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==Overview==
==Overview==


Britannia Hotels was founded in 1976 with the purchase of the Britannia Country House Hotel in [[Didsbury]], [[Manchester]]. It's Chief Exceutive and largest shareholder is Alex Langham. Langham is a non-domiciled taxpayer, registered as living in Austria for tax-purposes since 1999.<ref>http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/business/business-news/hotel-boss-alex-langsam-loses-800185</ref>
Britannia Hotels was founded in 1976 with the purchase of the Britannia Country House Hotel in [[Didsbury]], [[Manchester]]. It's Chief Executive, founder, and largest shareholder remains Alex Langham. Langham is a non-domiciled taxpayer, registered as living in Austria for tax-purposes since 1999.<ref>http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/business/business-news/hotel-boss-alex-langsam-loses-800185</ref> His net personal worth was valued at £90 million in 2013 by ''[[The Sunday Times]]''.<ref>https://www.thecaterer.com/#/articles/348222</ref>


Its head office is based in the old town hall in [[Hale, Greater Manchester|Hale]], Manchester. A large cluster of the company's hotels are located in and around Manchester. The company employs over 4,000 people. Britannia does not build hotels, preferring to buy, refurbish and up-date existing hotels, restoring original features where possible. In some cases Britannia has converted other properties into hotels.
Brittania's head office is based in the old town hall in [[Hale, Greater Manchester|Hale]], Manchester. A large cluster of the company's hotels are located in and around Manchester. The company employs over 4,000 people. Britannia does not build hotels, preferring to buy, refurbish and up-date existing hotels, restoring original features where possible. In some cases Britannia has converted other properties into hotels.
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Revision as of 09:36, 29 October 2014

Britannia Hotels Limited
Company typePrivate
IndustryHotels & Hospitality
HeadquartersHale, Greater Manchester, England
Number of locations
47 hotels across the UK
Key people
Alex Langsam CEO
Robert Ferrari CFO
Eileen Downey
ProductsHotels and property development
ServicesConference room hire, banqueting functions, health club membership
RevenueIncrease £55.448m (2011)[1]
Increase £8.752m (2011)
Increase £8.138m (2011)
OwnerA.Langsam
Hawksford Trust Company Jersey Limited
Number of employees
1,393
SubsidiariesBritannia Adelphi Hotel Ltd
Birmingham International Hotel Ltd
Ambassador Hotels (Bournemouth) Ltd
Ambassador (East Cliff) Ltd
Britannia Hotel Bolton Ltd
Britannia Hotel Leeds Ltd
Britannia Country House Hotel Ltd
Britannia Hotel Wolverhampton Ltd
Websitewww.britanniahotels.com

Britannia Hotels is a United Kingdom based hotel company with 47 hotels across the country, making it the largest privately owned hotel chain in the UK. Hotels are located in prime locations including Manchester, London, Birmingham as well as near major airports. Britannia operates at the budget end of the market, with hotels varying in price and star ratings around the country. In January 2011 the company purchased the Pontins holiday camp chain which was in administration, and have subsequently had to deal with complaints.[2][3][4][5] Pontins was awarded the UKICS award for Most Improved Organisation in January 2013[6]. Other Britannia takeovers have also resulted in controversy.[7] Various Britannia hotels have been listed on TripAdvisor as among Britain's dirtiest, and some have been prosecuted (for example, the Britannia Hotel in Stockport[8] and the Britannia Adelphi Hotel in Liverpool),[9] while the Grand Hotel in Scarborough and the Adelphi were investigated by the BBC.[10][11] The chain was successfully prosecuted for putting guests and construction workers at risk of asbestos infection at the Grand Burstin Hotel in Folkestone.[12]

Overview

Britannia Hotels was founded in 1976 with the purchase of the Britannia Country House Hotel in Didsbury, Manchester. It's Chief Executive, founder, and largest shareholder remains Alex Langham. Langham is a non-domiciled taxpayer, registered as living in Austria for tax-purposes since 1999.[13] His net personal worth was valued at £90 million in 2013 by The Sunday Times.[14]

Brittania's head office is based in the old town hall in Hale, Manchester. A large cluster of the company's hotels are located in and around Manchester. The company employs over 4,000 people. Britannia does not build hotels, preferring to buy, refurbish and up-date existing hotels, restoring original features where possible. In some cases Britannia has converted other properties into hotels.

