Tudor Court Hotel News Section

Pacific Asia Travel Association’s global body PATA chapters are being persuaded to gain the support of British Ambassadors and High Commissioners as a part of the Association’s efforts to resist any additional surge in the UK government’s Air Passenger Duty (APD).

Chapters will stress on PATA’s condemnation of the APD by underlining the significance of travel and tourism in UK’s economic growth. Travelling from the United Kingdom to faraway markets is set to become dearer, owing to another round of tax hikes mapped out for November 2010.

Also, the APD classifies locations such as New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore under Band ‘D’. This segregation would imply a total tax of 340 pounds sterling for a family of four travelling to any of the above locations in economy class, if the tax rates are revised in November this year. The premium cabin passengers are subjected to higher tax levels.

The tax revisions, due for November this year, will be the third in a series of hikes, following the ones in February 2007 and November 2009.

For a hot hotel in the heart of London, Tudor Court Hotel is the perfect place.

The eyes of the world are upon London. From the last explosion of the final firework in the pyrotechnic Olympic Games closing ceremony in Beijing and the last splutter of the Olympic torch going out in China global attention switched to the host city of the next games. That city is London, host of the 2012 Olympiad.

The city of London is currently undergoing massive regeneration in preparation for being the host city of the summer Olympics. As the capital of England prepares to become the capital of sporting achievement and athletic prowess in the summer of 2012 the interest in London is already growing amongst foreign visitors. The Olympic Games are a massive sporting and tourist event promising huge amounts of visitors to the city and are sure to attract numerous new visitors to the city boosting tourism and business throughout the city. The effects of London’s successful bid are being felt immediately, tourists are streaming in to see the next host city and in a recent survey by VisitBritain one in three people who want to visit this country cite the games as a principal reason. Good news for London’s tourist industry indeed. And the good news continues, reports show that visitors for the games are likely to spend twice as long in the country as other tourists increasing the potential business for the British tourist industry.

The UK is expected to outperform global tourism growth by 50% both before and in the four years after the games with a potential 6.6 million extra visitors in the eight years from 2007-2012. London as the host city will inevitably be a focal point for these tourists. Whilst surveys suggest that foreign visitors will increase with both Russia and China expected to be at the forefront of those countries whose tourists will be considering visiting London specifically for the games, the recent good performances of the British team of athletes in the medal tables at the Beijing games is expected to provide a huge spike in domestic visitors to London with the medal hungry British public descending on the capital eager to see British triumphs in person. As people pour into the city the knock on effect of visitors becomes increasingly seen.

All these people need places to sleep eat and spend time when not solely Olympic orientated. The vast numbers of attractions of London apart from the Olympic events are expected to benefit both during and around the games. With the transport system being updated to ensure London is even more accessible and smaller in travelling terms tourists will find it easier to traverse the city packing in as much of the London experience as possible. Whilst the winners and losers in medal terms have to wait another two years to be decided it is clear even now that the biggest winner from the Olympic Games being hosted by London is London itself.

And a great hotel in Paddington to stay while you watch the Olympics is Tudor Court Hotel

A third runway being planned at Heathrow has won the approval of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), which estimates that the proposed construction would bring in a profit of £30.7bn for the UK economy.

According to BCC’s study, the £9bn Heathrow expansion, a part of the plan that includes 13 “crucial” transport projects, would cumulatively deliver economic benefits amounting to £85bn.

Businesses across the UK were asked to disclose names of the transport projects, which they think will be critical to the future growth and success of their local economies.

The research brought into prominence other vital projects such as an investment in the East Coast Mainline railway in Yorkshire, the Crossrail project in London and a replacement bridge for Edinburgh.

The Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, David Frost urged the government to abstain from reducing the spending on transport infrastructure. He reiterated that investments in these transport projects would ensure UK’s future economic success and also help bail the country’s local businesses and the construction sector out of its present crisis.

For a hot hotel in the heart of London, Tudor Court Hotel is the perfect place

Lord Adonis, the new Transport Secretary, is believed to be in favour of locating the hub station on the high-speed rail line connecting Euston to the Great Western Railway at central London in Acton, as opposed to the initial plans of positioning the hub at Heathrow airport.

