At this uncertain time Manchester hotels are very much open for business. Employees within the industry are are trained to operate safely and hygienically and are following every health and safety procedure to ensure that the highest possible hygiene standards are maintained.

The MHA would collectively like to thank you for your continued support of Manchester and its hotel industry.

Final year hospitality students from Manchester Metropolitan University, have been welcomed onto the 2019 hotel mentorship scheme. The programme provides the students with an invaluable insight into the running of Manchester’s most influential hotels, in a bid to help plug the skills gap in the sector.

The partnership between Manchester Hoteliers’ Association (MHA) and Manchester Metropolitan University, is now in its third year and the programme has proved to be highly successful.

Thirteen general managers, from some of Manchester’s most high-profile hotels, have been paired up with final year hospitality students to share their extensive knowledge of the industry. The students were introduced to their mentor at the recent launch event held on October 22 at Manchester Metropolitan University.

The scheme will see talented final year BA (Hons) Hospitality Business Management students shadow General Managers and gain a unique insight into the hospitality and hotel industry.

Diane Connelly, the programme leader for Hospitality and Business Management at Manchester Metropolitan University said: “The mentor scheme is a great asset to our final year students who have been accepted onto the programme.

“We have a whole host of amazing hotels in the city and the general managers of these fantastic institutions, will provide students with support, guidance and information, that may encourage them to pursue a career in the industry.

“By giving students the chance to shadow a general manager, it will help them develop and recognise the skills and knowledge required to successfully manage a hotel. As a final year, students’ will be able to translate what they learn in classroom into the practical world of work.”

Adrian Ellis, MHA Chairman and Chris Mitchell, Principal Lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University, are also behind the initiative which they say has been designed to attract students to careers in the hotel industry – but more importantly to retain talent.

Adrian Ellis, who is also the general manager of the Lowry Hotel, said: “This is the third year of our hugely successful programme and we have no doubt that the partnerships formed with the general managers, will provide inspiration and guidance for this year’s students in the final year of their hospitality course.”

“I have found in recent years, that after their final year, many students will end up leaving the industry which is a great shame.”

“The reason I believe the programme is crucial, is to inspire the younger students coming through their final year to stay in the industry and to see the wealth of opportunities it has to offer.”

“Last year two students on the scheme, Daniel Kristof and Rebecca McHugh, were accepted on Graduate Schemes with the Dalata Hotel Group and Red Carnation Hotels and we hope more students will follow in their footsteps this year.”

The past two years of the scheme have helped guide students to pursue a career in the hotel industry.

Final year hospitality student Nik Kirian has been paired with general manager, Annie Brown, of the Macdonald Hotel in Piccadilly.

He said, “Manchester is a city which is rapidly growing, and the hospitality industry is flourishing.

“The fact that there are over sixty to seventy hotels now, made it clear to me that this was the perfect fit and a great city to study in.”

When asked about his future hotel ambitions he said, “I hope that I will eventually progress my career within the hotel sector and one day perhaps become a hotel general manager too, as this is where my passion lies.”

Mentors and mentees

Jane O’Mahony and Winny Da Costa (Princess Street Hotel)

Mario Osvenjak and Tyler Elsom (Hotel Gotham)

Annie Brown and Nik Kirian (Macdonald Manchester Hotel and Spa)

Richard Pearson and Michelle Kupaza (AC Hotel by Marriott Manchester Salford Quays)

Mathieu Batut and Marios Michael (Hotel Novotel Manchester)

Kumar Mishra and Maimouna Seck (‘The Edwardian Manchester’ A Raddisson Collection Hotel)

Matthew Brierley and Katie Flynn (Whitworth Locke Manchester)

Michael Sheldon and Holly Mayo (Clayton Hotel Manchester Airport)

Assumpta McDonald and Elliot Rose (Staybridge Suites, Manchester- Oxford Road)

Adam Reckert and Chloe Rust (Hilton Deansgate)

Claire Moule and Anastasia Barnes (Renaissance Manchester City Centre Hotel)

Matt Townley and Alexandros Petrof (Dakota Deluxe Manchester)

Adrian Ellis and Alexandros Mallidis (The Lowry Hotel Manchester)

The winners of the 16^th Annual MHA Ball and Awards have been revealed

The winners of this year’s Manchester Hoteliers’ Association Awards and Ball were announced during a ceremony which was attended by more than 600 people.

Nine prestigious awards, including Outstanding Contribution to Hospitality, have been given out as the region celebrated the incredible talent in the hospitality sector. Gary Jenkins, of Holiday Inn Manchester City Centre, landed the Outstanding Contribution to Hospitality accolade, sponsored by Dam Good Pensions, while the Mentor of the Year Award sponsored by Businesswise Solutions went to Paul Beckley of The Principal Hotel.

