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Manchester10 The best things in Manchester are free

28/07/2010 09:50:24

Manchester’s thriving cultural scene is now in the palm of your hand with the launch of the Manchester10 iPhone app. The app is free to download and use.

Manchester10 previews the top 10 things to do in the city each week. Nobody pays to be listed and that only way to be included is to do something outstanding.

Guests staying at Manchester's hotels will be able to find the pick of the week's activity and lonely nights in the hotel room wondering what to do in this world class city of ours can become a thing of the past.

Listings contain hyperlinks making it easy to click through to find out more information and book tickets for the best of this week’s events.

The app was dreamed up by World Class Service Ltd as part of the Manchester Made it Easy initiative. World Class Service developed the app with La Factory Del Software.

You can download Manchester10 here.

*The Manchester10 app includes free and paid for events and activities.

Manchester Hotel Market showing signs of Recovery

08/06/2010 17:18:39

Crains, Manchester's Business Paper, has a Focus on Hospitality and Travel this week (w/c June 7) and runs with the above headline.

The first quarter of 2010 has seen revPar (revenues per room) rates continue their steady recovery since the drop in 2009 (Q2 was 18.5% down on 2008's figures).

Overall revenue is up, accompanied by a 4.7% increas in occupancy levels, now at 68%. Deloitte, who published the figures say a large number of business visitors have helped the recovery.

Simply Manchester - The new book

24/05/2010 12:41:53

Simply Manchester have produced a new book listing the best of what's on offer around Manchester for all event booking requirements. You can now view and download the pdf here.

Manchester Made it Easy Meeting 10th May

04/05/2010 14:15:39

The next Manchester Made it Easy meeting is on May 10th.

The meeting will update on progress being made to package and promote Manchester as a desirable, Family Friendly destination, in particular over the mid July - early September period.

The gathering will take place at the Malmaison (Mal1 meeting space) on Monday 10th May at 10.30. All are welcome. If you'd like to come along and haven't done so already, please rsvp to louise at World Class Service

You can keep in touch with the Manchester Made it Easy movement at the website, the blog and via twitter and facebook.

Strategic Leadership Programme

22/02/2010 11:33:47

Dear MHA Member

World Class Service Ltd has teamed up with Manchester Business School and Manchester Metropolitan University to create a brand new strategic leadership programme specifically for hospitality leaders.

The programme which will be for just 25 current and future business leaders is designed to inform, to create time to think, create the opportunity to network, to inspire, to exchange thinking and to help these leaders understand the implications of shifts in the UK and European market.

This five day residential course will span the implications of the new government, current economic trends and macro-economic effects, social technology developments, leadership, lifestyle and design, finance and management, customer management, organisational psychology and planning for change.

The emphasis will be on leadership issues over the next three to five years. The business units will be lead by some of the luminaries of thinking in the UK including Professor Carl Williams, Professor John Murphy, Professor Peter Kawalak and Dr Mark Batey alongside leading industry figures such as Robin Wilson (Director Digital PR and Social Media, McCann Erickson) who can provide operational perspectives.

The programme will include evening dinners and receptions and will be based at the five star Radisson Edwardian Hotel in Manchester.

The Course will run from midday on Monday 12th July to early afternoon on Friday 16th July 2010. Costs will be significantly less than similar overseas programmes and are expected to be around £4,500 + VAT per person fully inclusive of all materials, five star accommodation, all dinners, hospitality, transfers between venues and follow up alumni contacts.
If this course is of interest to you or members of your management team we would be delighted to hear from you.

Kind regards
Howard Raynor
Managing Director
World Class Service Limited
0161 456 6007
Email: Howard

Deadline for reclaiming overpaid business rates looms

01/02/2010 14:22:50

Manchester-based Commercial Valuers and Surveyors can help hoteliers to reclaim an average of £81,343 from overpaid business rates over the last five years. Make sure you are not one of the many hoteliers who is unaware that their rates can be challenged. CVS believed that the hotels of Manchester could save a combined £7.2m if they successfully challenge the rates.

The deadline is on March 31 2010. It's worth making sure that you have been paying the correct amount.

Unloading and loading clarified.

26/01/2010 16:27:54

Roger Barberis of CityCo has confirmed the allowances for waiting outside hotels in Manchester. Manchester Parking allow 15 minutes at the entrances of all hotels throughout the City, to facilitate guests loading and unloading.

The Future Hotel – the original modern hotel school

16/12/2009 11:06:31

I am delighted to share the latest drawings for The Future Hotel with our Members.

