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Manchester’s hotels defy gloom with growth in hotel occupancy

06/02/2012 11:45:36

Hotel occupancy in Manchester city centre increased to an annual average of 75% in 2011 compared to 71% in 2010 according the latest data supplied to Visit Manchester.

Assisted by record high monthly occupancy in June and July and the previously reported highest weekend monthly occupancy recorded in October, the release of December's hotel occupancy data completes the picture for 2011 showing a strong year for Manchester's hotels sector despite a difficult trading environment.

The December data also reports an increase in the annual average occupancy for the sub-region of Greater Manchester, which is up to 74% from 69% in 2010.

Paul Simpson, managing director of Visit Manchester, said: "It's fantastic to see that the hotel sector in Manchester has picked up in 2011 - the last time Manchester had 75% average annual occupancy was in 2005 and that was followed by our best year since records began with 77% in 2006."

Thank you from The Christie

25/01/2012 15:14:14

Blue Training UK purchases Bower Hotel

12/01/2012 13:30:54

Blue Training UK has acquired the Bower Hotel in Chadderton, Greater Manchester, and will take over the day to day running of the hotel as well as launching a new catering and hospitality academy for young people in the area on the same site.

http://www.bighospitality.co.uk/Business/Hospitality-training-provider-buys-Manchester-hotel

Palace Hotel bought back by Principal Hayley

12/01/2012 13:25:45

The Palace Hotel in Manchester has been bought back by a previous owner as part of a £200m deal.

Lloyds Banking Group-backed Principal Hayley has re-acquired six hotels – including the Russell in London, George in Edinburgh and the Royal York – from Active Asset Investment Management, in which Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson and Simon Cowell are investors.

The MHA Awards 2011 - And the Winner is

28/10/2011 12:47:52

For the last four years the Manchester Hoteliers Association has celebrated its industry’s stars through the MHA Awards. These prestigious awards were presented to the winners at this year’s Ball on Friday 21st October, at The Palace Hotel, in front of 600 guests from Greater Manchester’s vibrant hotel and hospitality community. T

he winners were selected following citations from a record number of nominations from the MHA membership, the largest of its kind in Europe. This made for a tough job for World Class Service and The Manchester College, tasked with choosing the winners from such a strong field.

This year’s ceremony was particularly poignant as it saw the renaming of its most prestigious award in honour of Howard Raynor, who sadly passed away earlier this year. Howard’s wife Teresa and Chairman of the Manchester Hoteliers Association, Stephen Miles took to the stage to present the Howard Raynor Lifetime Achiever Award to Tony Blunn from Mercure Manchester Piccadilly Hotel.

The winners were:

Emerging Talent 2011; Laura Daniels, Studying VRQ2 in Professional Cookery at The Manchester College

New Star 2011; Clare Kelly, HR Administrator, The Lowry Hotel.

Employee of the Year (Front of House) 2011; Jack Appleton, Guest Services Manager, Mint Hotel

Employee of the Year (Back of House) 2011; Erica Stoodley, Senior Accounts Assistant, Macdonald Manchester Hotel & Spa

Howard Raynor Lifetime Achiever 2011; Tony Blunn, Maintenance Manager, Mercure Manchester Piccadilly Hotel

Manchester Hoteliers Association is a voice of the hotel industry within Greater Manchester and is represented by more than 40 members, employing 9,000 people and providing 10,000 bedrooms. Members include all grades of hotels and constitute the largest such association in Europe developing and supporting both leisure and commercial markets in the region.

For further information regarding the MHA Awards please contact Louise Hargreaves on: 0161 235 0894

The MHA Ball Raffle Great causes, brilliant prizes.

21/10/2011 15:17:16

The MHA Ball took place on October 21st and the raffle in aid of Hospitality Action and The Christie Hospital, coupled with the Ball as a whole have raised a significant amount for both charities. The amazing prizes included half a lamb from Frosts Butchers and Afternoon Tea for Two at the Midland hotel followed by concert tickets for the stunning Polar concert at the Royal Northern College of Music on Sunday October 23rd.

And the winners are:

£50.00 voucher to dine at Dilli restaurant, Altincham x 2 vouchers 1. Suzanne Birkett 2. Tony Crehan

The Gentry Grooming Company £20.00 gift voucher and goody bag x 2 prizes Laura Jane Farnworth

Sunday lunch for two at Aumbry Restaurant Tarik – The Linen Co

Case of wine, courtesy of Rodney Densem Wines Steve Barker - Search

Food hamper courtesy of Peter Papprill, Pendrills At Your Service Group - Katy

Half a lamb, courtesy of Frost’s Butchers Jan Flynn - CFG

Bouquet of flowers, courtesy of Verdure Florist Stephanie Newton – Mercure Hotels

Overnight stay and breakfast for two with dinner at Nunsmere Hall Hotel Lucy Ramsden – Mcr Conf Centre

A round of golf for 4 people at Carden Park Hotel Philip Roberts

Overnight stay and breakfast for two people with up to 15 days car parking at Crowne Plaza, Manchester Airport
Dawn Holding - HA

2 day passes with a half an hour treatment per person at Sienna Spa, Radisson Edwardian Hotel
Sara Mullins - Hallmark

Dinner for two with a bottle of house wine at City Café, Mint Hotel Penny – Fairfax Meadows

Meal for two with wine at Croma
Rob Legge – Ice Entertainment

Coffee machine courtesy of Illy Coffee Ryan Firth – The Palace Hotel

Mocha coffee pot courtesy of Illy Coffee Davina Freelove

Overnight stay with a bottle of champagne on arrival at the Craiglands Hotel Nikki Corcoran – MICC

Dinner for two with a bottle of Malmaison wine at the Smoak Bar and Grill, Malmaison, Manchester
Gaynor Black

Champagne afternoon tea for 2 courtesy of the Lowry Hotel
Sarah Booth – Salford City Stadium

Overnight stay and breakfast at Cranage Hall with dinner in the restaurant Berkeley Scott

