Jurys Hotel in Cork makes slick rebrand to The River Lee Hotel

CORK’s newest hotel – the River Lee Hotel – is also one of the city’s most established. Yesterday, in a slick one-day rebranding operation Jury’s Hotel on Cork’s Western Road became the River Lee Hotel, ending once and for all any confusion with Jurys Inn on Anderson’s Quay. The €38 million River Lee Hotel is the final hotel in the Doyle Collection to be rebranded with names reflected their location.

Doyle Collection chief executive Bill Walshe said in an overnight move all the signage, stationary, keycards and anything else they could think of was rebranded. “Each of the properties we re-branded got a name that would clearly distinguish them and associate them with their area – a simple strategy to connect with their surroundings. And surrounded as it is by the river, and since it’s been at the core of the hotel business in Cork for 40 years we felt we were entitled to claim the name,” he explained.

He said that each of the 11 properties within the Doyle Collection in Ireland, Britain and the US has been given a name that clearly identifies the hotel and its location. “The group’s design-led properties provide chic bolt-holes for modern day travellers, as well as stylish bars and restaurants for local consumers and this is no more evident than in Cork,” he said.

Business at the Cork Hotel is out-performing the company’s other Irish hotels and Mr Walshe believes the introduction of the Swansea to Cork Route by the Fastnet Line, the series of gigs at the Live at the Marquee Festival, and all the other well-known festivals such as the Jazz Festival and the Corona Cork Film Festival will bring more visitors into the city and the River Lee Hotel.

“The Lonely Planet designation of Cork as a ‘top city’ alongside Abu Dhabi, Charleston (South Carolina, USA), Cuenca (Ecuador), Istanbul, Kyoto, Lecce in Italy, Sarajevo, Singapore and Vancouver is a great calling card for us and the city when competing for business,” he added.

IHF Welcomes new Tourism Minister

The Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) today welcomed the appointment of Mary Hanafin, TD, as Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism.




Paul Gallagher, President, IHF, states, “Minister Hanafin brings a wealth of experience having served across several Government departments since 2002. Given tourism’s position as the country’s largest indigenous employer, Minister Hanafin will play an important role in ensuring that national policies are focussed on supporting and developing this vital industry.”

“Minister Hanafin has a strong track record of being a very effective and productive leader across all her previous departments. We look forward to working with her and will be seeking an early meeting to discuss her policy objectives and the concerns of hotels and guesthouses on the ground,” adds Mr Gallagher.

Mr Gallagher welcomed the Taoiseach’s acknowledgement of the economic contribution of tourism and his commitment today to ensure the significant growth opportunities of the industry are realised. He states, “Tourism and the hospitality sector have enormous strategic potential to assist in the recovery of the Irish economy and must continue to be to the fore of national Government policy and decision making.”

The IHF states that, as an employer of over 200,000 people throughout the country, the business of tourism is impacted by decisions taken by almost all state departments. It calls for a more holistic strategy for tourism that creates compelling offerings around visitors supported by a more focused department working in greater partnership with industry and the relevant state bodies.

New Business Tools Website

Fáilte Ireland’s new Business Tools website offers a range of interactive tools, calculators, user-friendly templates and practical info guides on topics that are relevant to your business.

Tools available on the website include:

• Business planning


• Cash flow


• Pricing


• Cost control

The website can be viewed at http://www.businesstools.failteireland.ie/

You can also view their Quality Food Toolkit at http://www.failteirelandfoodtoolkit.com/.

Fáilte Ireland welcomes Lonely Planet friendly accolade

Fáilte Ireland today welcomed the Lonely Planet’s placing of Ireland in the world’s top 10 friendliest countries. Part of the Lonely Planet’s 1,000 Ultimate Experiences, the list celebrates countries where a welcome is always warm.

The accolade chimes with new Fáilte Ireland research on visitor experiences. Fáilte Ireland’s 2009 Visitor Attitudes Survey, conducted among overseas holiday visitors and currently being completed, shows that the Irish people are the most significant advantage that distinguishes Ireland from other holiday destinations.

In 2009, nine in 10 holidaymakers stated that meeting "friendly, hospitable people" was an important factor in choosing Ireland as their holiday destination, with half saying that it was a "very important" factor.

These expectations were clearly met during their holiday in Ireland, with 94% saying that they were satisfied with their experience of the friendliness and hospitality of the people while in Ireland, and two-thirds said that they were "very satisfied" with this aspect of their holiday.

