The best new hotel suites in Europe, from the reopened Ritz, Paris, to the spectacular Westin in Hamburg January 18, 2017 There are certain things one can expect from hotels at the top end of the market: flawless, personalised service; rooms with minibars, rainshowers and designer bath products; a supremely comfortable bed; free wifi and fine-dining. Most of us will have a favourite hotel in the cities we frequent – perhaps it’s The Connaught in London, [...]
City Pub Company guzzles Christmas sales as it prepares to float this year January 18, 2017 City Pub Company has raised a toast to this Christmas after it nearly doubled like-for-like sales over the five-week festive period. The figures The pub owner and operator said sales for the period to 1 January were up 47 per cent compared with the previous year, while sales for the whole of 2016 were up 37 per cent. It also bagged [...]
City Moves for 18 January 2017 | Who’s switching jobs January 18, 2017 Boston Consulting Group Paolo Cuomo has joined the Boston Consulting Group as a principal in the firm’s insurance practice. He will work with teams in London and across Western Europe to support (re)insurance clients, including carries, brokers and regulators, on strategy, operational and digital topics. Paolo joins from Charles Taylor, where he was chief operating [...]
Business rates block foreign investment into UK retail January 18, 2017 Sky-high property taxes are making foreign companies think twice about expanding in the UK. Business rates have increased markedly since they were introduced in 1990, and have now become a barrier to foreign investment, according to a new report. A paper from shopping centre owner Intu and shopping centre representative group Revo has recommended business rates [...]
Patisserie Valerie owner nears takeover of upmarket chain founded by Raymond Blanc January 17, 2017 The owner of Patisserie Valerie is nearing a deal to take over an upmarket bakery chain founded by celebrity chef Raymond Blanc. City A.M. understands Patisserie Holdings came out on top in a competitive bidding process for 13 Maison Blanc sites and has agreed terms for a deal, with the final details being ironed out. Kout [...]
Not so sunny: Low demand pushed profits down for Caribbean travel group Elegant Hotels January 17, 2017 Elegant Hotels faced a tough year as profits fell during 2016 due to the weak pound and lower demand for luxury accommodation. The figures The Caribbean travel group, which owns six upscale hotels and a beachfront restaurant on Barbados, said revenue was down 5.2 per cent in 2016, at $57m (£46.3m). Adjusted pre-tax profit for year to [...]
Mortgage lending to first time buyers increases as stamp duty bites landlords January 17, 2017 Buy to let landlords continued to shun the property market towards the end of last year, allowing more first time buyers to take out home loans. The number of loans taken out by landlords fell 10 per cent year-on-year in November, according to figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML), suggesting that tax changes [...]
London house prices edged closer to £500,000 in November January 17, 2017 The average house price in the capital edged closer to the half a million pound mark in November, rising to £482,000 for the first time. Figures published this morning by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed house prices in the capital jumped 8.1 per cent in the year to November, rising 1.9 per cent [...]
Bank of England governor Mark Carney claims stimulus package in August saved 250,000 jobs from being lost January 16, 2017 Mark Carney has been slammed by leading Brexiteers after claiming that 250,000 jobs could have been lost if the Bank of England had not taken action in the aftermath of last year's EU referendum. Bank governor Carney slashed rates to 0.25 per cent in August last year, while expanding the UK's quantitative easing programme and providing [...]
Think cruises are boring? Try an adventure cruise for cool, trendy people January 16, 2017 Ultimate Yangtze This epic voyage up China’s Yangtze river includes an excursion to see the Three Gorges Dam, an incredible feat of engineering whose infamy is matched only by its grand scale. After that you’ll cruise through the Wu Gorge, known for its forest covered mountains, before heading straight into the Qutang Gorge, the shortest, [...]