Overnight stay and breakfast at Holiday Inn Chester South Alex Sherriff – Radisson Blu

4 tickets to the J D Parties Venetian Carnivale at Tatton Park, Knutsford Alyson Bakerel

Dinner for two with a bottle of house wine at Panacea, Alderley Edge Janette Graham

2 tickets for Camerata Salzburg at the Bridgewater Hall on February 14th 2012 Josef Dolowy – HI Mcr West

Meal for 4 people including a bottle of house wine at the Olive Press, Manchester Barbara Holmes

Meal for 4 people including a bottle of house wine at Gusto, Cheadle Hulme Matt Brierley

Meal for 2 people including a bottle of house wine at The Grill on New York Street, Manchester Geoff Spenser

Meal for 2 at the Alchemist, Manchester including cocktails Brendan Hennessey

Meal for 2 at Australasia, Manchester including a bottle of house
Paul Wadsworth – Ramada SQ

Pair of bathrobes, courtesy of Richard Haworth Sarah Illingworth

Family home portrait shoot, courtesy of Oaktree photography Julie Pickford – The Light

Magnum of Boizel Champagne courtesy of Gerrard Seel Wines Phil Burke

2 night stay with breakfast at Holiday Inn, Media City Murcott Ass - Michael

Meal for two with wine at Harvey Nichols Restaurant Neil Raw – Park Inn

Meal for two in Brasserie 101 with wine Chris Duncan - Illy

2 tickets with lunch at one of LCCC home matches in the 2012 season
Jennifer Borley (McDonald Hotel)

A Devere Golf Club membership Thomas Carter

Cocktails and dinner for two at 24 Karina @ Crowne Plaza Mcr Airport

One night’s accommodation and breakfast at Holiday Inn, Winchester Richard Pearson

2 tickets to the Polar concert and afternoon tea at the Midland Hotel courtesy of World Class Service
Annette – Tudor Group

Las Vegas package for two people at Manchester 235 Casino Jenny Dorton

Mixer Masterclass for two people at Manchester 235 Casino John Molby – M & J Seafoods

A £40.00 gift voucher from the Deckers Hospitality Group to dine at one of their nine venues in the north west
R Murcott – One Cost

An overnight stay in a luxury room and breakfast at the Quay Hotel, Deganwy James Kelly

Magnum of Champagne courtesy of Matthew Clark
Nicola Flaicy – Verve People

If you're one of the lucky winners and have not yet received your prize, please contact Elaine

The MHA Ball 2011

26/09/2011 11:23:44

Friday 21st October 2011
Palace Hotel,
Oxford Road, Manchester.

Drinks reception 7pm.
Carriages 2am.
Dress for the event is Black Tie.

To book your place at the Ball, complete this form and email it to Shelia Jones.

Further details will be issued shortly.

The MHA Awards - The Shortlist

21/09/2011 10:18:42

Congratulations to all the nominees and thank you to the record number of hotels who nominated their excellent staff. World Class Service ltd and The Manchester College have now compiled the shortlist for the awards.

The winner will be announced at the MHA Ball on October 21st.

New Star

Raymond Drake
The Midland Hotel

Raymond Drake is the most distinguished Concierge Doorman in the city. Raymond came out of retirement to pursue a career in hospitality in June and we are extremely glad he chose the path to The Midland. Raymond has been recently praised by a guest on Trip Advisor as a ‘star’. What ever the weather Raymond shines, he ensures every guest receives a heartfelt welcome and he coveys to them knowledge of Manchester that is second to none. Raymond is a credit to the hotel concierge team and has received a great amount of positive customer feedback in his short employment.

Clare Kelly
The Lowry Hotel

Clare Kelly is the HR Administrator within the Human Resources team at the five star Lowry Hotel. Clare joined The Lowry Hotel in February 2011 and has fast become an integral part of the hotel team and is responsible for supporting all team members and delivering a five star HR service to everyone. She is a great ambassador for the hotel and industry as a whole and certainly is our New Star within the business and will continue to grow both personally and professional within our business.

Martyn Strong
Cottons Hotel & Spa

Martyn Strong joined Cottons Hotel & Spa (Shire Hotels) in September last year after graduating from university. He was selected to join the Management Development Programme after a series of interviews. In addition to working in the restaurant and bars and gaining supervisory experience, he has also been selected for our two-year Food and Beverage Academy, which is run in conjunction with Kendal College. This ultimately enhances Martyn’s knowledge of food and wine and provides him with a further qualification. It is Martyn’s ambition to progress in the company and to one day manage his own hotel.

Employee of the Year - Front of House

Martin Greenwood
Radisson Edwardian Hotel Manchester

Since joining the Radisson Edwardian Free Trade Hall in January 2011 as In-Room Dining Team Leader, his enthusiasm and professionalism have become invaluable to us. Martin approaches every day with a positive and proactive demeanour and is a superb motivator of his team. He is always calm and cheerful ensuring high morale within the department. His weekly training sessions are to the highest standard and he has implemented a “Standard of The Week” to ensure our 5 star brand standards are constantly maintained.

Helen Vernon
Arora Hotel Manchester

Helen’s attributes of teamwork, commercial awareness and passion for customer service ensure that she continues to delight the customer. Her
dedication, care, attention and enthusiasm for the business her to positively influences her colleagues and drives her to progress her career further. Helen demonstrates a real commitment to all areas of the hotel business, which is evidence in her interaction with other teams and contributes to
increasing customer satisfaction and business revenue. An integral part of our business, we are delighted to have Helen on the team and hope she will remain with us for many years.

Jack Appleton
Mint Hotel

Jack joined Mint Hotel Manchester in September 2007 as a junior reservations agent. During this time with Mint Hotel he has moved around to various departments where he had the opportunity to build on his industry knowledge and experience. Jack’s current role is Guest Service Manager where he really excelled in customer care and guest experience. Jack also took on the role of social media liaison; he has set up twitter, facebook and foursquare page for the hotel and interacts with guest on a daily basis. We have seen an massive increase in our online traffic since launching the pages. Jack also introduce a new VIP scheme for the Front desk and Guest services department which will make our regular guest feel more at home and give our corporate guest more time to relax in our rooms.
Jack is a benefit to the hotel and organisation and the work he is doing with springboard will definitely give him the exposure he deserves.