These drawings [prepared by Stephenson Bell] are the proposals approved by the Manchester Hoteliers Association for the Northgate site of the city close to the development of the new Co-operative Headquarters building, which goes in to construction in 2010.

The drawings demonstrate the layout of this 80-bedroom hotel. The training aspects of the hotel influence every feature of the design, yet for the guest the facilities will be a seamless, modern, upscale hotel. The site takes in to account the historic nature of the location of Arkwright’s original mill which was destroyed in 1940 ands sits at the piazza side of the layout. The design includes a restaurant, destination bar, auditorium, a high number of smaller meeting rooms, large kitchen and preparation area and a full spa and pool facility. The final look of the building is not shown on these plans, if the proposal proceeds, there will further discussions required.

Members will be aware that an alternative solution is also being considered for the Princess and Whitworth Street site. We have no further information regarding this proposal beyond the Christie and Co survey carried out in late November.

I am also delighted to announce that we have the support of all the appropriate local and national organisations, and institutions for this very exciting project.

Stephen Miles

Chairman

For more information on the Manchester Hotel, visit www.worldclassservice.co.uk

Kate Threlfall

15/12/2009 15:58:55

If you are looking for live music for your hotel, World Class Service Ltd would recommend Kate Threlfall.

Kate is a singer, songwriter and pianist. Visit her myspace for a good idea of her music.

Email Kate for more information.

Jason Harding heading to Dubai

15/12/2009 14:23:44

The General Manager of the RoccoForte Lowry Hotel in Manchester is leaving his post to run The Palace in Dubai. His successor is yet to be named.

World Class Service Leadership Course

08/12/2009 11:51:10

World Class Service is opening its service leadership programme for a series of 2 day courses based at the Lowry Hotel in Manchester on Wednesday 17th and Thursday 18th Feb 2010

The first course, led by Howard Raynor, covers service leadership issues, market updates, key business issues of service, how to implement high service standards, motivation of teams, customer recovery and some of the secrets from the world’s most highly regarding service companies.

The course is now open for reservations.

Key benefits of this highly regarded programme include a clear method for looking at total service delivery, a clear method for improving service standards, how to add value through service behaviours, how to maximise sales through service, up to the second market news and how to recover the situation if things go amiss.

Programme is supported by hand out pack and online resource centre. Course size is limited to 15 delegates in total. Cost is £295.00 + VAT per person.

Click here for more information

Interested? Contact Howard Raynor on 0161 456 6007 or by email at howard@worldclassservice.co.uk

Please note this course is eligible for small business support from Business Link. Speak to Howard or Business Link for more information.

The Concierge Roadshow

07/12/2009 11:08:04

World Class Service and Manchester Concierge Network have teamed up to get 2010 started with a bang. Join us at City Inn on Friday 8th January for an all new event, The Concierge Roadshow.

This event is for anyone with a reception desk and customers. Expect fresh ideas, three great workshops, a whole new network to start the year and some fantastic inspiration for your team and customers. And that isn’t even the best news, the best news is attendance is free to your staff thanks to Co-operative Travel Services and our vendor desks who will be on hand to talk your team through their products and services. What else were you going to do on a Friday in January?”

Save the date in your diary, more details to follow.
To help us with numbers , and if you haven't already, can you please RSVP to Louise at World Class Service if you think you are any members of your front desk team would like to attend. Numbers are restricted to 4 from any one venue.

Hope you can make it.

MHA Ball 2009 Photographs

25/11/2009 14:42:26

The photographs from the MHA Ball are now online at flickr

Visit www.flickr.com/photos/worldclassservice to see the pictures.

Excellent Taxi Drivers

20/11/2009 10:37:40

Over 350 Manchester Taxi drivers have now passed Level 2 NVQ in Road Passenger Transport making them “Drivers of Excellence” in the Licensing team view.

How will you know you are in the company of an accomplished taxi driver? Easy they will have a small round pin, a special lanyard and even a smart tie. We are delighted to hear that some companies are now insisting that their drivers pass this qualification before they can join their company.

At the Taxi Drivers passing out celebration yesterday the pins were being worn within minutes of receiving them and the room was packed over 200 drivers collected their pins and ties personally. A round of applause for the city too for inviting these hard working ladies and gentlemen in to the Town Hall to enjoy their celebration.

The MHA Ball raises over £30k for charity.