The Clayton Hotel’s Ann Pates received the Unsung Hero award and the Mercure’s Jose Martin Pedera was awarded Rising Star.

Manchester Hoteliers’ Association (MHA) Chair Adrian Ellis praised all who attended the 1920s themed ball and congratulated award winners and those shortlisted

He said: “The theme of this year’s event was the roaring twenties and we believe it was another roaring success and celebration of the vast array of talent working in this region’s hospitality industry”

“It was great to see so many people together and to recognise and reward those individuals who have worked so hard over the last year”

“Inevitably, competition for awards was fierce but I’d like to congratulate all winners and nominees”

“I’d also like to thank everybody who attended for their fantastic support throughout the evening – raising funds for our four charities, Mustard Tree, Manchester Mind, Wood Street Mission and Hospitality Action”

“The event would not have been possible without our various sponsors and partners, so I’d also like to express my gratitude to all those involved”

“The MHA Ball really is the biggest night in the hospitality industry in the north of England, and we are already looking forward to next year.”

Category sponsors for the 2019 Ball included Manchester Metropolitan University, Street Cars, Syft, Business Wise Solutions, Expedia, Marshall, Vision Events, The Caterer and Dam Good Pensions.

Event partners were Polkadot, Giraffe Event Solutions, Vision Events, Matthew Clark, Noone & Son, Brakes, Town & Country, Ritter Courivaud, Bread Factory, Wenlock and Illy Coffee.

Manchester Hoteliers’ Association 16^th Annual Ball and Awards Winners 2019

Back of House Customer Service sponsored by Syft

Monique Glean, The Principal Hotel

Bright idea Award sponsored by Vision Events

Lisa Howard and Wellbeing Team, Novotel Manchester Centre

Front of House Customer Service sponsored by Street Cars

Gary Roberts, Edwardian Blu Radisson

Mentor of the Year Award sponsored by Businesswise Solutions

Paul Beckley, The Principal Hotel

Outstanding Contribution to Hospitality sponsored by Dam Good Pension

Gary Jenkins, Holiday Inn Manchester City Centre

Rising Star Award sponsored by Manchester Metropolitan University 

Jose Martin Pedera, Manchester Mercure Piccadilly Hotel

Team of the year Award sponsored by Expedia

Human Resources Team, DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Piccadilly

Unsung Hero Award sponsored by Marshall

Ann Pates, Clayton Hotel Manchester

Young Chef of the Year sponsored by Caterer.com

Tom Matin, The Principal Hotel

The hotel body for Manchester has paid tribute to a re-purposed tour bus once used by Sam Smith, David Guetta and Mumford & Sons. 

Through its various recruitment drives, Manchester Hoteliers’ Association (MHA) has linked with the Embassy Bus, a homeless shelter for up to 14 people and stationed in Salford.

So far MHA has recruited a two people, who live or have lived in the Embassy Bus, into both full and part time roles in the hospitality sector across the region. This includes the Chancellors hotel, Manchester- owned by the University of Manchester, which has successfully recruited one individual and the Hilton hotel in Deansgate.

Former youth worker, Sid Williams, bought the bus and now dedicates his time to running it and providing temporary accommodation and support into permanent homes and full time employment.

It offers over 4000 nights’ sleep for the homeless over the course of one year and acts as a lifeline for those in the city that need rest, support and a route back into a community. 

MHA member Fiona Lockyer, speaking during a visit to the Embassy Bus, said: “When Sid Williams came to MHA and introduced us to Embassy Bus, it completely resonated with me because homelessness can be a turn of the card, where somebody has either made a wrong choice or just got unlucky. Sid and the way he has transformed the bus through his Embassy charity is doing something very practical and very tangible to help these individuals.”

“Through MHA’s partnership with Embassy, we find people who perhaps haven’t considered hospitality, but have got a lot to give. One of our core objectives is to help the membership find good people and we can find them through avenues that are less than typical; I call it social responsibility recruitment.

“There is a good fit because you’ve got good people who have been dealt a bad card and you’ve got employers who have opportunities and need to recruit.

“So far, we have had a 100% success rate and have never been let down, because the people being recruited understand the importance of work. They have come in and embraced the workplace, and they leave us with a set of skills, a newfound confidence and a bit of credibility.”

The diversification of recruitment to plug the skills gap in the hospitality industry is one of MHA’s most critical four strategic initiatives. The others include conferences and economic impact, sustainability and environmental support.

Sid Williams, founder of Embassy, said: “Working with MHA creates the sort of scenario where everybody wins. The chaps win because they’ve got a real meaningful way out of poverty and the hotels hopefully benefit once they’ve learned to work, because they’ve got reliable and loyal staff.

