On June 29th Hilton hotels throughout the UK and Ireland will be inviting members of their communities to travel “around the world in a day” as part of their biggest ever national charity event.

Around the World in a Day participants will collectively aim to travel the circumference of the earth - 24,901.55 miles - by taking part in one of two events: the competitive Team Challenge or the more relaxed Miles4fun, designed for families. Read the rest of this entry »

“The Law is an Ass” said Mr Bumble in Oliver Twist in Chapter 51, written by Charles Dickens (1812-70) first published serially in 1837-1839.

EXACT QUOTATION: “If the Law supposes that,” said Mr. Bumble, “the Law is an Ass — an Idiot. If that’s the Eye of the Law, the Law is a Bachelor; and the worst I wish the Law is that his Eye may be opened by Experience”

“PROOF OF THE ABOVE”

QUESTION: Do you suppose this character’s comment is still true today ?

Well my personal feeling is a resounding Yes !

MY OPINION: UK Minibus Legislation is more than 10 Years Out of Date, the EC is still trying to fit a Round Peg into a Square Hole.

The UK Government states that any vehicle with over 8 seats is a Minibus ! Thousands of Limousines have up to 16 seats, they are clearly not Minibuses.
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By Richard Hammond

Jon Proctor is a new kind of hotel inspector. He doesn’t count the milk sachets above the mini-bar nor care whether the curtains match the carpet.What will impress him is a low-energy dimmer switch in the hotel lobby and a water-saving device fixed to the shower. Jon is the technical director of The Green Tourism Business Scheme, a programme that assesses tourism businesses on their eco-credentials.

I joined him on an inspection of a 280-room hotel in the West End of London. For three hours, we inspected air-conditioning units and recycling bins and quizzed staff on their hotel’s green policies.
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Hilton Hotels has revealed that it has delivered energy savings of over 10 per cent in 2007 across its portfolio of more than 80 properties in Europe. Water consumption also fell by an impressive five per cent, the equivalent to nearly 75 Olympic sized swimming pools or a staggering 187 million litre water bottles.Wolfgang M. Neumann, President Hilton Hotels - Europe commented: “In just two years we are seeing some very real and tangible results across Europe. We made a commitment in January 2006 to think green, take action and responsibility to switch to more environmentally sustainable methods of working - today’s results speak for themselves.”

Hilton has made these impressive reductions through the implementation of its Europe-wide environmental sustainability initiative known as we care! Launched across Europe & Africa in January 2006, the programme was established to encourage hotels and team members to introduce initiatives and best practices focussing on making genuine and measurable reductions in energy consumption and CO2 emissions, water consumption, waste generation and chemical usage.
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You’ve planned the big event down to the last detail; the conference room has been confirmed, the AV requirements are finalised, the guest speaker has been throughly briefed, the delegates have all confirmed their attendance, the overnight accommodation pre-event has been booked and confirmed…or has it? Perhaps after reading this nightmare scenario, you might just want to check your bed space contract again?

Over thirty high profile London hotels and attractions have signed up to earn awards for their environmental credentials under the London Development Agency’s Green Tourism for London scheme.

Applicants including the Ritz, the O2 Centre, London Zoo, the Royal Lancaster Hotel and the Cavendish have began to implement their own tailor made ‘green action plans’.

The scheme, launched in Oct 2007, aims to help improve the environmental performance of the tourism industry and enable tourists to choose the greenest places to visit during their stay.
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Eight talented employees at the award-winning five star Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort & Spa in St Andrews, Fife, have been awarded a prestigious training scholarship by the Hospitality Industry Trust (HIT) Scotland.The talented employees will undertake placements in establishments both at home and abroad. The scholarships include world-class training in one of the most prestigious hotel schools in the world - The Ecole Hotelière de Lausanne in Switzerland; a two-week structured training programme at the famous ‘seven-star’ Burj Al Arab property in Dubai; and management experience in renowned UK hotels.
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The Ty Newydd Country Hotel has invested more than £100,000 in a state-of-the-art wood gasifying biomass boiler system. The investment has been supported by a grant from the Wood Energy Business Scheme (WEBS), established by Forestry Commission Wales on behalf of the Welsh Assembly Government, and an interest-free loan from the Carbon Trust.
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You do have to ask yourself whether April 1st has come around early this year. This cosy little number is the brainwave of one Leigh McCarron, Travelodge’s “Sleep Director”. The company believes the accompanying hood, gloves and socks will combat the loss of body heat during sleep; perhaps an indication that they intend to turn down the room heating…
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Renowned as one of Edinburgh’s most iconic landmark buildings, the Caledonian Hilton is set to receive a New Year investment of £22 million to retain its position as a world class full service hotel. The investment, which comes from new owners, The Caledonian Operating Company Ltd, will commence in mid January.

The overall strategy for the hotel will include the creation of a courtyard lounge, the relocation of the main hotel restaurant and a substantial investment in upgrading the hotels bedrooms.
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