Two-thirds of all UK businesses at risk of insolvency October 28, 2020 Two-thirds of all businesses across the UK currently trading have a “low to severe risk of insolvency”, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The latest Business Impact of Coronavirus Survey (BICS) from the ONS found that 64 per cent of businesses across all industries are at risk of insolvency, with 43 per cent [...]
Majority of London offices cancel Christmas parties in face of new restrictions October 28, 2020 Almost all London offices have parked the tinsel and cancelled their Christmas parties this year, according to new research, as the capital faces a bleak festive season under Tier 2 restrictions. More than 95 per cent of London businesses have cancelled bookings for traditional office parties this Christmas, after the capital’s move to “high” alert [...]
Carlsberg raises full-year outlook as beer sales recover October 27, 2020 Carlsberg today lifted its expectations for the full year after posting a better-than-expected beer sales in the third quarter. The Danish brewer said it now expected operating profit to decline by a mid-single-digit percentage, compared to previous guidance of a high-single-digit percentage. It came after the company posted a 2.4 per cent rise in total [...]
Escape to Poldark country this half term at The Polurrian spa hotel October 27, 2020 With a staycation the safe option for a half-term break from the city, Cornish oasis The Polurrian spa hotel on the Lizard at Mullion could be the answers to your prayers. The weekend This craggy cove, just 40 minutes’ drive from Penzance, offers a beautiful sandy beach, spectacular coastal walks and horse trekking across the [...]
Exclusive: City Hall and government urged to tackle capital’s ‘jobs crisis’ October 27, 2020 The government and City Hall must work together to tackle the jobs crisis that is set to see more than 130,000 Londoners fall into long-term unemployment in 2020/21, a new report shared exclusively with City A.M. has argued. The Learning and Work Institute’s (LWI) report said Londoners had been hit particularly hard by the coronavirus [...]
New Mondrian hotel gives boost to London’s tourism industry October 26, 2020 Hospitality giants Accor and SBE have delivered a vote of confidence to the beleaguered UK tourism sector, announcing plans to convert Shoreditch’s The Curtain hotel into a stylish new Mondrian. The 120-room hotel, which will undergo a comprehensive redesign, will open in the spring. It will be the sixth Mondrian globally and the first European [...]
Westminster City Council scraps plans to charge for pavement space October 23, 2020 Westminster City Council has scrapped plans to charge hospitality firms thousands of pounds to keep trading outside through the coming months. Earlier today City A.M. revealed that the Council was set to charge businesses £7 per square metre of outside space, per day, once the existing ‘al fresco’ scheme comes to an end on October [...]
New: Mayor calls on Westminster to reconsider pavement charging plan October 23, 2020 The Mayor of London has called on Westminster City Council to reconsider “short-sighted” plans to charge hospitality businesses thousands of pounds in fees to continue trading outside. The Council is set to charge businesses £7 per square metre of outside space, per day, once the existing ‘al fresco’ scheme comes to an end on October [...]
Investors back London’s recovery with £1bn Kensington hotel redevelopment October 23, 2020 The £1bn redevelopment of the Kensington Forum hotel has been given the green light by planning authorities, with the investment signalling a vote of confidence in London’s recovery from the coronavirus crisis. Queensgate Investments and Rockwell were given the go-ahead for the project, which will boost the number of hotel rooms available and create 62 [...]
New covid rules mean ‘don’t bother opening’ says Mark Hix October 23, 2020 I’m presently sitting in my fish truck in Lyme Regis, where I’ve been since the crack of dawn so I can get the best produce straight from the local fishermen. It’s a far cry from the life I had this time last year, when I might have been preparing the staff at Hix Soho for [...]