“It’s not just any job, it’s an opportunity and when I see them, they are more confident because they are no longer just an end receiver of aid, they’re guys that are giving back, working and inputting into the community again.

“I suppose it’s an obvious correlation, we do beds and hoteliers’ do beds. I’m hoping it’s the beginning of a really positive relationship with the MHA.”

More than 150 people from Manchester’s thriving hospitality scene took part in a football tournament to raise funds for charity.

The 2019 Manchester Hoteliers’ Association (MHA) 5-a-side competition was held yesterday at the Power League site in Ardwick, with money raised going to Hospitality Action.

Hotel Football staff were victorious, defeating employees from DoubleTree Hilton Manchester in a gripping final.

Sixteen teams took part in the annual tournament, which has become a key fundraising fixture in MHA’s calendar of activities.

Organiser Matt Brierley, General Manager of Whitworth Locke in Manchester city centre, said the competition was played in a competitive but excellent community spirit.

“The tournament couldn’t have gone better,” said Matt. “All the teams put in some brilliant performances and the whole day was a credit to not just Manchester’s hospitality offer, but the people who work in our industry.

“For more than 150 people to give up their Sunday to raise funds for a brilliant charity like Hospitality Action is a fantastic effort.”

Hospitality Action has supported people who work or have worked within hospitality in the UK and find themselves in crisis, for 180 years.

Dawn Holding, Hospitality Regional Co-ordinator, North, said: “I’d like to thank Matt and Rachael Fitton for organising this event over the past few months, as well as all the players for giving up their time to compete in a wonderful tournament.

“It’s events like this that contribute significantly to the work we do. We’re really looking forward to finding out how much was raised and want to congratulate all the teams for their efforts.”

MHA is a non-profit organisation of the key hotels within the city centre and the Greater Manchester area. It is chaired and managed by the hotel General Managers and the MHA is dedicated to promoting and developing the hospitality and tourism industry in Manchester.

That’s according to Adrian, Chairman of Manchester Hoteliers Association, after Manchester hosted more world cup matches than any other host city or town

The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup contributed to hotels across Manchester being almost full throughout June.

Chairman of Manchester Hoteliers’ Association (MHA) Adrian Ellis said concerts and short-term visitors to the city also helped hotel occupancy rates rocket to 90% last month.

Emirates Old Trafford hosted Cricket World Cup matches including India versus Pakistan, England versus Afghanistan, Australia against South Africa and the semi final between New Zealand and India.

Adrian said hotels have benefitted from the influx of visitors, as has the rest of the city.

He said: “Old Trafford hosted more Cricket World Cup matches than any other host city or town and hotels across the city saw occupancy rates rise to 90% during June.

“We’ve certainly witnessed a world cup fever here in the city, which of course had the perfect ending when England won the tournament in the most dramatic of circumstances.”

He added: “What’s been great though is the vast array of visitors from around the globe who travelled to Manchester to support their country in cricket’s elite international tournament.

“With a variety of concerts also held, as well as good transient demand, June has been one of the best months on record for city centre hotels.”

Adrian also said he is optimistic about future boosts to Manchester’s hospitality economy in the months ahead, with the return of the football season in August and the hosting of The Conservative Party Conference at Manchester Central from Sunday, September 29 to Wednesday, October 2.

“With Manchester City and Manchester United beginning a new season next month, as well as huge music concerts and The Conservative Party Conference all coming soon, hoteliers and those working in hospitality are confident that this will bring in further strong business across the city.”

Over a hundred people from the region’s hospitality industry will take part in a charity 5-a-Side football tournament this weekend.

The ‘Manchester Football Event’ in association with Manchester Hoteliers Association (MHA) will raise funds for Hospitality Action, which has supported people who work, or have worked within hospitality in the UK and find themselves in crisis, for 180 years.

It takes place this Sunday, August 18 at the Power League site in Ardwick, Manchester.

Adrian Ellis, Chairman of MHA, said: “We are all very excited for the return of the MHA Football tournament, which will see hoteliers and those working in hospitality from across the city, compete for the title.

“The tournament will provide those working in the hospitality sector with a fantastic opportunity to boost team morale, whilst raising money for a great cause.

“So far, 14 hotels from across the city have signed up to compete, including from The Lowry, the Raddisson Blu, The Dakota, and The Renaissance, just to name a few.

“We are urging more hotels and MHA affiliates to get involved, in order to maximise the proceeds that will go to Hospitality Action.”

Previous MHA football fundraisers have taken place at locations including Manchester City’s state-of-the-art training facility, which saw thousands of pounds raised for the charity.

All of the funds raised this year will go to Hospitality Action, which supports people who have retired from the hospitality industry who may be isolated, those suffering from life altering illnesses, experiencing poverty, bereavement and domestic violence.