04/11/2009 10:37:31

The MHA Ball is always a glitzy affair. Hoteliers know how to to party. It's not just about the city's hardworking hoteliers letting their hair down, however. The evening celebrates the best employees with the MHA awards and everyone digs deep to support charities. This year saw over £30,000 raised and the money will go to Hospitality Action and local charities Five Star Scanner Appeal and the Wood Street Mission.

Visit www.my-hospitality.com for more information.

The MHA Awards 2009 The Winners

30/10/2009 14:10:17

The MHA Awards 2009 took place at the MHA Ball at the Ramada Piccadilly Hotel on October 29th 2009. Congratulations to all the winners and shortlisted finalists. You can watch the video below and find out who won.

The List

28/10/2009 15:52:01

Russ Green of City Inn and the Manchester Concierge Network introduces "The List",

"The MCN is proud to introduce "The List" which is devoted to keeping you in the know about the Best of the Best that Manchester has to offer. The idea behind it is that there's a lot of noise out there when it comes to our city. The problem is that most of the noise about the best places tends to only happen once the pounds are paid to advertise. We plan to be your best friend, the friend who knows everyone and everywhere. We have a wealth of knowledge and decided that we are going to share it with our friends; You."

The first edition is now available below

The List - Restaurants

The MHA Awards 2009

06/10/2009 12:40:55

The Manchester Hoteliers Association is a voice of the hotel industry within Greater Manchester and is represented by more than 40 members who are responsible for generating £250 Million of revenue into the city, the members employ almost 5000 people and provide 6000 bedrooms along with 50,000 square meters of conference space. Members include all grades of hotels who develop and support both leisure and commercial markets into the region.

Each year the Manchester Hoteliers Association celebrates its people through a high profile charity Ball and for the last two years through the MHA Awards programme. There are just 4 awards each year celebrating the brightest new star, the employee of the year (front of house), the employee of the year (back of house) and a lifetime achiever. The Awards will be presented with a high profile fanfare during the dinner by the Vice Principal of The Manchester College, Mr Jack Carney.

These prestigious awards are presented following citations from the fifty members of the hoteliers association. Face to face interviews were conducted with nominees against a clear criteria developed by World Class Service and The Manchester College reflecting the service needs of a world class city.

This year 38 great people working in hotels in Manchester were nominated, including people who have worked in hospitality for less than one year through to one nominee who has worked for 41 years in the same hotel; true dedication. From those nominations, 17 were shortlisted. They will all be present and welcomed on to the stage at the Ball. The two judges are independent and selecting the 2009 winners was a challenge. All the shortlisted nominees deserve our applause but in the end only four people will receive the specially commissioned Villeroy and Boch plates.

Over 400 people will be gathered at the Ball on Thursday 29th October at the newly refurbished Ramada Jarvis Piccadilly Hotel on Portland Street. The legendary Piccadilly Hotel with its famous bar overlooking the Gardens is a fitting venue for this great occasion. Last year the Ball raised £20,000 for charities taking the total over the past 5 years to over £62,000. Beneficiaries of the funds raised this year will be Hospitality Action and local charities Five Star Scanner Appeal and the Wood Street Mission.

Train to Gain

29/09/2009 14:51:38

The Manchester College is a Train to Gain supplier. Train to Gain has been designed specifically to meet employers' training needs. Through this scheme employees may be able to access FREE training to help them gain a nationally recognised qualification. In addition to improving performance at work, a Train to Gain qualification might also enable employees to take on increased responsibilities.

Courses are available in a range of subject areas including office based skills, IT, customer service, hospitality, health and social care, retail and sales, and construction.

For further information on this scheme please contact a member of the Business Support Team on 0161 920 4466 or email bst@themanchestercollege.ac.uk

Free courses for those at risk of redundancy

29/09/2009 14:47:41

The Manchester College is launching a new programme designed to help people affected by the risk of redundancy due to the economic downturn. This programme is completely free to any employee that has received notification of the risk of redundancy from their employer.

Delegates can attend three one day short courses chosen from a menu of IT and

office skills. They also get the opportunity to attend an additional half-day employability skills session, which will cover CV writing and practice job searching online. 'Closed' courses can also be arranged specifically for employers that have a number of staff that would like to attend.

Courses available include Excel, Word, Powerpoint, presentation skills and professional customer service skills.

For further details please contact the Business Support Team on 0161 920 4466 or bst@themanchestercollege.ac.uk

The Manchester Hotel - Statement of Purpose

22/09/2009 11:12:54

Overview
To design, build and operate a training hotel located in central Manchester. The project is employer led and is based on consultation with more than 48 local employers. The Manchester Hotel will be unique in the UK, similar models exist internationally but there is no UK example. The principle is straight forward; create a fully functioning high end hotel which is adapted at the design stage to accommodate learning requirements. The proposed hotel will feature eighty bedrooms in three categories of fit out to enable guests to stay, a destination bar for bar skills, two restaurants and kitchens which are large enough to accommodate skills development, a spa facility, a lecture theatre, meeting rooms and terrace.

