We recently kicked off our #HoteliersofGM campaign by sitting down with one of our members, The Holiday Inn – Manchester City Centre. More specifically its fantastic general manager, Steve Julian.

We asked Steve all about his role, background, and how the hoteliers industry can contribute to Manchester’s sustainability goals.

Want to know what Steve’s most outrageous guest request has been? Keep reading! It may, or may not, involve a llama…

RD: Who are you and what’s your role?

SJ: I’m Steve Julian, general manager at The Holiday Inn, Manchester City Centre. Ilead the day-to-day commercial and strategic approach and work with all the senior leaders to drive the business forward and continually develop our offering.

RD: What was your journey like into this industry? Any advice for upcoming talent?

SJ: My journey into becoming a GM was slightly different to the traditional route as my background was sport and fitness within hotels. After that, I started to work with the operations teams so that I could learn and develop more.

To any aspiring GM, I would say that you don’t have to go down the traditional route of starting off in rooms or F&B. Try and work in a hotel part time whilst you’re learning so that you have real experience and be very strategic about job offers that come your way. To stand out, you’ve got to be a thoughtful leader and always be a confident decision maker.

RD: How important is it for the hospitality/hoteliers industry to play its part in Manchester’s sustainability goals?

SJ: It’s massively important for us to play our part. Being part of the leisure and tourism industry, which brings billions to the local economy, we do a lot to either improve our own sustainability efforts or to educate those people coming into the city. Certainly, as hotels, there’s plenty of initiative that we can put in place, such as removing single-use plastics, installing LED lights, moving away from using gas, but we can also educate the guests on the impact of these things to improve the sustainable drive that we’re trying to push as a city.

RD: In your opinion, what makes a great guest experience?

SJ: Making the whole interaction as natural as possible. Always smile at guests and build a rapport from the very beginning by asking them what their plans are and how you can help. It’s all about making an impact on the guests and making it as memorable an experience as possible.

RD: What does an average day look like for you?

SJ: The typical day for me in this hotel starts with me interacting with as many team members as possible. One thing I’m passionate about is getting to know the teams and build that rapport so a good chunk of my morning is spent doing this. I will then go into the office and work on outstanding emails and attend any meetings I have. In between that, I’ll catch up with my senior managers and heads of department and we’ll discuss progression points or projects that we’re working on to improve our efficiencies across the business.

RD: Time for some fun questions! What’s the most outrageous request you’ve had from a guest?

SJ: By far, the most outrageous request I had was in a previous hotel where a wedding was taking place, and the groom asked if he could bring a llama in to be his best man. I’m not joking.

RD: And what’s the most unusual thing anyone has left behind in a hotel?

SJ: At a previous hotel, we had the Barcelona football team staying with us. The team coach had left for John Lennon airport, but they’d left one of their star players in the jacuzzi! Long story short, the security manager had the give the player a lift to the airport, so he didn’t miss his flight.

Winners of this year’s Manchester Hoteliers’ Association (MHA) Awards have been announced during an awards night attended by more than 600 people on Friday evening (10th February 2023).

Ten prestigious awards, including Outstanding Contribution to Hospitality, were given out at Vermillion in Manchester as the region’s hospitality industry toasted to the year just gone.

Johan Scheepers, of Kimpton Clocktower, landed the Mentor of the Year accolade sponsored by Matthew Clark, while Outstanding Contribution Award, sponsored by UKGlobal, went to Susan Hough at The Midland Hotel. Back of House Customer Service, sponsored by The Big Orange Cleaning Company, was taken home by Julie Rogers from The Lowry Hotel, while the Rising Star, sponsored by Manchester Metropolitan University, went to AJ Ross-Jones, from Best Western Cresta Court Hotel.

Dakota Hotel took home both the Bright Idea sponsored by MINT People and Top Team sponsored by Stephensons, as well as Pino Lombardo from Dakota Hotel winning Front of House Customer Service sponsored by Expedia.