Employee of the Year - Back of House

Erica Stoodley
Macdonald Manchester Hotel & Spa

Erica Stoodley joined the hotel in January 2009 as a Receptionist where she was quickly promoted to Reception Shift Leader in August 2009 which demonstrates how competent Erica was in her role. Erica was a born leader and led the reception team from the front through numerous challenging situations. In July 2010 Erica decided that accounts was where her passion was and successfully applied and was appointed as Senior Accounts Assistant. Erica has excelled in her current role and has taken on numerous projects that are outside of her normal working remit. She is a true high achiever.

Biju Ragaopal
The Portland by Thistle Hotel

Mr Biju Ragaopal, has worked for the company since 2007 and his commitment and service to the hotel have seen him promoted to his current position of Head Chef. He is married with a Son and has another baby due this September which he is so excited about. We are nominating Biju for the back of House Award for his dedication to the role and to his team, we feel that his enthusiasm should be rewarded and this would be such a fitting way for Manchester Hoteliers Association to recognise this exceptional member of the team.

Alan Davies
Crowne Plaza Manchester City Centre

Alan has a wealth of knowledge and experience that benefits the Crowne Plaza Manchester City Centre beyond his direct team and responsibilities. The passion and commitment he shows to his team is apparent and he is a well respected member of the team in the hotel by managers and hotel staff alike. The hotel is maintained to a very high standard and guests always comment on the freshness of the hotel and that it still feels brand new - this is a credit to Alan and his team and their attention to detail.

Howard Raynor Lifetime Achiever

George Hardman
Arora Hotel Manchester

George has worked at the Arora since 2005; he is a tremendous asset to the Front
Office and Conference departments for his positive customer and work attitude.
Always dependable and reliable he is never anything less than 100% pleasant and
cheerful meaning that any colleagues and guests who come in contact with him benefit from a genuinely friendly and warm interaction. An integral part of our business and an ambassador for Arora Hotels, we are both proud and delighted to have George on the team and hope that he will remain with us for many years to come.

Russel Green
The Lowry Hotel

Russel Green is the Head Concierge at the five star Lowry Hotel. Russel joined The Lowry Hotel in 2001 within pre – opening team as Deputy Head Concierge and returned as Head Concierge in 2010. Russel was awarded the prestigious Golden Keys in 2002 and has played an integral part in the promotion of the society not only in The Lowry Hotel but of other Golden Key member hotels outside of the London region. In recognition of his work he was appointed as Chairman of the Northern Region and he is committed to improving standards and to development of concierges outside the London region. Russel also was the lead member and co-ordinator for the Manchester Concierge Network which aimed to provide up to date information on places to visit; attractions and restaurants. He is fully committed to providing our guests with the best information he can on Manchester and the surrounds in order for them to get the best out of their stay in Manchester.

Tony Blunn
Ramada Manchester Piccadilly Hotel

Tony Blunn has been employed at the Ramada Manchester Piccadilly Hotel as Maintenance Manager since July 1997. Whilst his job title is Maintenance Manager it does not give justice to all that Tony does here at the hotel. He is a key member of the Guest Care Management Team, providing excellent service to our guests; he manages the Health & Safety of the whole hotel as well as the security management. Tony is a senior manager who is respected by all of the team. He successfully assisted in the management of the £18million refurbishment and continues to ensure the building is in the best possible condition for guests to visit and employees to work in. Tony is on call 24hours per day, 365 days per year, day or night to support and guide the team through maintenance and Health & Safety issues. The hotel would be lost without Tony Blunn and all that he does.

2020 Megatrends for the next decade

08/09/2011 09:25:10

Service 2020: Megatrends for the decade ahead is an Economist Intelligence Unit report, sponsored by BDO.

The research clearly highlights just how vital good customer service is and will continue to be in order to survive in today and tomorrow's world. Maintaining standards despite the "need for speed", outsourcing to customer service experts (like ourselves) and the use of technology are all covered in the report which is avaliable in the Resource area of the World Class Serice website.

The 2020 Megatrends in customer service are:

1. Global competition will drive up service standards

2. Companies must maintain service standards in the face of “the need for speed”

3. Firms must learn to use the increased transparency brought by social media to their advantage

4. Companies must use new sources and types of data to rethink the way they track and personalise their service

5. Good employees WILL remain fundamental to good service but with technology as an enabler

6. More firms will outsource aspects of customer service to new kinds of specialists

7. The rise of the mass affluent and other customer segments will force companies to find new product or service niches

8. Customer expectations, including the purpose of the store, are evolving with new technology

For read the full report, log into the World Class Service Resource Area

VAT windfall for hoteliers

05/09/2011 14:52:24

A ruling by the European Court regarding no-shows puts hoteliers in line for huge VAT rebates.

Before the decision, the UK tax authorities took the view that when a guest with a reservation fails to turn up or contact the hotel to cancel his or her booking, the guest still had a right to use the room. This, argued HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), meant that the room had been supplied and the money the hotel received should be subject to VAT as normal.

However, the European Court ruling states that such income should be treated in the same way as forfeited deposits.

For more information, visit The Caterer website

Sales and Business Development Manager

07/06/2011 10:20:09

Manchester Central is seeking a Sales and Business Development Manager to strengthen and expand its client base. You will be an experienced salesperson with a proven track record in winning business at a world class level.

Working with the sales, marketing, operations, catering and facilities teams, you will progress the Manchester Central brand as ‘best in class’ by ensuring the highest quality of work is consistently produced. You will be skilled at writing in-depth sales reports, monitoring sales metrics and implementing plans and strategies while simultaneously identifying and winning business in our key markets.