Commenting today, Fáilte Ireland CEO, Shaun Quinn, said: “The Lonely Planet’s recognition is welcome but not surprising. Over the years, our research has constantly found that the warmth and friendliness of our people, along with our green landscape and scenery, are the biggest draws for overseas visitors. Despite some fears in recent years of a frostier ‘fáilte’, it is reassuring to see that we remain a friendly destination and renowned for our welcome.”

MasterChef winner Dhruv Baker – A Minute on the Clock

Dhruv Baker, a former board director of a media firm, is the winner of MasterChef 2010, the BBC's amateur cooking competition.

He spoke about the series and where he thinks winning the title will take him.

Congratulations on winning MasterChef. How do you feel?
I'm absolutely delighted. But the overriding emotion is relief because I'm finally able to talk about it. I won the competition six months ago but haven't been able to tell anybody other than my wife about it and it has been really hard. The other finalists [Alex Rushmer and Tim Kinnaird] and I have been talking a lot to keep each other sane.

What inspired you to enter?
Cooking has always been a huge passion of mine and a lot of my friends said I should enter. In the end I did it for self affirmation - I wanted an unbiased opinion from the judges to see if I was really good enough.

What was the highlight of the competition?
The biggest highlight was winning it, of course, but other than that cooking for Alain Ducasse and his protégés at the Dorchester was amazing. Among them were Hélène Darroze, Tom Kitchin, Claude Bosi and Alexis Gauthier, some of the most recognised chefs in the world with 29 Michelin stars between. To get such positive feedback from them on my cooking was brilliant. Another highlight was visiting the three-Michelin-starred De Librije in Holland. Johnnie Boer's a fantastic chef and I learnt so much from being in his kitchen.

And the toughest moment?
The hardest part was the challenge in India where we had to cook for 120 schoolchildren as well as for a Maharaja. Cooking in such big volume in really tough conditions, from a very basic kitchen and in such incredible heat was just mad.

How difficult was it being shadowed by a film crew all the time?
You become immune to it quite quickly. The crew is very professional and never overly intrusive. After a while you forget they are even there.

Who is your culinary role model?
I don't have a single role model and there are a lot of chefs who have influenced my cooking. I have huge respect for Darroze and her style of cooking. She takes high-end classic dishes and combines them with spices that wouldn't normally be associated. I also admire Atul Kochhar a great deal - he's a wizard when it comes to using spices.

What are your plans now as the MasterChef winner?
I want to get between three and six months experience in a professional kitchen. There's a huge difference between being a good home cook and cooking in a restaurant. After this I want to open my own restaurant, which I hope to launch within the next 18 months. I live in south-west London so it would be great to open restaurant somewhere local but there's no reason why I wouldn't look outside of London, too.

Kate’s Sunday Independent’s Food For Thought

When I was getting married in 1984, my mother June Feeny proudly presented me with a cheese press and a cheese-making book and declared that every dairy farmer should make their own cheese. I took this literally and Beal Cheese was born. Beal is the place where I live at the mouth of the Shannon Estuary. I married a dairy farmer and rearing our four daughters, I developed a cheddar style cheese which I christened Beal.

BEAL CHEESE
The original Beal cheese is a raw milk cheese made lovingly by hand and matured for approximately nine months. A farmhouse cheese is the ideal value added product for a dairy farmer. As the years passed by I refined and modified the recipe to produce the world winning cheese that i produce today.

In the late 1990’s I decided to go organic as GM crops were being introduced into our food chain by stealth by the global food corporations which wish to control our whole food chain.


By going organic I could ensure the provenance of my cheese and help to uphold the reputation that we have in this country as Ireland the food Ireland. We should remember that food production is the one thing that we are good at in this country. We cannot compete on the commodity markets and the value added market is the best route for us. Going organic really transformed the quality and the flavour of the cheese and I found the demand for the cheese growing.

BANKS TOLD ME TO GET A MAN
I then found myself in a dilemma as to how to expand production. I had two daughters in college and I was also putting myself through college doing a Masters in Biomedical Science and so money wasn’t flush. My husband Patrick was also dying from aggressive prostate cancer at the time.