Sustainable Hotel sponsored by Uber for Business – a new category introduced this year, was won by Manchester Marriott V&A Hotel, while Young Chef of the Year sponsored by Caterer.com was taken home by Keenan Lawrence from The Edwardian Manchester.

Nathanial Farrell of Clayton Hotel Manchester City Centre also took home the Unsung Hero Award sponsored by Polkadot.

Manchester Hoteliers’ Association Chair Adrian Ellis congratulated all shortlisted, winners and attendees of the evening for ‘another fantastic spectacle’ and wished all the best for the rest of 2023.

He said: “The calibre of entries this year was once again extremely strong and took the judges three days to come to a final decision, which is a testament to the fantastic talent we have here in Manchester’s hospitality industry.

“We had a great evening celebrating another brilliant but challenging 12 months for the industry and I wish all the best for the rest of the year.”

Paul Cook, Managing Director at UKGlobal – Headline Sponsor of this years’ MHA Ball said: “UKGlobal Insurance Brokers are both privileged and proud to have been the headline sponsor for this year’s MHA Awards & Ball. The great awareness and support this brings to local charities aligns with our own company values which is one of the key reasons we wanted to contribute to the event. We very much look forward to supporting the MHA and its members for years to come.”

Cathryn O’Grady, MHA event organiser commented: “We would like to thank all the partners who supported the event this year. In addition, to the sponsors mentioned above we must thank Anita Ryan, Ice Entertainment, Simon Wood, Springbank, The Pull, Vermilion, Vision Events and all of our food partners.

“Together we have raised over £40,000 for MHA’s chosen charities including Hospitality Action, Mustard Tree, Wood Street Mission and MIND Manchester.”

Manchester Hoteliers’ Association 18th Annual Ball and Awards Winners 2023

Back of House Customer Service sponsored by The Big Orange Cleaning Company

Julie Rogers, The Lowry Hotel

Bright Idea sponsored by MINT People

Dakota Hotel Marketing Team

Front of House Customer Service sponsored by Expedia

Pino Lombardo, Dakota Hotel Manchester

Mentor of the Year sponsored by Matthew Clark

Johan Scheepers, Kimpton Clocktower Hotel

Outstanding Contribution to Hospitality sponsored by UKGlobal

Susan Hough, The Midland Hotel

Rising Star sponsored by Manchester Metropolitan University

AJ Ross-Jones, Best Western Cresta Court Hotel

Sustainable Hotel sponsored by Uber for Business

Manchester Marriott Victoria & Albert Hotel

Top Team sponsored by Stephensons

Dakota Manchester Team

Unsung Hero sponsored by Polkadot Design & Print

Nathanial Farrell, Clayton Hotel Manchester City Centre

Young Chef of the Year sponsored by Caterer.com

Keenan Lawrence, The Edwardian Manchester, A Radisson Collection Hotel

Manchester Hoteliers’ Association announces return of annual ball

Manchester Hoteliers’ Association (MHA) has announced the date for their annual ball with the event returning for its eighteenth year on the 10th February, 2023. 

The evening, which is expected to be attended by over 700 people and will see 10 awards presented celebrating some of the best individuals and hotels across Manchester highlighting the region’s dynamic and diverse hospitality offering.

The event will take place at The Vermillion, located just outside the city centre.

Manchester Hoteliers’ Association (MHA) Chair Adrian Ellis said: “We are extremely excited for the MHA Annual Ball and are looking forward to celebrating the great venues and hospitality professionals that exist in Manchester. 

“We also are delighted to announce we are supporting some incredibly important charities which include Hospitality Action, Mustard Tree, Wood Street Mission and MIND Manchester.”

The event will be a Valentine’s theme this year with the venue decorated to reflect this.

Tickets for the ball are priced at £75 per person or £750 per table of ten. 

In previous years the event has raised over £37,000 for charities across the region for Mustard Tree, Breast Cancer Care and The Christie.

Partners of the event include The Caterer, Expedia, Manchester Metropolitan University, Matthew Clark, Mint, Polkadot, Springbank, The Vermilion and Vision Events with Headline Sponsor being UK Global. 