Your experience in the business tourism industry means you will be able to recognise business development opportunities and work with other members of the Manchester Central team to optimise them. A natural leader, you will be responsible for ensuring the sales team and the Manchester Central Hospitality sales team produce accurate sales records, maximise sales and continue to portray the venue as ‘best in class’.

So if you are dynamic, ambitious and work well under pressure why not consider joining Manchester Central’s award winning team?

£30k - £45k depending on experience / 25 days holiday plus bank holidays / contributory pension scheme / discounted car parking

For further information, please download the full job specification here.

To apply for this exciting opportunity, please send a CV and covering letter to:

Sophie McCartney, Manchester Central Convention Complex, Petersfield, Manchester, M2 3GX

Ref: Sales and Business Development Manager
Email: s.mccartney@manchestercentral.co.uk
Closing date for applications: 21 June 2011

Catering Sales Executive at Manchester Central

31/05/2011 10:50:55

Manchester Central are recruiting a Catering Sales Executive.
37.5 hours per week on a flexible basis as required by the business
Competitive Salary
25 days holiday plus bank holidays
Contributory Pension Scheme
Discounted Car Parking

Manchester Central Hospitality is the in-house catering division for the venue, supplying food and beverages to Manchester Central’s customer base. Delivering everything from banquets for 4,000 to finger buffets for 40, the hospitality team provides a high level of service to ensure Manchester Central is consistently considered by its customers as “best in class”.

Catering is one of the key components of a successful event and delivering an ever increasing number of high profile events is critical to the future of Manchester Central. This is where you come in! An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Catering Sales Executive, responsible for developing and attracting increased food and beverages sales at the Venue.

The successful candidate will be a proactive and tenacious sales professional, who delivers against deadlines and exceeds agreed targets. Reporting to the Sales Director, you will be an excellent communicator, demonstrate high levels of enthusiasm and a “can do” attitude. Experience of the hospitality or events industry would be an advantage.

To apply for this exciting opportunity, please send a CV and covering letter to:
Sophie McCartney, Manchester Central Convention Complex, Petersfield, Manchester, M2 3GX
Ref: Catering Sales Executive

Email: s.mccartney@manchestercentral.co.uk

Closing date for applications: 10 June 2011

Manchester Central is an equal opportunities employer.

MCFC Victory Parade Route

20/05/2011 15:24:29

The Victory Parade for Manchester City takes the route as demonstrated in this PDF on Monday 23rd May 2011.

2011 Hotelier of the Year Nominations

26/04/2011 14:32:15

The 2011 Hotelier of the Year award is now open for nominations.

Caterer and Hotelkeeper’s Hotelier of the Year award celebrates the UK’s most exceptional hotelkeepers. Winning Hotelier of the Year represents the pinnacle of a career in hotel keeping. Now in its 28th year, the award is given to an individual displaying the management, leadership and communications skills required to manage a hotel at the highest levels of excellence, along with a commitment to employees and the industry at large.

Successful hoteliers are a rare breed. Not only are they multi-talented, but they also take on each and every task with enthusiasm and inspirational zeal, no matter how taxing the challenge. That's why previous winners of the Hotelier of the Year award are elite operators, able to turn their hand to any aspect of a hotel's smooth operation. They are men and women at the pinnacle of their profession, capable of managing the smooth and successful running of a hotel with a smile for guests and support for staff.

The 2011 Hotelier of the Year is likely to display many of the following skills and qualities:

Personal attributes
• Total commitment and dedication to the Hospitality Industry.
• Demonstrates fair and decisive leadership skills.
• Excellent communicator.
• Well respected in the Industry.
• Exemplary business track record.
• Innovative and creative.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Manages by example.

Hotelkeeping skills
• Runs well-maintained hotel that consistently surpasses its competitors.
• Consistency of delivery: ensures all guest stays exceed expectations.
• A personal touch with guests.
• Offers value for money.
• Develops and introduces new services to enhance customer experience.

Commitment to employees
• Focuses on developing employees’ careers and maximising potential.
• Willing to impart knowledge to employees.
• Organises staff surveys and acts on them.
• Empathic and approachable.

Commitment to industry
• Supports government initiatives to promote hospitality as career of choice and
raise standards of training.
• Engages with local community to promote industry.
• Supports hospitality organisations and events both personally and with his/her
hotel/business resources.

Social responsibility
• Contributes personally, and with hotel resources, to help charitable initiatives;
involves staff in charitable/community events.
• Has well communicated and effective environment policy

Do you know of a hotelier that embodies many of the above qualities?

Then nominate here

World Class Service are recruiting

21/04/2011 15:27:34

World Class Service Ltd are recruiting a new Project Manager. The deadline for applications is April 27th 2011. For more information and a job description visit www.worldclassservice.co.uk

Modern History launches

21/04/2011 15:20:29

Modern History promotes the industrial heritage attractions in Manchester and the North West

Key venues in the Manchester area include MOSI, People’s History Museum, Salford Museum & Art Gallery, Portland Basin Museum, Hat Works, East Lancashire Railway and Bolton Museum.

LAUNCH OF DISCOVERY PASS AND TOP TRUMPS
A Modern History Discovery Pass has been developed to encourage repeat / multiple museum visits and disperse visitors around the venues. The current marketing leaflet has been extended to include the Discovery Pass which has been distributed to tourist information centres, museums and attractions and some hotels throughout the North West.

Copies of the pass can be downloaded here.

Visitors are prompted to collect a DP from a venue or download from the website and to have the Pass stamped on every visit. By showing the Pass, the customer is entitled to money saving offers at venues including discounts on entrance fees and in cafés and gift shops. After receiving 3 stamps the customer sends in their Pass to claim their free gift.

The free gift is a pack of Top Trumps ‘Modern History Greats’, which are all the key people and inventions from the North West. The playing cards provide a fun way for children to engage with history and give more ideas for days out.

The cards have been developed in collaboration with the venues, so each card links directly to a museum or attraction in the North West.