It is anticipated that the Conservatives will resist a white paper to be tabled in this regard.

The Heathrow hub was originally conceived with the intention of replacing many short flights, thereby enhancing public transport to the airport. The new plans would connect Heathrow to the high-speed railway line through a distinct non-high-speed loop.

Theresa Villiers, Shadow Transport Secretary stated that the hub at Heathrow would simplify the switch from air to rail transport for passengers and also provide a “low carbon” substitute to flying.

Many who had resented the idea of a third runway at Heathrow were open to the concept of a high-speed rail at the airport. The Co-operative Travel Group was, in particular, against plans to add to Heathrow and had proposed high-speed rail as a practical substitute to flying.

For a hot hotel in the heart of London, Tudor Court Hotel is the perfect place.

London is a hustling, bustling city, packed with a diverse range of attractions and London hotels guaranteed to provide a myriad of possibilities for all tastes.

Firstly getting around is an issue. London is a large city and you will want to see as much of it as possible. The best way to get about is public transport, a travel card can be purchased (at all major stations and many newsagents) which can be used on all of London’s public transport; busses, trains and the tube (underground)

The culturally minded are spoilt for choice in London and it always surprises visitors that most of the major galleries and museums in the city are free entry (some special exhibitions require a separate admission) In South Kensington the Science Museum, Natural History Museum and the Victoria and Albert are a great starting point; free entry and all within walking distance of each other. For art lovers the famous National Gallery, Tate Modern and Tate Britain and the Saatchi Gallery are also free entry.

All of this free culture leaves more of your holiday cash for shopping and the London is certainly the place to do that.

Take a stroll down the world famous Oxford Street, Carnaby Street or Soho and you are faced with the flagship stores of Britain’s most famous department stores and retail outlets as well as the smaller boutiques and specialist emporiums, all giving certain areas their unique flavour and distinctive look. Catering for all tastes and interests from haute couture to cutting edge technology to souvenirs to specialist interest and collectables London’s shops provide endless opportunities for bargains and unique buys.

The city boasts a plethora of Markets as well as its shops; next to the opera house central London houses Covent Garden Market where in the preserved old market halls you can peruse quintessentially English goods. Portobello Road market is the perfect place to peruse antique and vintage jewellery and artefacts and Camden Market has a more vibrant alternative ethos. This small selection is a good starting point but there many more for the avid bargain hunter to track down and explore.

A multicultural and ethnically diverse city London’s cuisine is as varied as its inhabitants. Every type of cuisine is available from the Michelin starred flagships of fine dining to the small family owned bistros and cafes offering a taste of numerous traditions and everything in-between. Many restaurants in the west end offer theatre specials for early dining where you can find quality fresh food and drink at very attractive prices.

London’s theatre district is famous the world over for the quality and innovation of its productions and the face price of tickets represents this; however there are also many combined dinner and theatre deals or just discounted show tickets available online. Alternatively for the hardy there is the half price ticket booth in Leicester Square Queuing can require wrapping up warm in winter but the discount on the quality shows available.

All of which is a great starting point for the first time visitor or the most well travelled anglophile and don’t forget that the most distinctive feature of London its historic and unique architecture and cityscape is free to experience, just remember to look up when you’re out and about.

With the intention of mitigating the extended queues at the London City Airport, airport authorities will open two provisional security lanes from February 27. The airport’s chief operating officer, Darren Grover acknowledged that he was “extremely concerned” about the increased number of complaints from airline passengers, criticising the heightened security measures at the airport, since Christmas.

The smaller width of the existing lanes, coupled with the continuously surging volume of passenger trays every year, has contributed to longer screening time at the airport. Grover informed that a bar and a restaurant in the department lounge would be closed to house the new lanes, which is expected to boost capacity by 50%.

A permanent solution to the airport jamming is a £8 million project that involves the construction of a new first floor with expanded security lanes by October. However, some fresh roadblocks have forced the airport to invest in provisional resolutions instead. The temporary security lanes demand the deployment of additional staff and will cost the airport an amount close to half a million pounds.