The Manchester Hoteliers’ Association (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. 

It has worked on a number of initiatives over the past years to support the hospitality industry and Manchester. 

Tickets can be purchased online via Manchester Hoteliers Association website or via mha@cathrynogrady.co.uk

Chair of Manchester Hoteliers’ Association, Adrian Ellis is optimistic about a strong end to the year for the hospitality industry 

Adrian Ellis, Chair of Manchester Hoteliers’ Association (MHA) has said he is encouraged by early signs of a strong end to 2022 for the hospitality industry.

Adrian, who is also General Manager of The Lowry Hotel said: “Bookings for the festive season are looking strong and following closely to 2019’s pre COVID-19 figures which is massively welcomed by the industry. Occupancy levels are looking around 70% – 75% for the year with leisure business making a robust return.”

He added: “We are expecting a busy lead up to Christmas with the Manchester Christmas Markets having launched aswell as the World Cup kicking off on the 21st November. Manchester also has a number of concerts in the run up to the festive season and the Premier League re-commencing on Boxing Day will give a much-needed push to venues. We expect hospitality to reap the rewards of this in what has been a hugely challenging two years surrounding Christmas.”

Adrian, who has been in the post for over seven years also hailed the return of leisure business saying: “We have seen the return of leisure bookings with high levels of enquiries for festive events and corporate Christmas parties which is extremely positive for the industry, as well as a strong Autumn period for hotels and hospitality venues.”

“The hospitality industry has been hit with a wave of challenges over the past three years due to COVID-19 pressures, the aftermath of the pandemic as well as the rise in energy prices, the cost of living crisis and the change in government leadership however we remain positive that hospitality will continue to proposer.”

The city is also set to see a number of hotel openings during the course of 2023 with some new hotels arriving in the city including Treehouse.

The MHA has over 50 members made up of general managers of hotels throughout the region. Its key objectives are being a strong voice for the hotel community, and continually improving the offering for visitors spending time in the city.

ENDS

Notes to editors

Media Contact: Amelia Camilleri
E: amelia.camilleri@rdpr.co.uk
T: 07999412095

About the client

Manchester Hoteliers’ Association – www.manchester-hotels.org.uk

The Manchester Hoteliers’ Association (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.

The MHA membership continues to grow at a rapid rate following the development and opening of many new properties over recent years. As a group MHA now has over 50 members and aim to organise meetings and events that will be of interest and benefit to its members

Manchester is an exciting and dynamic destination with unprecedented levels of development bringing new housing, retail, cultural attractions and business to the city. This has enhanced the growth of the hospitality sector and Hoteliers are benefiting from record levels of occupancies over recent years.

In such a vibrant marketplace the aim of MHA is to ensure members are brought up to date with the latest developments, discuss events that are happening in the city and work at ways at which the Hotels and the city can further promote the city as a destination for tourists and for major events

MHA holds meeting every six weeks, which are open to all members.

Manchester Hoteliers’ Association (MHA) has renewed its partnership with Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) pairing students with leaders of some of the city’s biggest hotels enrolling them on mentorship programmes which is set to launch on 9th November.

Final year BA (Hons) Hospitality Business Management students will begin the scheme to learn a range of direct general manager skills including forecasting, payroll, overview costs, RevPAR and online digital marketing – all whilst working on the job.

The course has been running for six years and has been praised by hospitality students previously as ‘an advanced scheme that allows valuable insights into life as a general manager’ at some of Manchester’s leading hotels and last year resulted in ten new jobs being created for young graduates.

MHA chair Adrian Ellis, Chris Mitchell, principal lecturer at MMU and Diane Connelly, Senior Lecturer at MMU run the initiative which they say ‘has been designed to attract students to careers in the hotel industry to help with tackling the recruitment challenge the hospitality industry faces – but more importantly, to retain talent.’

