NEW YORK -- Travel industry news from the U.K. includes special
hotel deals, new museum exhibits and updates on transportation. An
end-of-the-year roundup follows:
Hotels
Stapleford Park, a manor house in Leicestershire, England,
reported a double-digit increase in U.S. visitors in 2000 vs.
1999.Located about 90 miles north of London, the 51-room country
house hotel is set on 500 acres of parkland with an 18-hole golf
course. On-site activities include falconry, clay shoots, archery
and horseback riding.
The manor house also has a full spa. Per-night room rates range
from about $290 to $715 through year's end. Rates for 2001 will
range from $305 to $730. Prices do not include VAT but do cover
daily breakfasts.
Commission is 10%. Bookings can be made by calling e-mailing [email protected].
Two Club Inter-Continental floors opened at the Churchill
Inter-Continental London. The floors house 66 rooms and 18
suites.Marriott acquired the Regent's Plaza Hotel in London and
renamed it the London Marriott Hotel West Hampstead.A golf academy opened at the Turnberry Hotel, Golf Courses
& Spa in Turnberry, Scotland. The Colin Montgomerie Links Golf
Academy will teach the basics of golfing in two lesson levels: The
Review, for about $32, and The Full Monty, for about $375. The
Turnberry is a Westin Hotels & Resorts property.Paragon Hotels competed the first phase of a major
refurbishment of the Paragon Hotel near Earls Court in London.The upgrade is meant to bring the hotel up to a four star level.
A new entrance into a marbled lobby area off Lillie Road was added.
The hotel's 500 bedrooms were redone and four suites were
added.
Phase two of the facelift will include a new canopy over the
13,568-square-foot ballroom. Single rates start at about $210;
double rates start at $260. Breakfasts are included. Agents must
call the hotel direct at (011) 44 207-385-1255.
Dublin, Ireland-based Jurys Doyle Hotel Group opened its fourth
London property, the Jurys Great Russell Street.Located a five minute walk from Covent Garden, the British
Museum and Oxford Street, the building was constructed in 1932. In
addition to conference and banquet space, the hotel has a bar,
restaurant, lounge, and business center.
The property, which does not have U.S. representation, provides
a Web site with more details, at www.jurysdoyle.
com.
The Gleneagles resort in Scotland installed an Internet-access
kiosk in its lobby, enabling guests to send and receive email. The
E-Point Kiosk was manufactured by Incorporated Technologies,
Tillicoultry, Scotland.Culture
London's Victoria and Albert Museum completed a silver gallery,
which houses more than 1,000 pieces of silver from the National
Collection of Silver. A new permanent exhibit, "English Silver
1800-Present," joins an existing collection called English Silver
1300-1800.London's Royal Albert Hall launched a Web site that provides a
calendar of events and a search mechanism to determine when
favorite performers are scheduled. Visitors to the site also can
add their names to the facility's mailing list. The site is at www.royalalberthall.com.The Ninth Annual British Antique Dealers' Association Antiques
& Fine Art Fair will be held March 21 to 27 at the Duke of
York's Headquarters in London's Chelsea district. Events will
include a fashion show, charity gala, culinary demonstration, wine
tasting and lectures on Victorian design and country homes.About 100 dealers are expected to exhibit. Admission costs about
$15 per person. Group bookings earn 15% commission. More details
are available by calling (877) 872-0778.
The British Museum in London opened a Web site at www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/compass. It is designed to
assist visitors in planning their trip to the museum in
advance.Transportation
London City Airport announced that on-line booking is available
on its Web site at www.londoncityairport.com.The Docklands Light Railway began direct weekend service
between the Tower of London and Greenwich. Trains operate every 20
minutes on Saturday and every 15 minutes on Sunday from 11 a.m. to
6 p.m. A combined Sail and Rail ticket can be purchased by those
wishing to go one-way by river boat.Other news
The London Convention Bureau appointed New York-based Marketing
Challenges International to be its U.S. representative. The firm
will work in tandem with the British Tourist Authority.Greatdays Travel Group, a wholesaler of independent vacations
to Great Britain, opened a sales office in Dallas. The firm also
named Charlie Newton vice president for North America earlier this
year. Greatdays is headquartered in Manchester, England. The phone
number for the Dallas office is (214) 443-0247; its toll free
number is (888) 844-0247.A paragliding company in Scotland, Active Highs, will offer
flights over the Nevis Range -- the highest mountain in Britain --
starting in April. The cost is about $100. Details can be found on
the Web site at www.activehighs.co.uk.