Travelodge boss quits amid backlash over hotel sexual assault August 20, 2026 Travelodge boss Jo Boydell has quit as the budget hotel brand pursues an overhaul of its safety measures following a sexual assault at one of its sites. The group said on Thursday that Boydell will depart with immediate effect after 13 years in the role, thanking the chief executive for her “dedication” to the group. [...]
New planning rules ‘could blight high streets with empty pubs’ August 18, 2026 Angela Rayner’s attempt to stop pubs being redeveloped into offices and housing could “blight high streets” with empty venues, property experts have warned. The housing secretary has unveiled reforms to planning rules which mean that developers can only turn a pub into housing or an office if there is no reasonable prospect that it can [...]
Diageo boss ‘drastic’ Dave Lewis eyes £20m pay deal as 2,000 jobs slashed August 18, 2026 Diageo boss Sir Dave Lewis could take home as much as £20m in pay for the next year, it has emerged, while the drinks giant sheds 2,000 staff. The chief executive of the Guinness and Smirnoff maker could make as much as £20m in the year to June 2027, though he is more likely to [...]
Bingo halls at risk if Burnham hikes taxes, Mecca Bingo owner warns August 13, 2026 Britain’s “much-loved” bingo halls are at risk if the Andy Burnham commits to a £460m hike on gambling taxes, the owner of Grosvenor Casinos and Mecca Bingo has said. Richard Harris, chief executive of Rank Group, said on Thursday: “Tax proposals from anti-gambling campaigners continue to cast clouds over a regulated industry that is proud [...]
Ari Emmanuel snaps up West End theatre group ATG for £4.5bn August 11, 2026 Hollywood tycoon Ari Emmanuel has snapped up the theatre group behind West End venues including the Savoy and the Ambassadors in a deal worth around £4.5bn. Emmanuel, who runs an A-list media agency and helms the group which owns UFC, said the deal underscores the “growing power of live experience and the passionate audiences it [...]
Holiday Inn owner suffers Middle East slowdown as Iran war hits tourism August 11, 2026 The owner of Holiday Inn has suffered a slump in revenue at its Middle Eastern business as the Iran war knocked the region’s tourist economy. Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG) said its revenue per available room in the Middle East slipped by 19 per cent in the three months to June. This followed a two per [...]
Five-star Mayfair hotel hit with HMRC winding-up petition August 11, 2026 A five-star Mayfair hotel has been hit with a winding-up petition by the UK tax authority, just months after the sudden departure of its managing director. The Stafford London, a 107-room luxury hotel, was served the petition by HMRC after a filing was made to the High Court, City AM can reveal. A winding-up petition [...]
No 10 backs ‘vertical drinking’ in Soho pubs August 7, 2026 Downing Street has waded into the debate over so-called “vertical drinking” and called on Westminster City Council to “work with” the industry to maintain the culture of pints outside London pubs. “Busy pubs full of people talking to each other is not a public nuisance, it is British life and it is thousands of jobs,” [...]
Row erupts over Tory plan to stop Soho pub goers standing up August 6, 2026 London Mayor Sadiq Khan has slammed a plan backed by a Tory council to stop pub goers in Soho from drinking while standing up. Westminster Council, the now-Conservative-run local authority that covers London’s most popular drinking spots, has set out its ambition to radically limit “vertical drinking” or ordering drinks at the bar under a [...]
Heineken-owned pubs group faces probe over eviction threat August 5, 2026 One of the UK’s biggest pub chains is facing a potential probe by the UK’s pubs watchdog after it threatened to evict one of its London tenants. Star Pubs, which operates more than 2,000 sites across Britain and is owned by Dutch brewing titan Heineken, has been told it will be referred to the Pubs [...]