Adrian, who is working as a mentor in his day-to-day role as The Lowry Hotel’s General Manager, said: “We are thrilled to be hosting this extremely beneficial programme again this year and has been important for our industry over the past six years. The programme will create opportunities for the next generation and help our industry tackle recruitment challenges.

“Our hotel mentors are extremely proactive and engaged, allowing mentees to be guided through a real-time view of operations in key city centre hotels, giving them invaluable experience in the industry.”

Christopher Mitchell, Programme Leader for IHBM at Manchester Metropolitan University said: “The Mentoring Scheme involves MHA industry leaders assisting our IHBM students in adapting to the culture of the organisations and helping them develop their career opportunities. In this, our sixth year, Diane, Adrian and the general managers have created a learning relationship that will assist the mentees in taking ownership of their development, their skills and their knowledge by achieving the career that they value. Thanks to all GMs, for achieving the success stories and for your ongoing support!”

The MHA has over 50 members made up of general managers of hotels throughout the region. Its key objectives are being a strong voice for the hotel community, and continually improving the offering for visitors spending time in the city.

The mentor programme began on the 9th November and will continue until the end of term in May 2022.

Hotels agreed to take part across Manchester include The Lowry Hotel, Hotel Gotham, Dakota Hotel, City Suites, Hotel Brooklyn, The Edwardian and Hilton Hotel Deansgate.

Manchester city centre hotel occupancy rates rocket to 75% in June and July thanks to jam packed music and sporting schedule 

The jam-packed sporting and music schedule has contributed to hotels across Manchester being almost full throughout June and July. That’s the view of Chairman of Manchester Hoteliers’ Association (MHA) Adrian Ellis.

He believes ‘concerts and sporting events have helped hotel occupancy rates rocket to 75% in June, higher than pre-pandemic levels.’

A number of acts have graced the city’s stages including The Killers, Harry Styles, Ed Sheeran and Alicia Keys as well as the return of PARKLIFE Festival resulting in hotels being fully booked following a challenging two years on the back of COVID-19.

The city has also welcomed the 2022 Women’s Euros competitions with two matches played at Old Trafford.

Adrian commented that ‘hotels have benefited from an influx of visitors, as has the rest of the city, especially restaurants and bars.’

He said: “Some of the city’s largest venues such as Emirates Old Trafford, AO Arena, Old Trafford and Etihad have hosted a number of events this last month. It has been great to see such an array of visitors from around the globe to see special musical talent as well as the return of the hugely popular PARKLIFE Festival.

“The success of the Lionesses at this year’s Euros has also brought a wide range of visitors into the city to the fan zone in Piccadilly Gardens, all hugely beneficial to the hospitality industry across Manchester.”

He added: “I am incredibly optimistic about the future influx of visitors to Manchester especially with the return of the football season in August and PRIDE Festival in August, all which will bring in further business across the city.”

Manchester Hoteliers’ Association (MHA) has announced a successful launch period of their schools programme which saw the association partner with Greater Manchester schools to encourage and enthuse young people into entering the world of hospitality.

22 hotels from The Manchester Hoteliers’ Association and 22 schools were paired together with the aim to provide further knowledge and experience into the current career pathways the hospitality industry has to offer on the back of the hospitality recruitment crisis.

Following a successful 3-month launch period many students and general managers are optimistic following hugely positive results and believe many of those who took part in the scheme will choose hospitality as a career.

Steven Julian, General Manager at The Holiday Inn Manchester said: “Working with Broadoak School has been a fantastic opportunity to showcase the vast career options available to those students preparing to leave school soon. Hearing their excitement when discussing the types of clients, we work with, giving them the opportunity to cook with our chefs and to visit the hotel makes building these partnerships worthwhile.

“If only one of these students enters the industry, then we have succeeded. We could be looking at the next generation of Manchester Hoteliers.”

Manchester hotels involved in the scheme included Dakota Hotel, Stock Exchange Hotel, Hotel Football, Hilton Deansgate, Gotham Hotel, The Lowry Hotel, Hotel Brooklyn and more.