The hotel, run by a charitable trust, will employ around 33 full time professional staff and around 200 apprentices each year. The hotel will also provide second year development for learners who wish to specialise, a small number of foundation degrees for hotel management and an extensive programme of short courses for professional development.

This will be the original modern hotel school; it will define a category of skills development in an exemplary building. Original in its conception and modern in its design, facilities and the quality of skills gained. The Manchester Hotel will be squarely aimed at entry into the strategic group of leading hotel schools of the world.

To view the full Statement of Purpose, please visit www.worldclassservice.co.uk

MFDF Skills Awards Sponsorship 2009

17/09/2009 15:39:33

Visit Manchester will once again support the festival with MFDF Skills Awards:

•Manchester Bartender *NEW for 2009
•Manchester Young Chef
•Manchester Young Waiter

All three awards provide an opportunity to reward skilled and talented individuals who are passionate about their work. They also raise the profile of employers in Manchester’s hospitality and tourism industry who are committed to investing in the skills of the industry’s future champions. Entries can be submitted on behalf of service industry professionals by line managers.

Three competitions will take place throughout the festival:
•Young Water Final - Tuesday 6th October at Trafford College
•Young Chef Final - Wednesday 7th October at Manchester College
•Bartender Final - Friday 9th October at City Inn

The Manchester Food & Drink festival runs from 1st -12th October 2009 when the winners will be invited to collect their awards at the Manchester Food & Drink Festival gala dinner.

The closing dates are:-

Manchester Bartender 2009 - **Friday 25th September 09 **
Manchester Young Chef 2009 - **Friday 25th September 09 **
Manchester Young Waiter 2009 - **Friday 18th September 09**

Crowne Plaza Head Concierge vacancy

11/09/2009 10:36:26

Crowne Plaza are looking for a Head Concierge who will apply the same amount of care and passion to their job as they do their hobbies - people who put their guests at the heart of everything they do - if this is you then they would like to hear from you

The Head Concierge is responsible for the overall operation and management of the Concierge department, delivering the highest customer service by enforcing impeccable service standards and delivery.

Essential Skills, Knowledge and Competencies Required

You will be responsible for the training and development of your team ensuring all guest needs are met in line with company standards along with being responsible for managing and motivating your team. You will be required to ensure that all staff within your department are adequately trained and developed in line with company policy. You will also be responsible for the Recruitment and Selection of your team and for managing any Employee Relations issues with the support of the Human Resources Department. You will actively guide and direct the whole team to ensure consistency of brand standards and a high level of performance and service delivery around Crowne Plaza's key core values of People, Product, Profit and Progress.

In return, there's a "generous financial and benefits package" including hotel discounts worldwide, access to a wide variety of discount schemes and the chance to work with a great team of people and in what Crowne Plaza call "Manchester's hottest hotel!".

Manchester Central - Sales Executive Vacancy

19/08/2009 10:57:08

Manchester Central are currently recruiting for a Sales Executive position. For more details follow the below link

Manchester Central Sales Executive Vacancy

Manchester Hotels look to raise more for charity in 2009

29/07/2009 10:58:36

Over 500 Manchester hoteliers and key suppliers are expected to attend the 6th Annual Ball organised by the Manchester Hoteliers Association (MHA) to raise funds for 3 worthy charities, Hospitality Action and local charities Five Star Scanner Appeal and the Wood Street Mission.

The MHA Ball has become the event to attend over the past 5 years and 2009 will be no exception. This year’s event will be held on Thursday October 29th at Ramada Jarvis Piccadilly Hotel. Over the past 5 years the Manchester Hotel Industry and key suppliers have raised a cumulative amount of £62,677.00. In 2008 the amount raised was £20,000.00 and despite the economic downturn and challenging business environment the aim is to beat that target this year. To add to the anticipation and excitement of the evening the crème of Manchester's hotel talent will be recognised and celebrated with four awards presented in conjunction with World Class Service & Manchester College. Awards are Employees of the Year for Front and Back of House, Newcomer of the Year and Lifetime Achievement.

In order to maintain the success of this event the MHA have forged strong relationships with local suppliers and industries from theming the event each year, supplying food and beverages and printing menus but are always looking keen to work with as many as possible to ensure the event is a memorable one.