I knew it was a make or break time and so invested what I could spare into trial batches of a new cheese, a handmade, pasteurised cheddar which I made six weeks before my husband died. I have often thought that since Patrick died he has been pulling all the strings to make the cheese a success. The new pasteurised cheese won a silver medal at its first competition at 3 months of age. I then kept it for a further six months before selling it. That following year it won the best new cheese in Ireland award with a silver medal.I knew that I was onto a good thing.

It was then that the banks started slamming the doors into my face. The same banks that would not pass the “Are you smarted than a ten year old” test! It seems that there is no value in a “ woman on her own” or ” I should get myself a partner!” they said. The fact that my cheeses will be in short supply is entirely due to the narrow-mindedness of the banks!

Go on DRAGONS’ DEN
I work in Kerry General Hospital part time and my friend Colette Maguire suggested that I go on Dragons’ Den to get the money that I needed. I had just related my latest bank refusal. I laughed off the suggestion at the time but when attending the Ploughing Championships, Bank of Ireland gave me an application form which I filled in, thinking that at the very least my cheese would get national exposure. Judging by the last few days it certainly has. My time spent in the Dragons den will certainly make a good chapter for my book. I was slightly stunned be the reception that I received from all the dragons. I have to confess that I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

The Politics of Food
I knew that my business idea was sound as people will always have to eat and that my products were good. In this age of recession people are looking for value for money and many are going back to cooking their own food. What better food to cook than local, seasonal and organic food. So you know what you are eating. So much of our so called cheap food is full of wheat and soya fillers, it has created the first generation of children of children that will die before their parents. We have an epidemic of heart disease and diabetes. By buying less food which is better quality and by making sure it is local, seasonal and organic we can support our ailing agricultural industry. By demanding that all of our food chain is GM free we can further liberate all the family farms of the developing world, which are being pressurised into growing GM crops. We should remember that the global financial collapse could be mirrored by a global food chain collapse if we allow a few Corporations to control the whole show.

I hope for the future that with the help of my Dragons Bobby and Niall that I will make Beal Cheese a leading brand. The three cheeses that I produce cover the whole taste range. Beal mild , Beal handmade mature cheddar, both of these are pasteurised, and the raw milk handmade Beal Cheese.

Rural Ireland needs products like these. I hope to persuade other dairy farmers to go organic so that they can be paid a decent price for their milk, Here in the southwest we are renowned for our grassland pastures, the ideal feed for producing top quality milk for top quality cheese. If you want to learn more about adding value to your Dairy produce or just want to find out more about my cheese please visit me on http://www.beal.ie/.

The birth of a pearl on the Mediterranean Sea: the Movenpick Resort & Marine Spa Sousse

Movenpick Hotels & Resorts marks a new milestone with the soft opening of the Movenpick Resort & Marine Spa Sousse in Tunisia on March 31, 2010. The Movenpick Resort & Marine Spa Sousse comprises of 618 rooms. This beachside hotel is located in the heart of the city along the lively coastline.

Sousse is renowned for its astounding Mediterranean coastline with sandy beaches, its picturesque old town and year-round mild climate. This vibrant port city is located some 130 km south of Tunis, and Monastir International Airport is a mere 20 minutes’ drive away.

Moreover, North Africa’s largest international airport is already operating in Enfidha, 30 minutes from Sousse. The new resort is situated in a prime location directly on a beautiful sandy beach, in the immediate vicinity of the bustling town centre. A modern shopping mall is a few minutes’ walk away and it’s only a short drive to the 36-hole golf course.

The Movenpick Resort & Marine Spa Sousse comprises 583 spacious rooms and 35 suites with panoramic views over the Mediterranean. Guests will be able to enjoy culinary treats from five restaurants and six bars. One particular highlight is the Marine Spa with its indoor seawater swimming pool, a modern health and fitness club and a wide selection of treatments offered in over 23 rooms and generous gardens. Guests can also choose from a vast programme of sports and entertainment that includes recreation programmes and a lifestyle venue with nightclub.

For the soft opening, parts of the hotel only, will be opened; these areas will be the Lobby Area, Lobby F&B outlets (Tapeo, Breeze, First), the main buffet restaurant, Mosaique, the Sendai Japanese Restaurant, the Aga Cafe, rooms in the south wing (aprx. 280 rooms), the outside heated pool, garden and terrace area as well as the beach.

