having acquired Ice Portal, now offers a comprehensive platform for hotel content management, continually evolving based on customer feedback.

🏨 U.S. hotels added 700 jobs in June, yet industry employment is still 196,000 less than pre-pandemic levels at nearly 1.92 million. Average hotel wages rose 26% since the pandemic, outpacing the general economy's increase of 22.2%. With 8.1 million job openings in the U.S. as of May and only 6.6 million unemployed, AHLA seeks to address workforce shortages by advocating for increased H-2B visas and supportive legislation like the Closing the Workforce Gap Act of 2024, the HIRE Act, and the Asylum Seeker Work Authorization Act.

🏡 The BWH Hotels' "Life's a Trip" campaign, led by SVP and CMO Joelle Park, features a cover of The Band's 1968 hit "The Weight" by Canadian folk singer Abigail Lapell. Best Western, part of the 18-brand BWH portfolio, is the focal point of the campaign, which emphasizes authentic experiences over a broad brand showcase. Emotive storytelling and regional relevance are key strategies, with targeted marketing across various platforms including Food Network, Discovery Channel, streaming services, and social media. Focus group studies showed 84% brand recall, indicating the effectiveness of the campaign's emotional and cinematic approach.

🍴 Located at Henrietta Experimental hotel in London’s Covent Garden, the Parisian-inspired restaurant Henri is a collaboration between Experimental Group and chef Jackson Boxer. Opening follows Cowley Manor Experimental's success. Menu features Parisian bistro cooking with snacks and entrees starting at £4 and larger dishes from £15 to £30. Cocktails named after French icons and a French-focused wine list. Interior combines Art Nouveau and British pub elements, paying homage to the historic market. Henri contributes to London's trend of rustic, accessible French bistros.

📖 Chef Paul Ainsworth, after his dessert featured on the Great British Menu banquet in 2011, is releasing his first cookbook "For the Love of Food," reflecting his culinary journey and his move to Cornwall. Ainsworth, proud of the diverse offerings at his three eateries—The Mariners Public House, Caffè Rojano, and the Michelin-starred Paul Ainsworth at No6—aims to showcase this diversity in his book. Despite economic challenges, Ainsworth's establishments are thriving, focusing on both fine dining and casual culinary experiences. "For the Love of Food" is published by Pavilion Books with an RRP of £26.