Recipe for success
If the UK hotel industry is to bounce back successfully from the foot-and-mouth crisis, it needs to offer a quality product, according to the publishers of The Which? Hotel Guide 2002, out this week. Far too often, hotels focus on fripperies rather than getting the basics right, and a chocolate on the pillow does not make up for uncomfortable rooms, unfriendly and inefficient service, or bad food, says the Guide, available for £15.99.
Regional hotels in the UK in August saw a 1.1% drop in occupancy to 73.7% from the previous year, while London hotels saw a 6.8% fall to 78.2%. These figures come from PKF's hotel consultancy services' survey.
New York campaign
The British Tourist Authority is going ahead with a £250,000 campaign to encourage New Yorkers to visit the UK. The UKinNY campaign has been renamed UKwithNY and will feature a series of events promoting UK's arts, culture and sights.
Cumbrian Parc
Oasis Lakeland Village, near Penrith, Cumbria, has been bought by Center Parcs, which already has three British sites, for £140m.
Babies first
Meon Villas (01730 230370, meonvillas.co.uk) has introduced two new services for families travelling with small children. In its new Private Villas with Pools brochure, the villa specialist is offering pre-bookable "baby packs" to cut down on the amount of baby paraphernalia carried in luggage, together with holiday nannies who will accompany clients on their holidays.
Historic cases
People staying in Landmark Trust buildings this winter can have a case of Berry Bros and Rudd wine delivered before their arrival with 5% of the order being donated to the Landmark Trust (01628 825920, landmarktrust.co.uk) to help rescue more historic buildings at risk.
Lifting the lid
Stoke-on-Trent will launch the Potteries' newest attraction next Saturday - the Gladstone Pottery Museum's tribute to the lavatory. The £1.5m project, named "Flushed with Pride" will offer visitors an insight into every conceivable aspect of the lavatory. For details, call 01782 319232.
Drunken in charge
The Drunken Duck in Ambleside, Cumbria (015394 36347) has been named English Pub of the Year in the AA Pub Guide 2002. The Scotland winner is the Wheatsheaf, Swinton in the Borders (01890 860257) and the Wales winner is The Bear in Crickhowell, Powys (01873 810408). The best pub for seafood is The Angel Inn in Hetton, in the Dales. The Guide, listing 2,000 pubs for food, atmosphere and ales, and 48 circular walks from pub car parks, is published next week at £14.99.
Airport expands
London City Airport has been given permission to increase the number of aircraft parking stands and its runway capacity. The airport is now allowed 73,000 aircraft movements a year - double the number of three years ago.