For more information on the MHA Ball 2009 including details of sponsors and remaining sponsorship packages available please contact: Stephen Beech General Manager Ramada Manchester Piccadilly gm.manchesterpiccadilly@ramadajarvis.co.uk

Suppliers list for the MHA Ball

Manchester Made it Easy

24/07/2009 13:03:02

Manchester Made It Easy is a group of Lifestyle organisations from across Manchester pulling together to make the city an easier place to share information, to find out about and to make bookings for. You can keep up to date by following the blog, twitter account and/or facebook profile.

manchestermadeiteasy.blogspot.com
twitter.com/mcrmadeiteasy
facebook.com/Manchester-Madeiteasy

BHA Code of Practice Service Charges

24/07/2009 12:58:50

The British Hospitality Association have published a voluntary code of practice on service charges and are urging hotel restaurants to disclose to customers exactly how they deal with discretionary service charge and non-cash tips.

For more information visit www.bha.org.uk

Manchester International Festival Briefing Sheets

10/07/2009 11:21:55

The Festival is in full swing with Elbow and the Halle bringing the house down again last night. The Festival have supplied the following briefing sheets.

July 11th briefing sheet
July 12th briefing sheet
July 13th briefing sheet
July 14th briefing sheet

Manchester Concierge Network Twitter

02/07/2009 13:39:12

The Manchester Concierge Network is now on Twitter. The goal is to keep people informed of what's going on around the city and to enable visitors to Manchester to ask a concierge a question before they arrive.
Follow them at twitter.com/mymanchester

NHA Award winners

31/03/2009 10:47:15

The Lowry's Jason Harding was named as the Best General Manager from a strong field including Mike Magrane of the Midland and Stephen Miles of the Radisson Edwardian.

Visit the NHA website for the full list of winners.
www.nothernhospitalityawards.co.uk

Mancunian Way closed this weekend

27/03/2009 16:15:55

The Mancunian Way is closed this Saturday and Sunday between 6am and 7pm (28th and 29th March).

Postive Impact

24/03/2009 11:29:07

Postive Impact are delivering a Sustainability Workshop Series which begins in Manchester this Wednesday. Visit World Class Service for more details.

Manchester Hotel GMs dominate award nominations

13/03/2009 11:32:05

Best General Manager

- Brian Van-Oosten, The Devonshire Arms Country House Hotel & Spa, North Yorkshire
- Simone Annette, Gusto, Didsbury
- Jason Harding, The Lowry Hotel, Salford
- Michael Magrane, The Midland Hotel, Manchester
- Stephen Miles, Radisson Edwardian Hotel, Manchester

For more information, visit the Crains website.

Sustainability the key to recession survival?

10/03/2009 11:46:38

71% of hoteliers think money invested in sustainable hotels is well placed in a difficult market. DLA Piper surveyed 261 European hotel executives. Four in ten hotel executives anticipate that more than five chains will go into administration in the next year.

"However, for well-capitalised investors there are opportunities in the current market - eight out of ten respondents recognise the 'good' buying opportunities, with the economy/budget hotel sector representing the most attractive investment opportunity. The majority of respondents – 71 percent – also regard investment in sustainable hotel development as a long-term trend."

It's worth noting Belu, then. The most eco-friendly bottled water brand in the UK. They use carbon-neutral bottled water, made from compostable corn, promote PVC-free ottle caps and commit all their profits to clean water projects.

www.dlapiper.com
www.belu.org

British Tourism Review

09/01/2009 16:12:10

The National Tourism Summit too place in Liverpool yesterday. The Prime Minister was in attendance, along with Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Adny Burnham. Transcripts of their speeched are available online here

The British Tourism Review Executive Summary is now available for download

Conservative Party Conference 5th-8th October 2009.

08/01/2009 16:57:33

The Conservative Party Conference 2009 will take place in Manchester between 5th and 8th October.

Organisers of the conference in Manchester will be looking for hotels rooms in the city, with residencies usually beginning up to a week before the conference begins.

Visit Britain calls for service improvements.

08/01/2009 14:04:04

The Chairman of Visit Britain, Christopher Rodrigues has made a call to arms for service professionals in the UK.

Mr Rodrigues, claiming 50,000 jobs could be lost in the UK tourism sector this year, said: "We've had a period in which people could get away with not being of the highest quality.

"We're now in an environment where you have to do quality. Poor value for money and poor service costs jobs and will cost more jobs in a recession.