Britannia Hotels do not all have a common theme or identity, each hotel being individual. Bedrooms have different furnishings in each hotel, although refurbished rooms are generally in similar styles. Britannia do have a large number of hotel rooms which do not have windows.

In October 2013 it was named as ‘the worst hotel chain in the UK’ by consumer watchdog Which?. The following month the company reported a 69 per cent fall in pre-tax profits.[15]

Acquisitions

  • November 2004 saw the acquisition of 4 Hotels from the Grand Leisure Group. The Grand Hotel in Scarborough, The Grand Hotel in Llandudno, The Grand Burstin Hotel in Folkestone and The Grand Metropole in Blackpool.
  • August 2009 saw the acquisition of Heathlands Hotel in Bournemouth.
  • February 2011, the Britannia Hotels Group proudly announced they were the new owners of five Pontins Holiday Parks including Pontins Southport.
  • May 2012, the Britannia Hotels Group proudly announced they had purchased the Royal Bath Hotel. Opened on Queen Victoria's Coronation Day in June 1838.[16]
  • February 2013 saw the addition of the Waterside Hotel in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire.

Events

In the mid-1980s, Alex Langsam, owner of the Britannia Hotel Group, acquired the Grade II* listed London Road Fire Station in Manchester. Proposals have been made to redevelop it into a hotel and offices, however the plans have been delayed. In 2006 it was placed on English Heritage's register of "at risk" historical buildings.[17] The city council has attempted to compulsorily purchase the building[18] but on 29 November 2011, it was rejected.[19]

In 2004, Grand Hotels Group sold four resort hotels to Britannia Hotels. In 2006, Britannia celebrated its 30th anniversary by adding its 30th hotel, the Britannia Bournemouth to the chain, and as at 2013 Britannia owns 47 properties. In 2007 Britannia Manchester was refurbished and the Adelphi Hotel in Liverpool was partly refurbished. In 2008 as part of the Capital of Culture celebrations, a musical based on the Adelphi Hotel in Liverpool, written and directed by Phil Willmott, Once Upon A Time At The Adelphi ran at the Liverpool Playhouse from 30 June until 2 August.[20]

References

  1. ^ Britannia Hotels Ltd, Annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2011
  2. ^ "Anne Robinson Goes Head to Head With Woman From Pontins Following A Watchdog Report". YouTube. Retrieved 2012-07-24.
  3. ^ "Complaints made over Pontin's site at Pakefield - News". Lowestoft Journal. Retrieved 2012-07-24.
  4. ^ Sarah Gordon (2012-04-17). "Pontins cancels £33 holiday deal to re-sell trip for £550 | Mail Online". London: Dailymail.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-07-24.
  5. ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mg74/features/pontins-camber-sands
  6. ^ "Pontins Awards". UKICS. Retrieved 2014-10-23.
  7. ^ "Mass exodus at Southport's Scarisbrick Hotel as complaints from past and present staff reveal discontent with Britannia Hotels". Southport Visiter. Retrieved 2012-07-24.
  8. ^ Paul R Taylor (2007-09-12). "'Dirtiest hotel' fined £36,000 | Manchester Evening News". menmedia.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-07-24.
  9. ^ "ADELPHI IN COURT OVER DROWNING; Hotel denies two safety breaches. - Free Online Library". Thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved 2012-07-24.
  10. ^ "Hotel rejects 'theft hotspot' tag". BBC News. 2006-07-26.
  11. ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/yorkslincs/series7/dirty_hotel.shtml
  12. ^ http://www.thebusinessdesk.com/northwest/news/450963-britannia-hotels-slammed-over-asbestos-case.html
  13. ^ http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/business/business-news/hotel-boss-alex-langsam-loses-800185
  14. ^ https://www.thecaterer.com/#/articles/348222
  15. ^ http://www.bighospitality.co.uk/Business/Britannia-s-profits-plunge-as-recession-takes-its-toll
  16. ^ "Royal Bath Hotel sold in a £20m deal". Daily Echo. 2012-04-25.
  17. ^ "All-action station". Manchester Evening News. 11 February 2006.
  18. ^ Alex Langsam Breaks Silence Manchester Confidential Sept 9, 2010
  19. ^ "Manchester council loses £700,000 bid to force sale of London Road Fire Station". Manchester Evening News. 29 November 2011.
  20. ^ "Adelphi Hotel Play". Retrieved 2012-07-24.

External links

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