Claridge’s Hotel: Major expansion helps sales and profit surge at five-star London icon August 21, 2024 Sales at Claridge’s Hotel surged by more than 20 per cent in 2023 thanks to a “strong” recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic and the completion of a major expansion project. The five-star London hotel has reported a turnover of £119.3m for its latest financial year, up from the £98.1m it achieved in 2022. According to [...]
Rick Stein-owned group to open new restaurant in central London after return to profit August 20, 2024 The Stein Group, founded and co-owned by Rick Stein, has announced plans to expand to central London after making its way back into profit last year. Stein’s has reportedly begun the search for a central London site for its thirteenth restaurant. It currently operates twelve eateries across the south of the country, with one already [...]
England fast bowler Tom Curran on what he’d eat for his last meal August 16, 2024 England international Tom Curran, currently playing in the Hundred, picks out the dishes he’d eat for his last supper on earth, from an entire breakfast to a gooey chocolate fondant. I grew up from the age of six in Zimbabwe so we ate a lot of meat and spent a lot of time cooking on [...]
This stunning London rooftop pool could be in Los Angeles August 16, 2024 If you’re looking for London rooftop bars or outdoor swimming pools in the capital, both combine at the art’otel, the new Battersea Power Station opening with a hot tub overlooking the iconic chimneys that featured on the cover of Pink Floyd’s 1977 album Animals. A room costs £250 and gets you access to what we would [...]
Inside the real foodie Chicago that inspired The Bear August 16, 2024 Ash Hiden explores why America’s Second City should be first on your list for a stateside city break following the massive success of culinary drama The Bear The Bear is an astonishingly good watch. As hard to turn away from as lead star Jeremy Allen White’s Calvin Klein underwear ads, it is a celebration of [...]
Growing participation is fuelling golf, but it must stay affordable August 14, 2024 There is no doubt that golf is big business but is it in danger of making the age old elitist mistakes of the past which alienate the masses? Globally it’s estimated that the golf market is worth in excess of $90bn (£70.5bn), a figure that is expected to rise to $104bn (£80.5bn) by 2028, exhibiting [...]
Bowling and gyms the surprise winner as Brits look for affordable fun in sporting summer August 14, 2024 The cost-of-living crisis may have started to tail off slightly, but it hasn’t gone away completely, as Brits chose affordable attractions during the summer. Amusement parks, aquariums and gyms topped the list of activities as school break got into full swing during a bumper summer for sport, according to data from Revolut, which tracked the [...]
Hammerson: Shopping centre giant secures refinancing for leading Dublin retail hub August 14, 2024 Shopping centre giant Hammerson arranged a €350m (£300m) loan for one of Ireland’s leading retail destinations, Dundrum Town Centre. The deal has been agreed with Pimco Real Estate, with its existing loan due to mature next month. Hammerson’s share of the new loan, which is repayable by September 2031, was €175m (£150m) with lenders for [...]
‘Magnificent’ Hyde Park penthouse on sale for £60m August 13, 2024 A £60m penthouse has gone on sale in Hyde Park in a tentative sign that the super-prime market may be turning towards bigger, more expensive homes again. The apartment, which is one of London’s biggest listings in 2024, includes “one of the largest private terraces in central London”, according to James Van Den Heule, co-founding director [...]
From the Paris Olympics to Royal Ascot: How catering giant Sodexo Live became the invisible force behind Europe’s biggest events August 12, 2024 From the Paris Olympics and the Rugby World Cup to Royal Ascot, Sodexo Live has become the invisible force keeping plates loaded and champagne glasses topped up at Europe’s biggest events. In 2023 the Paris-headquartered catering giant‘s events division, Sodexo Live, served more than 11m guests in the UK alone, employing around 1,700 people across [...]