"Threadbare towels, a previously owned bar of soap and a grumpy person who says 'we don't do breakfast before 8am and we don't do it after 8.12am' - you don't get a lot of happy customers."

Mr Rodrigues was speaking on the Today programme on BBC Radio 4. You can read more and listen to the programme again on the BBC website.

www.bbc.co.uk

Visit Britain calls for service improvements.

08/01/2009 13:20:32

The Chairman of Visit Britain, Christopher Rodrigues has made a call to arms for service professionals in the UK.

Mr Rodrigues, claiming 50,000 jobs could be lost in the UK tourism sector this year, said: "We've had a period in which people could get away with not being of the highest quality.

"We're now in an environment where you have to do quality. Poor value for money and poor service costs jobs and will cost more jobs in a recession.

"Threadbare towels, a previously owned bar of soap and a grumpy person who says 'we don't do breakfast before 8am and we don't do it after 8.12am' - you don't get a lot of happy customers."

Mr Rodrigues was speaking on the Today programme on BBC Radio 4. You can read more and listen to the programme again on the BBC website.

www.bbc.co.uk

TIF Bid no go.

12/12/2008 12:24:00

The TIF bid referundum votes are in and all 10 areas have decided against the £2.8b of investment in the transport system around the city. Part of the bid was a congestion charge during the rush hour.

The festive period in Manchester

27/11/2008 15:07:01

There are lots of events and activities in Manchester over the festive period, from a Snow Slide and Ice Rink in the City Centre to the Christmas Markets. Don't forget to keep an eye on the Manchester Concierge Network for the latest event news and what's on information.

Where to get a taxi you can trust

19/11/2008 15:47:13

Manchester City Council are currently working on a campaign to highlight the safe use of taxis and private hire vehicles in Manchester. As a result of this, they have designed a smal credit card sized leaflet (see pdf document).

It provides information on where the city centre ranks are, how to contact the Licensing Unit, telephone numbers for private hire and radio companies, and tips provided by Greater Manchester Police on a safe night out in Manchester.

World Class People

24/10/2008 16:39:03

The winners of the MHA Awards, awarded at the glittering MHA Ball are;

Employee of the Year Winner

Jac Davies – Meeting & Events Manager Thistle Hotel Manchester

Jac joined thistle Hotels in 2005 and his infectious enthusiasm for his work, ability to build a motivated and dedicated team, excellent communication and problem solving skills are just some of the attributes which make Jac a deserving winner of this award.

Rookie of the Year Winner

Jacqueline Adul – Food & Beverage Associate Marriott Manchester Victoria & Albert Hotel

Jacqueline began in her current role in May 2008 and from the outset her passion for providing good service along with her professional manner have set her apart as a real inspiration and valuable asset to her hotel.

Lifetime Achiever Winner

Margarida Baynes – Executive Housekeeper Hilton Manchester Deansgate

Margarida has worked within housekeeping in Manchester for 22 years. Her positive attitude, attention to detail, fantastic communication and management skills and consistent commitment to her job and team make her a real example of world class service delivery in Manchester.

For a full list of the nominees, visit www.worldclassservice.co.uk

Here is the video created by The Manchester College for the MHA awards

NWTB Awards

23/10/2008 14:35:41

Congratulations to all the winners of this year's North West Tourist Board Awards.

The winners list in full: • Outstanding Contribution to Tourism Award - John Dunning, Westmorland Ltd, Cumbria
• Visitor Impact Award – Liverpool 08
• Large Hotel of the Year - Marriott Worsley Park Hotel, Manchester
• Small Hotel of the Year – White House Manor, Cheshire
• Bed and Breakfast of the Year – Augill Castle, Cumbria
• Self-Catering Holiday of the Year - The Beach House, Blackpool
• Holiday Park of the Year – Park Cliffe Camping and Caravan Park, Cumbria
• Large Attraction of the Year - Manchester Art Gallery
• Small Attraction of the Year – The Quaker Tapestry Exhibition, Cumbria
• Tourism Website of the Year – Manchester Museum of Science and Industry www.mosi.org.uk
• Excellence in Business Tourism – The Rheged Centre, Cumbria
• Taste of England’s Northwest – Roses Tea Room, Merseyside
• Excellence in Customer Service – Gary Henshall - Sandcastle Waterpark, Blackpool
• Visitor Experience of the Year – Manchester International Festival
• Tourist Information Centre of the Year – Congleton TIC, Cheshire
• Excellence in Sustainable Tourism – Palace Hotel, Manchester
• Tourism for All Award - The Beacon Museum, Cumbria
• Public Space Award – Cleveleys New Wave, Lancashire
• Travel Journalist of the Year – Kevin Sampson

Manchester Concierge Network

20/10/2008 14:44:06

Visitors to Manchester will now be able to access unrivalled knowledge of the city thanks to a partnership between World Class Service Ltd and the Manchester Concierge Network (MCN). The MCN is a network of the top hotel concierges in the Manchester. Sharing their knowledge via the MCN website they work to provide the best possible service to visitors to the city.