Clare Leisure Centre Jobs On Way

The €1.4m redevelopment of a swimming and leisure facility in Shannon, Co Clare, will result in the creation of 18 new jobs. Work has commenced on the redevelopment of the facility, which will include a 25m swimming pool, gymnasium, skateboard park, climbing wall, 2 sports halls, dance studio, floodlit outdoor tennis courts, café, steam and sauna, treatment rooms, and wet & dry dressing rooms.

All the facilities will be accessible for persons with a disability.

Management say 12 full-time and six part-time positions will be created when the facility opens on Saturday July 3rd.

"The closure of the facility in January 2009 left a void for people in Shannon and the wider community in terms of locally accessible leisure facilities," said Centre Manager, Karl Fogarty. "Shannon is County Clare’s second largest town and the new swimming and leisure facility, once completed, will serve a regional population of more than 200,000 people. The creation of 18 jobs will further complement the economic benefits associated with this redeveloped centre for the Shannon area."

Councillor Patricia McCarthy, Secretary of Shannon Swimming & Leisure Centre Co. Ltd. added: "The Shannon Swimming and Leisure Centre will cater for the recreational needs of all members of the local community and also will host summer camps, school tours and gymnastic clubs from the wider Mid West Region. Once opened, the centre will further enhance Shannon town’s status as a great place to live, work and visit. The Leisure Centre works in partnership with Clare County Council and Shannon Town Council, managing both the Tir Na nOg play area and Bring Centre on their behalf."

The estimated cost of the renovation and restoration works, as well as the delivery of new outdoor facilities, will be €1,236,673. The replacement of the Air Handing Unit, Retiling of The Pool and Surround, Fitting out of Kitchen and Lounge Area will cost an additional €135,213.

New Hotel for Point Depot Headed up by Charlie Shiel.

Hotel Bedrooms:
252 Superior bedrooms (average size room is 28sqm)
All rooms have floor to ceiling windows overlooking inner courtyards or Dublin city
Number of rooms have their own private balconies.
Variety of larger suites on the top floors
Fully fitted disabled and family rooms.

Hotel Facilities for Guests:
24hr gym on 6th Floor
Relaxation room with Steam & Sauna rooms, Indoor and Outdoor relaxation area.
Secure public car parking underneath the hotel.

Food and Beverage Facilities ‐ Public areas
Large open bar area with 10metre long bar, seating for 160 persons with own private courtyard.
Large external dining terrace on 3rd floor with perfect views of Dublin city and overlooking the Point Village square.
Cafe bar area with seating for 60 persons over hanging into the large glass feature atrium.
Bistro restaurant with seating for 140 people.

Conference/Event Capacities
Main function room has a double height feature ceiling with full glazed windows overlooking Dublin Port and Point Village Square. Ideal venue for meetings, events or private functions. Capacity of 230 people.
6 other event rooms with capacity for smaller groups.

Dylan Hotel's Pre-dinner Winner

Martin Meade, Food & Beverage Manager at the stylish Dylan Hotel in Dublin 4, won the National Cocktail Competition organised by the Bartenders Association of Ireland recently as part of HospitalityExpo in Dublin’s RDS.

This year competition sponsor Edward Dillon & Company put its entire portfolio of premium brands at the disposal of all 44 competitors. The competition was open to all bartenders working in the Republic of Ireland and was divided into four categories: Pre-dinner, Long drink, After-dinner and Fancy cocktail. Bartenders had to create an original recipe using at least one product from Dillon’s drinks portfolio and submit it in advance to their chosen category online at http://www.bartender.ie/.

Martin's winning pre-dinner cocktail, 'Apple Jack', means that Martin will represent Ireland at this year's World Cocktail Competition to be held in Singapore in November. This is the biggest cocktail competition on the planet organised by the International Bartenders Association. Over 50 countries will compete.

Martin developed his passion for making cocktails while working in the 5-Star Steigenberger Europaiser Hotel in Baden Baden, Germany. He returned to Ireland in 1990 and began working at the Bon Appetit restaurant in Malahide. While there he won the Irish final of Martini Grand Prix (later to be renamed the Bacardi Martini Grand Prix). He placed second at the International Martini Grand Prix Final in Budapest, Hungary, in 1993 and was World Irish Coffee Champion in 1999. Afterwards, he was invited to the US to prepare his winning Irish Coffee in front of select clientele to celebrate St Patrick's Day.