MEDIA CAMPAIGN
The scheme is being promoted through a significant media campaign delivered by Mediacom North. Advertising focuses around pre-holiday planning and during school holidays. Activity includes radio advertising and a ‘schools out’ promotion with Real Radio, outdoor on Metrolink trams and 6 sheets in key regional stations including Manchester, Leeds, Chester and Preston, print inserts in the Daily Mail and online on Kids Confidential, Facebook, Mumsnet and Yahoo. Start date 1 April.

The advertising message focuses around the questions children ask about every day life and how these questions are answered in museums and attractions around the North West; highlighting how the region was instrumental in shaping our modern world.

WEBSITE
A landing page has been developed for www.modernhistory.co.uk to create consistent messaging across all channels and the customer can see the connection between the advertising and the website.

The Discovery Pass can be downloaded from the website and the special offer details are also included.

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP
If you can display copies of our leaflets and you do not have supplies please let us know. Please contact Susan Weeks or call 0161 237 1010.

Please ensure your welcome team are aware of the scheme so they can promote this to visitors who are looking for ideas on things to do in the city and Greater Manchester.

Thank you for your support.

If you need any further information please contact Lisa Houghton on 0161 237 1010

New Managing Director at World Class Service

31/03/2011 17:32:29

World Class Service is delighted to announce that Andrew Glester will be their new Managing Director. Andrew started the company with Howard Raynor in January 2006 and has been part of the team driving it forward ever since.

“We’ve come a long way in those 5 years and I’m delighted to be able to continue to develop the outstanding work we’ve been involved in.

At the very core of World Class Service, we help organisations to raise the standard of their customer service. We do that because we’re passionate about service excellence. More importantly, we know that good customer service makes the difference for customers and informs their purchases. Ultimately, if you delight your customers, you increase your revenue. We could sit and talk all day about the altruistic benefits of good customer service but we’d rather help you to deliver world class service because we know it makes a difference in the bottom right hand corner of the balance sheet.

I’d like to thank the community of businesses that we work with across the UK and Ireland including Bruntwood, Dublin National Concert Hall, Manchester City Football Club, National Museums of Science and Industry, Birmingham Hippodrome, Manchester Hoteliers Association, Manchester Airport Group, HQ Theatre Group and Milton Keynes Theatre. We are proud of them all for their commitment and hard work in delivering high standards of service to their customers.

For our CSR programme, we do something a little bit different. We live in the real world and it’s a fascinating and very beautiful one. We believe it’s worth protecting and celebrating. See www.polarconcert.com”

To get in touch with World Class Service and to find out how we can help you, call 0161 235 0894 or email Andrew Glester

Tourism Plan Launched

09/03/2011 14:46:14

"An action plan to help the British tourism industry achieve its potential as part of Britain’s growth strategy has been unveiled by Tourism Minister John Penrose.

The strategy aims to exploit the opportunities of next year’s Olympics and Diamond Jubilee to help attract an extra four million overseas visitors over the next four years, bringing in an extra £2 billion of spending and creating thousands of jobs.

Proposals include simplifying the process of getting tourist visas, helping to improve staff skills in the tourism sector and consulting on whether to lengthen the tourism season by moving the May Day bank holiday."

Howard Raynor

23/02/2011 11:07:45

It is with great sadness that we must announce that Howard Raynor passed away on the morning of February 16th 2011. Howard had been battling cancer.

In 1998 Howard moved to Manchester as CEO of the Bridgewater Hall. His passion for Manchester always shone through as he lit up the lives of anyone he met and countless others who attended concerts and events during his time at the Hall.

Leaving the Hall in 2005 to set up his own business, World Class Service, Howard’s passions burned ever brighter as his company inspired venues across the British Isles to deliver outstanding customer service.

Howard never left the cultural world and, promoting the BBC’s The Blue Planet Live! tours in 2006 and 2008, he and the team at WCS went onto produce Polar, a celebration of life at the ends of the earth through film and classical music. In January 2011, Howard could be seen beaming away in the audience at the World Premiere in Liverpool.

Just 7 days before his untimely death, Howard was inspiring the management of Manchester Airport at the Lowry Hotel.

Howard will always be fondly remembered as a wonderful man, colleague, inspiration, mentor and friend.

If you would like to send condolences, please email Andrew Glester or Louise Hargreaves at World Class Service and who will ensure that the family receive all your messages.

Manchester Core Strategy Consultation.

10/02/2011 15:54:39

The Core Strategy is the key document in Manchester's Local Development Framework and covers a period of 15 years from 2012 to 2027. It describes Manchester today and outlines the council's vision for Manchester in 2027 along with the planning policies which will be used to deliver that vision.

You can view and comment on it here

Government to review Star System

25/01/2011 11:45:27

In a statement, the DCMS said: “The government will shortly be publishing its tourism strategy. As part of this a number of issues are being looked at including the star ratings system for hotels.”

The fate of the star rating system is expected to be left to the hotel industry in the hands of the newly-restructured VisitEngland, who may decide to modernise, shrink or disband the system altogether.

The North West Final of FutureChef 2011

20/01/2011 14:13:02

Click here to download the information regarding Future Chef 2011 from Springboard.

If you wish to attend and support the event please contact Eileen Allen

FutureChef forms part of Springboard’s high-profile national schools programme and is a four-staged nationwide culinary programme helping young people aged 12-16 to learn to cook.

It inspires them to explore food and cooking as a life skill, helps develop their culinary talent and informs them about entry routes into the hospitality industry.

The programme encourages the next generation of young chefs and of course crowns one talented student as the FutureChef winner! Supported by key industry partners and judged by some of the country’s top chefs, last year’s competition attracted 7,862 entrants from a record 694 schools throughout the UK.

Now in the eleventh year, the FutureChef programme has given more than 40,000 students a taste of the culinary world, helped develop their skills and given them access to quality work experience through the programme’s mentor chefs and industry links. FutureChef also provides expert advice on the career options and entry routes available within this dynamic industry.