With new hotels such as City Inn and MacDonald springing up in the city centre, their influence is growing and their knowledge is second to none.

World Class Service Ltd have teamed up with the Manchester Concierge Network to share the concierges’ knowledge with businesses across the city.

Russ Green, chairman of the Manchester Concierge Network says, “With over 750,000 guests in our hotels and 1 million plus visitors to the city each year the concierge has a great influence in recommending the best on offer in our city. The Network enables us to foster the development of the concierges and promote tourism in Manchester. The concierges are one of the first and last impressions a visitor will have of our city, and we want to ensure they tell everyone that this is a World Class City.” Howard Raynor, Managing Director of World Class Service Ltd says, ““The concierge site is about providing an efficient, accurate service for customers in Manchester, by running a hub of information from the best informed folk in the city we can really help build the experience for people at a much lower cost than each property trying to develop its own system.”

Maiden Voyage

25/09/2008 10:49:15

Maiden Voyage is a new company who are working to promote comfortable and safe female business travel.

Maiden Voyage encourage female friendly hotels to advertise on their site and the ladies have high expectations with each property’s mininum requirements including a 24 hour manned reception, a well lit entrance and secure rooms with at least two independent locks.

It’s not all about security though and comfort is an important aspect of their requirements. Well-lit make-up mirrors and high quality toiletries will score highly among female travellors of Maiden Voyage. The website also includes travel tips and has a forum for sharing ideas and experiences.

Manchester Food and Drink Festival

12/09/2008 15:52:58

Festival dates: 3-13^th October
Location: Spinningfields

Listings include An Evening with Michel Roux, Weds 8^th October, An Evening with Jay Raynor, Sat 11^th October and a World Record Cocktail Making Attempt, Thurs 9^th October.

Full listings will be available from the MFDF website www.foodanddrinkfestival.com

The festival will culminate with the 2008 Citylife.co.uk Manchester Food and Drink Festival Gala Dinner and Awards. This will take place on Monday 13^th October at The Palace Hotel. For ticket information visit www.foodanddrinkfestival.com or call 0161 834 4312

THE MHA AWARDS

08/09/2008 10:38:12

The MHA are hosting an awards ceremony at the Ball this year with 3 awards;

Rookie of the year
Employee of the year
Lifetime Achievement

World Class Service are working with Manchester College to identify the winners of the prestigious awards. The nominations are now closed.

GREEN TOURISM BUSINESS SCHEME

02/07/2008 10:30:00

The subsidy for membership of the Green Tourism Business scheme is still available, MHA members will benefit from 50% off the fee. Hotels wishing to join the scheme should contact Vicoria Braddock.

6-A-SIDE FOOTBALL

02/07/2008 10:28:16

The six-a-side Football Tournament on 31st August is now fully subscribed with 24 teams. The draw will take place on 1st August when further details will also be issued. Invoices have been issued with payment due on 1st July.

MANCHESTER TOURISM AWARDS 2008

14/01/2008 10:25:52

On behalf of everybody in the Manchester Hotel Association congratulations to the following members who won an award last night at the Manchester Tourism Awards.

OUTSTANDING CUSTOMER SERVICE
Madge Butler Crowne Plaza Manchester Airport

TOURISM BAR OF THE YEAR
Cloud 23 Hilton Deansgate

SUSTAINABLE TOURISM AWARD
The Palace Hotel

LARGE HOTEL OF THE YEAR
Marriott Worsley Park Hotel & Country Park

For a full list of winners, please visit www.marketing-manchester.co.uk

WHAT'S HAPPENING ON WHITWORTH STREET?