Some of the region’s schools involved in the scheme include, Stockport Grammar School, Altrincham College, Coop Academy Walkden, West Hill School, Flixton Girls School, Bramhall High School and Droylsden High School.

Adrian Ellis, Chair of Manchester Hoteliers Association commented: “We are proud to partner with The Lowry Academy (School in Worsley ) and see the students enthusiasm and interest in the hospitality profession. To date we have hosted four different visits which have included cooking classes, tours and career chats and bed making competitions.

“All this work is designed to create enthusiasm and interest in our industry. We hope from all the great work that several of the Lowry Academy students will decide to enter a career in hospitality and that the schools/hotels project will go some way to helping tackling the long term recruitment challenges within the industry.”

Following the success of this pilot scheme Manchester Hoteliers’ Association hopes other hotel associations across the country will embark on a number of similar programmes promoting work experience amongst young people.

The MHA has a 50-strong membership made up of general managers of hotels throughout the region. Its key objectives are being a strong voice for the hotel community, and continually improving the offering for visitors spending time in the city.

The annual MHA Ball took place in April and raised approximately £30,000 in total for their chosen charities which include Hospitality Action, Mustard Tree, Wood Street Mission and MIND Manchester.

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

The 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, it allows students to learn from some of the region’s most experienced hoteliers.

Following a successful 12-month programme the scheme has resulted in ten new jobs and has been hailed a huge success by students and general managers who took part with students celebrating their graduation at Manchester Metropolitan University last week.

To name a few the programme has seen a student join Hotel Brooklyn as a Front Desk Receptionist, a student joining Dakota Hotel as a Food and Beverage Intern, a new recruit at City Suites as Sales Executive as well as another student who worked at the Lowry Hotel heading to Miami to take up a role as Customer Services Manager.

Looking back on the year, MHA Chair Adrian Ellis commented: “This year’s scheme has been incredibly successful with fantastic feedback from students and four jobs created. We couldn’t run this scheme without the group of proactive and engaged mentors that guide these students through a real time view of operations at a hotel, so a huge thank you to them.

“Our aim is to develop the best possible graduates we can and retain that talent in the industry, and we look forward to September’s students joining the journey at our hospitality venues.”

Hotels that took part in the programme included The Lowry Hotel, Hyatt Hotel, Novotel Manchester, Stay City Apartments, Kimpton Clock Tower Hotel, Dakota Hotel, Hilton Deansgate, Hotel Gotham, Victoria & Albert, Edwardian Manchester, AC Marriott, Holiday Inn Manchester, Hilton Hotel and Native Apartments.

Dianne Connelly, Senior Lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University said: “The Mentoring Scheme involves MHA industry leaders assisting our IHBM, Manchester Metropolitan University students, in adapting to the culture of the organisation and helping them develop their career opportunities. In this, our fifth year, general managers have created a learning relationship that will assist the mentees in taking ownership of their development, their skills and their knowledge by achieving the career that they value. Thanks to all GMs, for achieving the success stories and for your ongoing support!”

MHA plans to take on the next intake of students who will be starting their final year and work with them until May 2023.

Winners of this year’s Manchester Hoteliers’ Association (MHA) Awards have been announced during a ceremony attended by more than 500 people on Friday evening.

Nine prestigious awards, including Outstanding Contribution to Hospitality, were given out at The Vermillion in Manchester as the region’s hospitality industry toasted the success and bounceback over the course of 2021.

In total approximately £30,000 was raised for MHA’s chosen charities including Hospitality Action, Mustard Tree, Wood Street Mission and MIND Manchester.

Matt Townley, of Dakota Hotel, landed the Outstanding Contribution to Hospitality accolade sponsored by Stephensons, while Mentor of the Year Award sponsored by Matthew Clark went to Paul Terzo, Crowne Plaza Manchester Airport. 

Manchester Hoteliers’ Association Chair Adrian Ellis praised all who attended for ‘another fantastic spectacle’ and wished entrants, winners and those shortlisted all the best for the rest of 2022. 