HOLIDAY INN MANCHESTER WEST JOINS £650 MILLION RELAUNCH

21/12/2010 15:26:24

Elaine Grahame, general manager of the Holiday Inn Manchester West, is finalising plans to launch her rebranded hotel early in the new year as part of the biggest relaunch in the hospitality industry, with a £650 million investment across more than 3,200 Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express hotels worldwide.

Finishing touches are being completed this month to the Holiday Inn Manchester West, which will have a new look and feel with new features including an upgraded lobby with a decluttered front desk, pillow menu offering 5 choices, a new shower experience and new lighting and signage.

Also in the new year the Hotel team are launching their Okra Restaurant’s new menu, created by Avinash Kumar Mishra, and which draws inspiration from his experience at five star hotels in India for the restaurant’s European and pan Asian influenced cuisine.

The Holiday Inn Manchester West offers 82 guest rooms, the Okra Restaurant and lounge bar, 24-hour room service and day lit conference space for up to 60 people theatre style.

Elaine Grahame general manager, Holiday Inn Manchester West, said: “At Holiday Inn we’re keeping our heritage of creating a comfortable and relaxed environment for our guests through our informal service culture. Together with our new more contemporary look, we’re confident our guests will be suitably impressed.”

For more details please contact Elaine Grahame at the HOLIDAY INN MANCHESTER - WEST, Liverpool Street, Manchester, M5 4LT or call 0161 743 0080.

The Holiday Inn relaunch means guests can expect a consistently good experience at all Holiday Inn hotels. The relaunch delivers what matters most “Great Hotels. Guests Love” – a contemporary hotel with friendly service offering a great night’s sleep.

Creating a friendly informal service culture to help guests relax and be themselves is a major part of the Holiday Inn relaunch. A new training programme to cultivate this service culture has been rolled out to all staff at relaunched Holiday Inn hotels including Holiday Inn Manchester West.

Kate Threlfall

09/12/2010 17:03:25

Kate Threlfall is a highly recommended soulful young singer songwriter who incorporates a love of Jazz, Soul and many things in between in her honest and warm songs at the piano. See the suppliers section of th Manchester Hoteliers Association website for information on how to book Kate for your events.

Kate has a brand new website which you can see here and hear some of her music. www.katethrelfall.com

Edge Hotel School latest

02/12/2010 16:49:59

Our friends at the Edge Hotel School are making good progress at Wivenhoe House. Here’s the latest news and links:

"We are delighted to be able to let you know the exciting news that planning permission has now been granted for the Edge Hotel School at Wivenhoe House, Essex. It is hoped that work can start on refurbishing the Grade 2* listed Wivenhoe House as well as removing the current extension wing and replacing it with a 24 bedroom garden wing and brasserie in the spring of 2011. A CGI animation of how the new hotel will look can be viewed at: YouTube

We also launched the Edge Hotel School concept to the hospitality industry with a reception at The Ritz in late October and were delighted with the expressions of interest and support from industry figures and organisations. Photos of the event can be seen here.

There is also a holding website for the Edge Hotel School which can be seen at www.edgehotelschool.ac.uk - do have a look if you have a moment.

We are delighted with the progress being made on this project in partnership with the University of Essex and their academic partner, Colchester Institute, and will continue to update you.

We very much hope to be able to hold a meeting of the Wivenhoe Group sometime next year to find out where everyone is on their own projects.

If you have any questions about the Edge Hotel School, please contact James Samuels or Peter Jones.

City Inn becomes Mint Hotel

29/11/2010 15:09:48

City Inn has a new name. Mint Hotel. Mint Hotel have said, "the new name reflects the quality and the modernity of what we do; our modern buildings, service culture, ethos and more clearly reflects our position as a leading, innovative and stylish City Centre hotel brand. With our hotel near the Tower of London opening on 20th December and our Amsterdam hotel opening in Spring 2011, it seemed a natural moment to make changes that would better reflect our values and aspirations for an exciting future. Crucially the new name gives our Brand the opportunity to grow and flourish."

New Holiday Inn in MediaCity

26/11/2010 12:32:24

Today the CEO of InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), Andy Cosslett, returned to his home town of Manchester to open the new Holiday Inn Manchester MediaCityUK.
Pictured: Peter de la Perrelle, Director of Peel Leisure, Andy Cosslett, CEO of IHG and John Whittaker, Chairman of The Peel Group

The 218 bedroom hotel, owned and operated by Peel Leisure, is in the heart of MediaCityUK in Salford Quays. The hotel has good transport links. It’s a twenty minute drive from Manchester Airport.

The new waterside tram station and link road with the M602 also make it easy to reach. The hotel has a gym and three meeting rooms which can accommodate up to 40 people. Guests can choose to dine in The Green Room Restaurant which serves British food, or the Hub Bar for a light meal. MediaCityUK, a £650million Peel Media development, is a vibrant waterside community for workers, residents, students and visitors.

The first phase of the development is 36 acres (roughly the size of 18 football pitches) and includes office space, a state-of-the art studio building, shops, restaurants, apartments, a five-acre public piazza, and the Holiday Inn.

From 2011, the BBC is relocating more than 2,300 staff to MediaCityUK. BBC Breakfast, Radio 5 Live, Children’s Sport, Learning, and Future Media and Technology will move from London to MediaCityUK in addition to all the BBC’s existing Manchester operations.

Andy Cosslett, IHG’s CEO, said: “I grew up in Manchester. I’ve lived, studied and worked here. In more recent years I’ve watched from afar and it’s great to see how the area has been transformed. We’re looking for 3,000 talented people to work in our UK hotels over the next two to three years and the new Holiday Inn Manchester MediaCityUK will contribute to that number by creating around 70 local jobs, stimulating growth in and around Salford Quays.”

Peter de la Perrelle, director, Peel Leisure said: “It’s great to have the Holiday Inn Manchester MediaCityUK officially opened by Andy Cosslett. The hotel is at the heart of this unique and exciting development, presenting us with an opportunity to provide first class service to the guests who will be visiting and working in MediaCityUK.”