Parents can take little steps to tackle obesity

Research conducted for the ‘Little Steps’ campaign, reveals that eight in ten parents recognise the influence their eating habits have on their children.



The research also revealed that one in three say they have reduced the amount of treats including cakes, crisps, chocolate and biscuits in their household food shopping in the past six months.

One in four children on the island of Ireland is overweight or obese. ‘Little Steps’ is a HSE and safefood campaign which encourages parents to make small changes to improve their children’s diet and increase their levels of physical activity. Parents are role models for their children, so if parents make positive changes in their eating habits and physical activity levels, it is likely that their children will do the same.

Compared with 2008, the research for the campaign has shown that the message is getting through to parents, with an increase in the number aware of the influence of their eating habits on their children.

Dr. Cliodhna Foley-Nolan, Director, Human Health and Nutrition, safefood said, “It is a cause for optimism that so many people are reporting reducing the number of fatty and sugary treat foods in their shopping trolley. Small changes like this can have a significant impact on a family’s health. We all lead busy lives so making time to eat healthily is a challenge, but some planning of meals and shopping can make healthy eating part of the daily routine. The research also revealed that while cost is a barrier to healthy eating, for some people, there was a recognition that by shopping around and being organised it is possible to eat healthily on a tight budget.”

Catherine Murphy, Assistant National Director, Health Promotion, Health Service Executive said, “The fact that parents are recognising the impact of their behaviour on their children is positive. We are hoping this will translate into behaviour changes, where parents introduce small changes into their family’s activity levels such as reducing TV time and taking a trip to the park instead. ‘Little Steps’ like these are easy to introduce into a family routine and most of the steps can be followed without having to spend money on days out.”

The research also revealed that a lack of time or ‘busy lifestyle’ is the biggest barrier to healthy eating for almost one in three people. Focus group research carried out for HSE and safefood revealed that some parents struggle to find time to ensure their children are taking enough physical activity. One in ten people said healthy food is too expensive, and the focus groups also revealed that the cost of undertaking ‘structured’ activities with their children was too high for many parents.

Children need to be active for at least 60 minutes per day and the Health Behaviours in School Children survey revealed over half of primary school age children in ROI did not achieve the recommended level of physical activity. In Northern Ireland, less than a quarter (24%) of 8-12 year olds surveyed take part in the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity a day.

HSE and safefood have developed a ‘Little Steps’ leaflet with ideas for how parents can make practical changes that don’t take a lot of time or money. The leaflet is a useful guide for parents to help families to take the first steps towards a healthier lifestyle together, and includes tips on how parents can make small changes and introduce healthier habits. Examples of small changes could be swapping king size or standard sized treats for snack sizes, or swapping playing computer games with a family trip to the park.

Lots of simple ‘Little Steps’ including shopping, cooking, healthy eating and physical activity tips and ideas are also available from the website http://www.littlesteps.eu/.

Loyd Grossman Pasta Sauce Recall Due to Possible Glass Contamination

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland has been informed of a recall of Loyd Grossman Tomato and Chilli Pasta Sauce in 350g jars, due to a small number of complaints of pieces of glass in the jars.



The implicated 350g jars carry the Best Before End date of May 2011 and are either batch 9316 or 9317. No other varieties are affected.

Customers are advised not to eat the sauce but to contact Premier Foods Consumer Helpline on 00 44 1406 367968. Retailers are asked to remove any of the implicated jars from sale and contact their supplier.

Starwood Hotels on track to grow portfolio in India 60% by 2013

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. announced it is on track with plans to grow its existing portfolio of 26 hotels in India 60% by 2013. The news comes as Starwood's President and CEO, Frits van Paasschen, and the company's leadership team, embark on a two week tour of the country to meet with hotel owners, developers and team members.

"India is a key focus of our expansion efforts, in large part, because it is a market that today is relatively under-hoteled," said van Paasschen. "As a point of perspective, consider that India with a population of one billion people has just 100,000 hotel rooms, while New York City alone has roughly 80,000 hotel rooms."

Starwood's legacy in India began in 1973, when its Sheraton brand debuted in Mumbai. The company has since grown the portfolio to 26 hotels under its Westin, Sheraton, Four Points by Sheraton, The Luxury Collection and Le Meridien brands - making Starwood the largest upper-upscale and luxury US-based hotel operator.