Grover also quelled claims that blamed the irregular services on the DLR (Docklands Light Railway) for the airport congestion.

For a hot hotel in the heart of London, Tudor Court Hotel is the perfect place.

By the end of 2010, hotel investment volumes in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) are expected to surge by around 40%, as compared to 2009. This marked improvement will be levered by fortified investor belief and better economic conditions.

The CEO of Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels EMEA, Mark Wynne-Smith opined that increasing hotel investments in 2010 will be driven by opportunistic buyers, a class that was most hit in 2009.

Wynne-Smith also theorised that portfolio movement will stay restricted, as in 2009, and single asset transactions will continue to rule the roost, thus affecting the average deal size. The volume of distressed hotel assets is also bound to swell in 2010.

In 2009, UK, the principal market for hotel investment, had slipped to the second place. However, in 2010, with an anticipated investment share close to 30-40% of the total EMEA volume, UK is expected to regain its top spot.

Banks are expected to show readiness towards lending money. They will also stand out as suppliers of stock in markets like UK. This trend will be driven by the tendency of banks to bring in more distressed assets into the market.

For a hot hotel in the heart of London, Tudor Court Hotel is the perfect place.

From March 28, London’s Heathrow Airport will be fortified with Taiwan’s China Airlines (CAL). The airline is due to operate an A340-300, which can accommodate 246 economy and 30 business class passengers, three times a week, between London and Taipei.

On Sundays and Tuesdays, the outbound flight CI70 will leave from Heathrow at 2115 and arrive in Taipei at 1905, the next day. On Thursday, the flight will depart at 2205 and arrive at 1905, the next day. The inbound flight, CI69 will leave Taipei every Tuesday and Sunday at 0945 and on Thursday at 0935 and arrive at Heathrow at 1705.

Owing to China’s perception of Taiwan as a traitor province, CAL had not been granted traffic rights by European countries up till now. Holland was the boarding point for UK travellers who wished to travel by CAL. To gain acceptance in European countries, CAL had to follow Eva Air’s strategy of using a neutral corporate identity.

At Heathrow, CAL will primarily be competing against Eva Air and Cathay Pacific. Like Eva Air, CAL is well-known for its competitive pricing policies.

For a hot hotel in the heart of London, Tudor Court Hotel is the perfect place.

In a survey conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers in UK, around one fifth, from a population of 2,000 people, revealed that they were looking at sacrificing their annual winter break to focus on discharging repayments.

The survey results of priority spends, however, shows small breaks in a more popular light, up from eighth place last year to sixth place this year. The main summer holidays came second in the list of priority spends, with 16% respondents viewing it as the most important spend for 2010.

David Trunkfield, Leisure Director, PricewaterhouseCoopers claimed that this trend did not come as a surprise. He added that this winter was expected to be tricky, particular for skiing, an extravagant holiday option, and one that was bound to be influenced by currency exchange rates. Repayment of debts incurred and keeping aside some money for the main summer holiday had become the main consumer focus.

Trunkfield expects summer 2010 to be more sluggish than 2009, with comparatively more early bookings and fewer last minute ones. Cash-strapped operators are expected to contribute to this slide further.

If you are looking for a great Hotel while travelling Tudor Court Hotel is ideal and just minutes from Paddington

The latest Hotel Investor Sentiment Survey has vested confidence in London’s ability to guide the revival period for the EMEA Hotel Market.
Jonathon Hubbard, Managing Director for the Northern Europe division of Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels, revealed that the occupancy rates for London hotels have stayed buoyant, owing to a steady volume of international visitors. With selling intentions tantalisingly close to zero, London is expected to remain a spirited market place.
A decline of 0.9% was reported in UK’s average yield requirement, down from 9.1% in April 2009 to the present tally of 8.2%, across all provincial cities. Investors are confident of these figures alleviating in the coming six months.
The honeymoon period for London hotels is expected to continue even as European hotel operators elsewhere battle debt obligations. Hubbard stated that London’s popularity in the hotel market remains unaltered, thanks to positive investor sentiments. However, to sustain the optimism across a longer time period, he expressed the need for ample investment prospects.

For a hot hotel in the heart of London, Tudor Court Hotel is the perfect place.