Holiday Inn at Manchester MediaCityUK joins four existing Holiday Inn and three Holiday Inn Express hotels in Manchester. There is another Holiday Inn Express in the pipeline at MEN Arena in the city centre. Holiday Inn is undergoing the biggest relaunch in the hospitality industry with a £650 million investment across more than 3,300 hotels and 430,000 rooms worldwide.

The relaunch means that guests can expect a consistently good experience at all our hotels. The relaunch is 97% complete in the UK with just 10 hotels still to relaunch.

And the winner is...

08/11/2010 15:40:30

Each year the Manchester Hoteliers Association celebrates its people through a high profile charity Ball and for the last three years through the MHA Awards programme.

This year there were 5 awards, Emerging Talent, New Star, Employee of the Year (Front of House), Employee of the Year (Back of House) and Lifetime Achiever.

2010 saw the addition of the Emerging Talent award. This award, chosen by The Manchester College, recognises and celebrates our service stars of the future, about to embark on a career in the hospitality industry.

These prestigious awards were presented to the winners at this years Ball on Friday 29th October at the Ramada Manchester Piccadilly Hotel, in front of almost 500 guests from Manchester’s hotel and hospitality community.

The winners were selected following citations from the fifty members of the hoteliers association and followed by face to face interviews with each nominee against a clear criteria developed by World Class Service and The Manchester College reflecting the service needs of a world class city.

The two independent judges, Howard Raynor, Managing Director of World Class Service and Clare Wharton from The Manchester College selected the winners from the exceptional 36 nominees from around the city.

All the nominees deserve applause but in the end only four people received the specially commissioned Villeroy and Boch plates.

The winners were:

Emerging talent 2010.

Danielle Heron, Currently studying VRQ 2 in Professional Cookery at The Manchester College

New Star 2010.

Chris Little, Guest Service Co-ordinator, Radisson Edwardian Hotel Manchester.

Employee of the Year (Front of House) 2010.

Elisabete Hughes, Restaurant Hostess, The Midland Hotel.

Employee of the Year (Back of House) 2010.

Keeley Bury, Meeting and Events Sales Agent, Park Inn Manchester.

Lifetime Achiever 2010.

Gary Roberts, Head Concierge, Radisson Edwardian Hotel Manchester

The Awards were presented with a high profile fanfare during the dinner by the Senior Vice Principal of The Manchester College, Mr Jack Carney and Chief Executive of Marketing Manchester, Mr Andrew Stokes.

World Class Service Ltd and the Manchester Hoteliers Association would like to thank The Christmas Decorators for their sponsorship of the awards, Villeroy & Boch for the winners plates and Perrier Jouet for the champagne for the finalists.

Hotel Future Hospitality. The Next Generation.

25/10/2010 11:33:15

We are heartened to learn that the Prime Minister has recognised the importance of the Hospitality Industry to our country. The Manchester Hoteliers Association has taken the lead in creating a national legacy around attracting and retaining talent to our industry, so our vision is to design, build and operate an academy located in central Manchester.

The project is employer led and is based on consultation with more than 2000 employers locally and regionally supporting the concept.

Hotel Future 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 ninety 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 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 hospitality academy; 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. Hotel Future will be squarely aimed at entry into the strategic group of leading hotel academies of the world.

David Cameron MP, August 2010

Wider Context

Improving Britain’s international competitiveness as a destination is particularly important, According to the United Nations Tourism Organisation, the UK has recently fallen from 5^th to 6^th most popular tourism destination in the world (after USA, France, Spain, Italy and China). There is considerable concern and reputational risk that it will fall further down the rankings if steps are not taken to improve the country’s competitive position as a destination in the global market place.

1.6 million people work in the UK hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism sector. People 1^st, the Sector Skills Council for Hospitality, in their “State of the Nation Survey” 2009 revealed that 51% of the 1,300 hospitality employers questioned were planning to cut training as a result of the recession and 34% still offer no training at all to their employees. The majority of the work force is young, 58% are female, 65% are under 40 years old, 35% under the age of 25. It is in this context that Hotel Future is being developed; as a flagship for higher standards and as a practical answer to a long standing issue.

The opportunities for young people coming in to the sector are immense. According to the Worldwide Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC 2008) there will be an estimated 300 million jobs worldwide by 2018 in the industry. It is anticipated that within the UK alone 1,067,000 more people will be required in the tourism sector by 2017 to replace existing people leaving and to fill anticipated new jobs.

As the regional centre for the North West, Manchester is able to help address this issue and employers within the city are rising to the challenge. A full business plan, architectural drawings, PR support and preferred location are all in place.

David Cameron, August 2010

Vision Statement

To develop the next generation of hospitality professionals through real service experience in a world class hotel.

Aims

• To attract and retain talented individuals in the hospitality sector.
• To provide inspiration to young people and for the professionals working in hospitality.
• To establish a national skills landmark for hospitality.
• To build the partnership between employers and the City Council.
• To use practical learning as the vehicle for personal development

Key Features of Hotel Future

• Operated as a hotel, providing all the services and features that a modern 5 star hotel offers.
• Commercially viable but not for profit legal structure
• Learners work on shift and through class room.
• The main programme is supported by professional development short courses for employers to send staff. The short course programmes will be custom developed for the hospitality sector.
• The employers will provide internships
• The hotel will also present master classes for the hospitality sector
• The hotel will actively support a low environmental impact and actively support the use and understanding of locally sourced food and drink.

Total employment in the sector now stands at 1.9m, accounting for one in 15 UK workers. In teh 12 months to March 2010, 23 percent of sector businesses reduced their workforce. Despite the recession, the sector is projected to grow to 2.4m by 2017.

Employment Opportunities after Training

The success of the hotel will hinge upon the final destination of the learners. The commitment from regional hoteliers and national offices is to support and provide internships and to send staff to the hotel. However the Manchester Hotel will be nationally minded and a regional resource.