Looking ahead, Starwood and its partners have another 15 hotels under development in India - including six Aloft hotels - three of which are slated to open this year. In the process of opening these hotels, Starwood continues to help build infrastructure and create career opportunities. In fact, its new hotel openings from 2007 until the end of 2010 will have created more than 4,000 new jobs.

Notably, India trails only China in terms of future growth numbers for the company within Asia Pacific. And Asia Pacific represents the company's largest growth market.

"Inviting comparisons between India and China can be dangerous, but we do see some commonalities," added van Paasschen. "If you recall, the world believed that China was the place of the future for 20 years before it really saw an economic boom, and we feel the same way about India. All signs and trends we're seeing show us that India in the next 10 years is where you want to be, and we are proud to have established our presence here almost 40 years ago."

In terms of international visitors, India remains a relatively undeveloped travel market, with approximately five million inbound travelers each year, versus China's more than 50 million. However, the rise of India's middle class has led to a notable increase in domestic travel, while the influx of outsourcing contracts - including Starwood's - is expected to create a surge in international tourism.

"India is one of the most promising markets within Asia Pacific, with GDP estimates topping seven percent for the next two years and a consumer market expected to rank as the world's fifth largest by 2025," said Miguel Ko, Chairman & President of Starwood's Asia Pacific Division. "This relatively underdeveloped hotel market is fertile ground for our high-caliber lifestyle brands and we look forward to further establishing our presence here."

Cornell and Hilton Worldwide announce strategic alliance

The Cornell University School of Hotel Administration (SHA) announced that Hilton Worldwide has become a member of the school's strategic corporate alliance program. "Hilton Worldwide is known for its leadership across the global hospitality industry-including its products, services, technology, and sustainability initiatives-making it an ideal research partner for Cornell," said Joe Strodel, Jr., director of corporate and foundation affairs, SHA. "This alliance with Hilton Worldwide will allow the school to explore new, innovative ways to advance the industry even further."



Under the alliance, Hilton Worldwide will:

- become a senior partner of the Center for Hospitality Research and collaborate with the school on several dedicated research projects;
- become an industry fellow of the Center for Real Estate Finance, which creates knowledge about real estate and the impact of capital markets on commercial real estate;
- place Kevin Jacobs, senior vice president, corporate strategy and treasurer, Hilton Worldwide, on the Center for Hospitality Research's advisory board;
- have a seat on the Center for Real Estate Finance advisory board; and
- sponsor the school's premier industry events, including the Cornell Icon of the Industry Awards Dinner.

"This strategic alliance extends the collaboration between two organizations with names that are synonymous with excellence in hospitality," said Paul Brown, president, global brands and commercial services, Hilton Worldwide. "Cornell and Hilton have strong ties that date back more than a half century when Conrad Hilton purchased the hotel company of E. M. Statler, one of the school's principal benefactors and an industry icon. We are very proud to continue to build on that foundation and expand our historic relationship."

A Mid-Ulster company has announced plans to build a new hotel in Co Antrim.

Genmark Developments has acquired a 1.5-acre site at George Street in Ballymena and said it was confident the site should get the green light from planners.

A spokesman for the company confirmed it was in "exploratory discussions" with a number of hotel operators with a view to deciding on the best way to develop the location.


One of the options on the table is for a multi-million pound project comprising a 3+ star economy hotel with 72 rooms and office accommodation.

The spokesman described the site as the "gateway to Ballymena" and said he believed there would be strong interest from potential hotel groups. "Our research shows a significant market demand for a town centre hotel capable of catering for the great numbers of business executives who work with local companies and have a requirement for good quality, accessible and value for money accommodation," the spokesman said.

"We are currently in exploratory discussions with a number of operators who have shown an interest in our concept and our preferred option is to identify one organisation with whom we can partner to bring the project to fruition. Ballymena is a thriving town and while there is a range of existing hotel accommodation available we believe our proposition complements what is currently on offer. From the unofficial discussions we have had with public representatives we are also convinced there is a strong appetite for a hotel to be built on this site as it will also act as a magnet for incoming business and tourism traffic," he added.

Genmark said the initial concept drawings would be subject to modification if and when a suitable hotel operator came on board. The company said it planned to make an initial planning application "in the very near future" and would be consulting with a range of statutory and non-statutory consultees as part of the process.