He said: “First and foremost, people came together and had a great time celebrating another brilliant but still challenging 12 months for hospitality in this great city region.

“The calibre of entries was once again very strong and the winners all did themselves proud, as did everyone who had any involvement in an event designed to showcase the vast array of talent that exists in our industry. 

“It’s also fantastic that MHA has raised approximately £30,000 for our chosen charities.”

Partners of the event include MINT People, Caterer.com, Vision Events, Manchester Met University, Expedia, Matthew Clarke, Stephensons, The Vermillion, Springbank, P&G Management and Polka Dot Design & Print.

Manchester Hoteliers’ Association 17th Annual Ball and Awards Winners 2021

Back of House Customer Service sponsored by Mint People 

Tom Ince, Kimpton Clocktower

Bright Idea sponsored by P&G Management 

Roby1844, Holiday Inn Manchester City Centre

Front of House Customer Service sponsored by Expedia 

Kostadin Dimitrov, Hotel Brooklyn 

Mentor of the Year sponsored by Matthew Clark

Paul Terzo, Crowne Plaza Manchester Airport 

Outstanding Contribution to Hospitality sponsored by Stephensons 

Matt Townley, Dakota Hotel 

Rising Star sponsored by Manchester Metropolitan University 

Katie Forrest, Dakota Hotel 

Top Team sponsored by SpringBank 

Dakota Hotel 

Unsung Hero sponsored by Polkadot Design & Print 

Nichola Wood, Holiday Inn Manchester City Centre

Young Chef of the Year sponsored by Caterer.com

Ben Smith, Dakota Hotel 

Bradley Thorpe, The Midland Hotel 

Manchester Hoteliers Association (MHA) have launched their sustainability strategic initiative marking a move to reduce the industry’s carbon footprint across Manchester.

Numerous hotels including Dakota Hotel, The Lowry Hotel and The Park Inn have signed up to be a part of the ‘Clean the World’ initiative and committed to recycling leftover soap from hotel rooms. Following on from extensive research, it was found that many hotels in Manchester throw away hundreds if not thousands of soap bars and plastic bottles daily which eventually end up in landfill.

The ‘Clean the World’ initiative allows bars and bottles of soap to be collected from hotels and shipped into a warehouse where they are sanitised, re-packaged and sent to charities across the globe to people in need. Plastic bottles are collected, recycled, and brought back into production. As a result, Clean the World is able to prevent millions of poor hygiene-related illnesses each year.

Several hotels across the region have also committed to using renewable energy sources such as wind, water and thermal energy in their hotels with the aim to eventually use no fossil fuels at all.

In line with the Mayor of Greater Manchester’s Pledge to reduce the use of plastic straws in the hospitality industry, members have also supported this by providing paper alternatives reducing the use of plastic in their hotels.  70 hotels across the city are supporting this initiative. Hotels are also involved in reducing food waste in their hotels by holding less buffet style events and have introduced clever menu planning to ensure a substantial reduction in the amount of food being thrown away over the course of the year.

Adrian Ellis, General Manager of the Lowry Hotel and Chairman of Manchester Hoteliers’ Association said: “We are delighted that so many hotels in the city have committed to working together to reduce Manchester’s carbon footprint.

“We at the MHA are starting to have conversations with data management companies to delve deeper into the carbon footprint numbers of the city, assess the current footprint and position of the city and move forward by setting targets and goals to encourage all hotels to follow our lead. We are confident others will get behind the initiative in the coming months and work together in reducing Manchester’s carbon footprint as a whole.”

The MHA has a 50-strong membership made up of general managers of hotels throughout the region. Its key objectives are being a strong voice for the hotel community, and continually improving the offering for visitors spending time in the city.

They have spearheaded a number of campaigns since launch working with a number of charities including the NHS frontline staff and vulnerable members of the community.

The MHA Ball, a firm fixture in the calendar is scheduled to take place on 1st April at The Vermillion in Manchester and will also be raising money for several charities

For more information on The Manchester Hoteliers Association, please visit: https://www.manchester-hotels.org.uk/