14/01/2008 10:24:23

This multi use development which not only will house 180 apartments but also; 62,000 sq ft of office space, ground level retail premises, cafes, restaurants, an art gallery and a four star boutique hotel.
For more information on this story visit www.movingmanchester.com

HOTEL CHIEF: BRITISH STAFF ARE UNEMPLOYABLE COMPARED TO BRIGHT, SMILING AND HARDWORKING POLES

14/01/2008 10:20:13

The man who represents Britain's hotel industry has sparked controversy by labelling British workers "unemployable".
Bob Cotton, chief executive of the British Hospitality Association - representing 40,000 hotels, restaurants and caterers - said it was a "no brainer" whether employers in his industry hired a Pole or a Briton. For more information on this story, visit www.dailymail.co.uk

TAXI UPDATE

11/12/2007 10:18:32

Further to the discussions with taxi drivers regarding Manchester Standard, Howard Raynor met with the Taxi Owners and Drivers Association (TODA) on 20th November to explain the Standard. TODA were supportive of the plan to launch the standard through a drop in day at Mantax in January. Drivers who commit to the Standard will be notified to all hoteliers along with a contact number. Drivers will be checked and recognised for their achievement if they are complying with the Standard.

Diary Dates For 2008
MHA Meetings set for 2008 - Venues to be confirmed:

16 January / 13 February / 12 March / 16 April / 14 May / 11 June / 16 July / 13 August / 10 September / 15 October / 19 November / 17 December

THE MANCHESTER STANDARD IS AWARDED TO 6 MORE COMPANIES...

28/10/2007 10:16:30

Congratulations to The Lowry Hotel, Jury's Inn and Atrium by Bridge Street Worldwide for becoming the latest 3 hotels to be awarded the Manchester Standard on board Concorde this morning.

The Jury’s Inn staff at Concorde (photo by Gareth Lowe)
For more information on this story visit www.worldclassservice.co.uk

THE MHA BALL - A GREAT NIGHT HAD BY ALL

28/10/2007 10:15:21

Many thanks to Richard Morrell, his Palace team and the organising committee for an excellent evening. We raised an astonishing £17,500 for Hospitality Action.

A NIGHT AT THE THEATRE - THE MHA BALL

20/10/2007 10:10:28

The MHA ball will take place at the Palace Hotel in Manchester on Thursday 25th October. The theme is “A night at the Theatre” with a Black Tie dress code. Drinks from 7pm for a 7.45pm start. Carriages will be at 1am.”

MANCHESTER FOOD AND DRINK FESTIVAL WINNERS

16/10/2007 10:09:44

MHA members The Lowry hotel scooped two awards at last night's prestigious Manchester Food and Drink Festival Awards Ceremony at the Town Hall. The winners in full...

10TH MANCHESTER FOOD AND DRINK FESTIVAL

20/09/2007 10:09:02

The 2007 Manchester Food and Drink Festival will be the landmark 10th year of this nationally established event and the organisers are promising “a Festival that is bigger, better and more creative than ever before.” The festival runs from 5th to 15th October and you can find out about all the events at www.foodanddrinkfestival.com

MANCHESTER CABBIES DRIVING MANCHESTER TOURISM

15/09/2007 10:11:58

A group of taxi drivers from across Greater Manchester are ‘getting in’ on the drive to increase the number of return visitors to the city.

They met with Paul Simpson, the deputy chief executive of Marketing Manchester, Steven Miles, the chairman of the Manchester Hoteliers Association, Howard Raynor, the managing director of World Class Service and Gordon Reid, the chief executive of City Co, to find out about their role in the city’s thriving tourism industry.

They heard from the speakers about a range of topics, including information about the types of people that come to Manchester, where they are coming from, how they get here and most important of all, the benefits that tourists bring to the city.

The seminar, which took place at one of the city’s latest tourist attractions, the Manchester 235 casino, also gave them an opportunity to find out about ‘Mapping Out Manchester’, a course established by Marketing Manchester that gives taxi drivers the knowledge they need to sell-in the city’s tourism product to their passengers.

Paul Simpson, deputy chief executive of Marketing Manchester, said: “For many visitors to the city, the taxi ride from the airport or the rail station is their first impression of the city and its people.

“We’re lucky that, by their very nature, Mancunians are very warm and friendly people so customer service is something that we, as a city, do very well. And the fact that taxi drivers are interested in learning more about Manchester’s tourism product shows just how high a standard Mancunians expect of ourselves.

“The tourism industry brings billions of pounds to the North West economy every year so we need to make sure that tourists have a first class experience of the city and feel encouraged to come back.”

Taxi drivers that wanted to make their new found knowledge more official were encouraged to consider a qualification offered by City College.

The BTEC Level 2 Award course 'Transporting Passengers Through Taxi and Private Hire' covers everything from customer service and disability awareness to route planning and taxi regulation.

Anyone interested in taking-up the course should contact Gerard Slawson at City College on 0161 935 4065.