InterContinental Hotels & Resorts equiping concierge teams with Apple iPads

InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, the world's first hotel brand to offer global destination specific concierge websites and videos, is now equipping its Concierge teams with Apple iPads, starting this week.

As part of a global pilot at InterContinental New York Barclay, InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta, InterContinental London Park Lane and InterContinental Hong Kong, travellers can look forward to receiving enhanced local destination advice from the hotel Concierge teams, guided by mobile, multi-touch, content-rich Apple iPads.

Travellers who have had the opportunity to experience this new service, and those who would like to provide ideas and feedback to aid the future development of this service, are invited to tweet InterContinental at www.twitter.com/WorldConcierge. InterContinental expects the Apple iPad to enhance its Concierge team's interaction with guests in various ways, including:

• 
  
  
  Enhanced Maps and Directions - Rather than jot directions on a foldable paper map, Concierge teams will be able to provide exact directions, through interactive maps with high-resolution satellite imagery, close-up street views and detailed walking routes.



• 
  
  
  Video Recommendations - Concierge teams' top local recommendations come to life in destination specific videos, a unique InterContinental feature. The Apple iPad will allow Concierge teams to present these short videos to guests, so they get a clearer idea of selected recommended activities even before they set off.



• 
  
  
  Instant Booking Confirmations - Concierge recommendations of restaurants, performances and attractions can be clearly illustrated with vibrant images and sharp text, and bookings may be made and confirmed instantly by e-mail.
  

Simon Scoot, Vice President, Global Brand Management, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, said: "We have an amazing team of Concierges worldwide, and our Concierges are already engaging with our guests with useful information such as pre-stay e-mails, destination specific Concierge websites, interactive maps and Concierge videos. We are also preparing to pilot state-of-the-art Google Maps technology as well as other enhancements, and the Apple iPad will be a revolutionary way of showcasing some of these features."

BANG Café reopens with Dragon behind it!

TV Dragon Bobby Kerr has joined with Joe and Anne Barrett to re-open Bang Cafe on Merrion Row. The trio are believed to have bought the lease, name , fixtures and fittings from ACC Bank for around €200,000 and they plan to spend a further €100,000 on marketing. Bang was formerly owned by Simion and Christian Stokes, but closed in January when the owners encountered financial diffficulties. By then it has traded for ten years, had 25 staff and had an estimated annual turnover of €3m.

The new owners plan to continue the business as it was with just a few changes. Joe and Anne Barrrett are siblings of developer Richard Barrett who has an interest in the nearby Town Bar and Grill. Joe Barrett, who will head operations, has worked in restaurants for 20 years.

The management team will include Adrian O'Connor formerly of Elephant and Castle, Simon Barrett ( a nephew of Joe) and Phil Yeung, the former chef de cuisine at Town Bar and Grill.

Guide to Food Law for Artisan Food Producers Available

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) today published a comprehensive guide to food law to assist artisan and small food producers who have started or are planning to start a new food business.

The publication of the Guide to Food Law for Artisan/Small Food Producers Starting a New Business is timely given that the FSAI has witnessed a marked increase in interest in starting a new food business from members of the public. In 2009, there was a 50% increase on 2008, on the number of enquiries to the FSAI’s advice line asking for information on how to set up a new food business.

To operate legally the food business operator must ensure: that their food business is registered, or approved; that they have a food safety management system in place; that their business has an effective traceability system; that staff handling food have received food safety training; and that they comply with food law. This guide provides concise and clear details on these legal requirements. It also includes simplified summaries on food legislation including:

• General food law


• Food hygiene


• Microbiological criteria


• Labelling and marketing standards


• Additives, packaging, contaminants and pesticides

Prof Alan Reilly, Chief Executive, FSAI, welcomes the growth in interest from new artisan and small food producers.

“We are seeing a big increase in the number of requests for information on starting a new food business. It is possibly a reflection of the downturn in the economy and people looking for new business opportunities. On the positive side, it is showing that people wishing to take their first entrepreneurial step to establish a food business, wish to do so in the correct manner, seeking the best advice available to them. Our Guide to Food Law for Artisan/ Small Food Producers Starting a New Business provides proactive advice, details of the law governing this area and a checklist on criteria required of them.”

“The responsibility for food safety rests firmly on food industry and this guide provides details on the fundamental requirements for setting up an artisan or small food business, including contact details of the various agencies which can assist in fulfilling a start-up. This will ultimately allow those new to the industry to be self-sufficient in setting up their food business in the correct way, so that they are complying with food safety legislation,” stated Prof Reilly.