Over the course of their final year, 14 Manchester Metropolitan students were given the opportunity to work alongside some of the city’s most experienced hoteliers. Two of these students were subsequently accepted on Graduate Schemes with MHA members.

Launched in September 2018, the innovative Mentor Scheme formed between the Manchester Hotelier’s Association (MHA) and Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) paired 14 undergraduate students with 14 general managers of some of the city’s largest hotels during their final year.

This mentorship programme led by Adrian Ellis, Chairman of the MHA, and Diane Connelly, Programme Leader at MMU, aims to inspire young individuals to pursue a career within the hospitality sector. Working directly alongside the general managers, students learn from some of the region’s most experienced hoteliers.

By linking the students with each of the participating general managers, the partnership has now helped over 20 graduates develop into talented hospitality operators. Newfound success was achieved as two graduates, Daniel Kristoff and Rebecca McHugh, were accepted on Graduate Schemes with the Dalata Hotel Group and Red Carnation Hotels respectively.

Looking back on his final year Daniel said: “The mentorship scheme has been an extremely insightful experience, working closely with Michael Sheldon, General Manager of The Clayton Manchester Airport. I have been able to gain a further understanding of hospitality theory in action.

“The one-to-one aspect of the scheme is something which stood out to me and enabled me to understand the basic functions and operational aspects which go into running a vibrant, busy Airport hotel.

“Michael has without a doubt, gone above and beyond to assist me as an aspiring hospitality manager and also gave me the option to retain our professional relationship after the mentorship scheme ends. I am incredibly excited to be starting my graduate position in September.”

Rebecca was equally keen to highlight the importance of her experiences gained through the programme.

She said: “My mentor was Adrian Ellis, General Manager of The Lowry Hotel. I had an amazing experience as I was able to witness first-hand the day-to-day running of the hotel.

“During this time, Adrian also asked if he could help me and my studies in any way, and thanks to his guidance and support, I now have a Graduate scheme in London to look forward to. I have learnt a great deal and will always be grateful to him.”

In only its second year of existence, the initiative gained the support of the general managers from the following hotels: The Lowry Hotel, Marriott Hotels, The Clayton Hotel, The Crowne Plaza, The Dakota Hotel, The Doubletree by Hilton Hotel, Hotel Gotham, Hotel Novotel, Indigo, Malmaison Manchester, The Princess Street Hotel, Radisson Blu Edwardian and Renaissance Manchester City Centre.

This partnership is a key part of the Manchester Hoteliers’ Association’s determination to plug the skills gap in Manchester’s hospitality sector and continue to contribute to the development of the city’s vibrant hotel industry.

A 61-year-old man who had “lost all hope” after being unemployed for two years has landed a job at one of Manchester’s top hotels.

With help from Mustard Tree, Ged has secured a full-time paid position at The Park Inn by Radisson, following a two-week work experience placement.

Mustard Tree tackles both the causes and consequences of poverty and homelessness, by helping people in need to find work, improve their skills and secure their accommodation.

The Park Inn by Radisson Manchester city centre is in partnership with Mustard Tree to provide work experience opportunities.

Salford resident Ged, a former roofer and care assistant, said landing a full-time job as a kitchen porter has changed his life for the good.

He said: “I lost all hope after leaving my previous role two years ago as I didn’t think I would get another job. But Mustard Tree built up my confidence so much. They really inspired me and helped me realise I still have talents – something to give.

“When they told me I could do a work placement, it was my chance to show what I can do, what I could offer. During my work experience at Park Inn, I demonstrated what I could do and seemed to get on with everybody.I am so grateful to the Park Inn Hotel for providing me with this opportunity.”

Ludwig Duweke, General Manager at The Park Inn by Radisson said: “Our aim last year was to look at how we could make a difference to the lives of people in Manchester that would benefit from our help and support, partnering with Mustard Tree was a perfect fit for us.

“It is incredible how this initiative has had such a positive impact on Ged’s life. We are delighted that he is part of our team and we look forward to further strengthening our partnership with Mustard Tree in the future.”

Ged added: “I was just about surviving to be honest. But thanks to Mustard Tree and The Park Inn, I gradually started to feel better about myself and quickly grew in confidence.I’m really enjoying my role at The Park Inn because it’s a really nice place to work and great to have that sense of security and boost in self-esteem.”

Adrian Ellis, Chair of Manchester Hoteliers’ Association comments: “Recruitment is absolutely fundamental in the hospitality industry, as we are constantly looking for ways to plug the skills gap by attracting and retaining new talent, which is one of MHA’s four strategic initiatives.

“We like to recruit a diverse range of people and providing opportunities to people who have experienced disadvantage, such as Ged, who has shown great potential, is a part of that.”