The employment opportunities for learners exiting from The Hotel Future include:

• Four and Five-star Hotels
• Restaurants
• Spa and Luxury Resort Management
• Hotel Management
• International Airlines
• Cruise Lines
• Event Management
• Golf Management
• Food and Beverage Management
• Promotion and Sports Management
• Theme parks
• As entrepreneurs business start ups

Rural Development Programme for England

18/10/2010 13:28:03

Visit Manchester is working alongside the NWDA to deliver a grant assistance programme with funding received through the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE).

The main aim of the project is to raise the quality of visitor accommodation within Greater Manchester. The limits for the grants have been set at a minimum of £20,000 and a maximum of £50,000.

The grant will make up 40% of the total cost of the project and the business needs to provide match funding for the project of 60%. An application will be considered for 50% funding but these will be the exception.

For more information, please visit www.worldclassservice.co.uk

North West Tourist Awards 2010

30/09/2010 11:43:40

Congratulations to the Radisson Edwardian Hotel, Manchester on being named as Best Large Hotel. The full list of winners is as follows:

* Bed & Breakfast Number 43, Arnside, Cumbria
* Holiday Park Woodclose Park, Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria
* Self Catering The Old Shippon at Mellor, Lancashire
* Taste of England’s Northwest The Cottage in the Wood, Keswick, Cumbria
* Tourism for All Chill Factore, Trafford, Manchester
* Tourist Information Centre Morecambe Visitor Information Centre, Lancashire
* Tourism Experience Cumbrian Heavy Horses, Millom, Cumbria
* Small Visitor Attraction Chester Heritage Tours, Chester, Cheshire
* Large Visitor Attraction Manchester Art Gallery, Manchester
* Excellence in Customer Service Sandcastle Waterpark Team, Blackpool, Lancashire
* Sustainable Tourism Award Clough Bottom Farm Cottages, Clitheroe, Lancashire
* Public Space Award Dream, St Helens, Liverpool City Region
* Tourism Event Manchester International Festival, Manchester
* Business Tourism Manchester Central Convention Complex, Manchester
* Small Hotel Overwater Hall, near Keswick, Cumbria
* Large Hotel The Radisson Edwardian Hotel, Manchester

Felicity Goodey, Chair of Tourism England’s Northwest, said:

“It just gets better and better. Each year we celebrate some of the best of our many outstanding businesses which, together, have established the Northwest as one of the most popular visitor destinations in the country. We are used to them going on to win national awards and I have every confidence that last night’s winners will be the ones to beat at the next National finals. The region owes them a big ‘thankyou’. Its their vision backed up by hard work, training and investment which have built tourism into one of this region’s most important industries.”

Nick Brooks-Sykes, Director of Tourism at the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) added:

“Tonight’s event has been very special and all our winners should be very proud of their achievements. Tourism in England’s Northwest is marked by a quality and passion that will continue in the future, making the region a destination of choice.
“Congratulations also to Felicity Goodey, who was presented with the Outstanding Contribution to Tourism Award. Felicity’s dedication and leadership has transformed the region’s visitor economy into a multi-billion pound industry, marked by world-class destinations that continue to draw in thousands of visitors every year.”

Dining with a difference

17/09/2010 15:36:43

Thursday 23rd September 2010, 6.45pm
Midland Hotel, Manchester
Cost - Free of charge

Sit down for dinner with four of the country's leading disability and mental health specialists who will discuss and illustrate the practical and realistic steps that can be taken by both businesses and individuals to make a real difference.

Would you and/or your organisation like to be a known, high profiled practitioner in supporting those with disabilities or mental health issues? If so, then Greater Manchester Employer Coalition would like you to attend an intensive leadership session on the agenda, over dinner.

Hosted by The Co-operative and the New Economy, Greater Manchester Employer Coalition have drawn up a guest list for this dinner of corporate leaders who are perfectly positioned to make a real difference on this agenda. The aim is to enlist you to take an active role in addressing the barriers faced by those with a disability or mental health condition within your own organisations and to help make an impact on these issues across the city region.

"The cost of mental ill health to business is as much as £9 billion in salary with a further unknown cost in terms of lost time and productivity." Shaw Trust: Mental Health The Last Workplace Taboo research 2006

This dinner is an opportunity to network and to feel informed and inspired to work to ensure disability and mental health don't continue to be barriers preventing talent join our workforces.

RSVP to Greater Manchester Employer Coalition

Summer 2011

09/09/2010 10:11:34

You may be aware that World Class Service have been working with a number of hoteliers to develop some business for Summer 2011. We have concluded the early concept work and now need to establish whether there is sufficient support for this innovative summer campaign in 2011 or whether 2010 established and acceptable level which requires no further investment.

The proposed approach targets families and couples in a unique city Treasure Hunt format. The customers get to see, taste, try, learn and experience Manchester alongside enjoying attractions and retail activities. The customer is in control of the experience and can choose how much or how little they want to play, it is based on a two night stay and is built upon your BAR Leisure tariff.

The Hunt will only be available through participating hotels and the plan is to target £60k of additional promotion for the six weeks running from the end of the Manchester International Festival.

The next phase in development runs until December and requires the following work to be carried out:

• Management time to develop product to a high standard
• Web site development
• PR support engagement
• On line presence activity
• Meetings with Ticketmaster
• Meetings with a TV partner for support development
• Information flow and liaison with Club members
• Meetings to trigger wider engagement – retail, food and drink, cultural institutions and theatre through Made it Easy network
• Development of Summer City Guide – topology style
• Meetings to establish Prize Fund/Goodie bags

This work carries a cost which is best shared across the hoteliers who want the product developed. We think that it’s around £10k of work. The development phase from January to Summer 2010 is probably a £20k investment which can split amongst the participating hotels. We would be trying get matched funding for the MHA investment from other interested parties like retail.

So the question is whether you would like to participate. Why give away thousands of pounds in commission when you can improve your revenue and margin by working together. If you are the decision maker on summer promotion activity and want to participate in this new campaign then please join the meeting at The Midland Hotel on 16th September at 9.30am and RSVP to Howard or Louise at World Class Service.

Alternatively if Summer 2010 was a great benchmark year for you, relax and enjoy the sunshine.

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.