The guide is free to download on the FSAI website. Alternatively, any additional queries in relation to setting up a new food business can be directed to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland Advice Line on 1890 33 66 77 or info@fsai.ie.

Positive signs for the hotel industry

The recession is not quite over. But after almost two years of a downward spiral, PKF Hospitality Research (PKF-HR) recently forecast that the decline in U.S. hotel demand will be over in the second quarter of 2010. Whether that happens in the next few months is yet to be seen, but a long road to recovery is imminent.

There’s one channel, however, that seems undaunted and is growing at a rapid pace again – online marketing. Although PKF-HR’s research shows that RevPAR will drop another 1.1% in 2010, and occupancy will basically remain even, they’re also optimistic that online marketing will continue to grow. Their research shows Internet bookings for the top 30 hotel brands grew by 6.6% in 2009’s third quarter, compared to 2008. With constantly evolving search marketing, increased social media popularity and the advent of mobile marketing, sound strategies will keep direct online bookings on the rise.

Vizergy has also seen signs that point to online revenue growth and economic recovery. Vizergy clients have seen a staggering 49% increase in Website traffic in the first quarter of 2010, compared to the same period in 2009. This significant boost in visibility is seen particularly by the clients fully embracing the online channel, using a full suite of Website marketing services, including search engine optimization, pay-per-click advertising and social media.

“Clients that are most engaged online are seeing the best results,” according to Vizergy President & CEO Joe Hyman. “Those properties that take full advantage of their direct Website, have regular strategic planning sessions and execute their strategies are seeing the most rapidly improving stats.”

Another positive indicator that the travel market is gaining momentum comes from Smith Travel Research. Orlando, one of the most competitive hotel markets in the U.S., saw occupancy rise from 66.8% March 7-13 of last year, to 71.2% the same time this year. RevPAR also increased almost 2%.

Lastly, some more encouraging news came from TripAdvisor’s recent annual family travel survey, which found that 92% of families plan to take at least one vacation this year, up from 88% in 2009, with 33% planning to take both domestic and international trips, up from 28%.

Ritz-Carlton hotels in the ME focus on Saudi Arabia

The Ritz-Carlton hotels in the Middle East are stepping up efforts to engage travel agents and major corporations in Saudi Arabia starting this year.

To that end, they have collectively appointed Mohamed Halawani as the associate director of sales to be solely responsible for this important source market.






As the Kingdom represents the largest GCC market for The Ritz-Carlton hotels in Bahrain, Doha, Dubai and Sharm El Sheikh, Mr. Halawani’s appointment comes at an opportune time to reach out to Saudi-based leisure and corporate travelers.


“We see tremendously high potential in the Saudi Arabia market for the coming years and our goal is to increase our customer base by at least 15 per cent in 2010,” says Pascal Duchauffour, area vice president, Middle East. “With such an aggressive objective to achieve, the general managers have agreed to engage an experienced sales person such as Mohamed Halawani to be exclusively dedicated to this country on behalf of their hotels’ revenue targets.”

“I am delighted to be representing this group of luxury hotels in the Saudi market,” says Mr. Halawani. “My long term ambition is two-fold: I have to accomplish my revenue goals for the years ahead, and at the same time, I need to raise the awareness of The Ritz-Carlton brand among the top travel partners and companies in the Kingdom ahead of our competition.”

To achieve these goals, Mr. Halawani is already planning starting this month a full calendar consisting of multiple sales calls and road shows, some of which he will be inviting senior leaders from The Ritz-Carlton hotels in the region to accompany him. These events are expected to provide a financial boost to the hotels’ sales targets for the traditionally slower summer months.

Mr. Halawani is no stranger to the Arabic-speaking markets, having been in a senior sales position last year at The Nile Hotel, Cairo which was a Ritz-Carlton-managed property. Prior to that, Mr. Halawani was responsible for all aspects of corporate, MICE and government segments at the Hilton and Conrad hotels in Egypt for more than a decade. He oversaw regional sales teams and was involved in the planning and implementation of key marketing strategies for the 19 hotels for those two brands. An Egyptian national, Mr. Halawani began his hospitality career in the rooms division as a front office clerk at Cairo Sheraton in 1990.