UK Hospitality launch campaign to undo budget ‘hammer blow’ to sector July 9, 2025 Industry lobby group UK Hospitality has launched a campaign to reverse the “unfair” tax burden on the sector, #TaxedOut. The body has been vocal about the damage caused by higher taxes announced in the Autumn budget, estimating that 69,000 jobs have been lost since last October. “The 2024 Budget was a hammer blow to hospitality… [...]
A year of hard Labour: UK plc’s verdict on Starmer and Reeves July 3, 2025 Just a year ago, Keir Starmer’s Labour party won an historic general election victory having promised to be “the most pro-business government this country has seen’. Ali Lyon sees whether industry and business leaders feel the party has met that vow 12 months on. As some of the great and good of Britain’s storied business [...]
Reeves’ tax hikes lead to spike in pubs going bust June 16, 2025 The series of tax hikes introduced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in her Autumn Budget last year has contributed to a spike in pubs going bust across the UK in April, according to new figures. A total of 67 pubs closed down during the month – the highest number since July 2024 when 75 entered insolvency [...]
Easyhotel significantly slashes losses as return to profit nears May 21, 2025 Easyhotel significantly slashed its losses as it took a huge step towards returning to profit for the first time since before the Covid-19 pandemic. The London-headquartered budget hotel chain has posted a pre-tax loss of €1.8m (£1.5m) for 2024, down from the €10.5m (£8.9m) it reported for 2023. The latest pre-tax loss figure is the [...]
Wetherspoon, Marston’s and Young’s manage to fend off UK pubs crisis – for now May 13, 2025 Some of the UK’s biggest pub chains – JD Wetherspoon, Marston’s and Young’s – have all proved surprisingly resilient in avoiding the hospitality crisis predicted last Autumn. The London-listed companies have all reported better-than-expected trading over the last year, despite very low business and consumer confidence. In an update to markets this morning, Marston’s reported [...]
British firms brace for ‘eye-watering’ April cost hikes April 1, 2025 Businesses across the UK are bracing for one of the worst weeks of cost hikes in recent history, with industry groups warning that the “eye-watering” rise in firms’ overheads will hamper investment and hiring, and result in higher prices at the till. Hikes to the minimum wage and employers’ National Insurance contributions announced in October’s [...]
The Ritz: Losses continue at iconic London hotel February 7, 2025 London’s iconic Ritz hotel has now lost more than £75m since it last turned a profit, it has been revealed. The luxury London hotel has posted a pre-tax loss of £10m for 2023, accounts filed more than five months late with Companies House show. The latest figure comes after The Ritz posted a loss of [...]
‘Rachel Reeves, you must do better’: Chancellor urged to act before hospitality’s collapse February 4, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has been told to take urgent action to prevent the collapse of thousands of hospitality businesses across the UK. In an open letter Sacha Lord, who was until recently Andy Burnham’s night time economy adviser for Greater Manchester, said he no longer considers Labour to be the party of “business and growth”. [...]
OYO: Billionaire’s hotel empire to make £50m UK investment February 3, 2025 OYO, the hotel chain founded by Indian billionaire Ritesh Agarwai, has revealed plans to invest £50m in the UK over the next three years and support 1,000 jobs. The news comes after the group, which first entered the UK market in 2018, announced its ambition towards the end of 2024 to open 40 new hotels [...]
Pubs pin hopes on Christmas trading period amid post-Budget woes December 9, 2024 The UK’s hospitality industry is gearing up for a bumper festive season, the first in four years not to be affected by pandemic restrictions or transport strikes. The preparations come ahead of what is seen as one of the busiest times of year for pub operators across the country, a number of whom hope to [...]