Great plans for Grandeur consortium

A new hotel consortium gets under way this month aiming to better promote manor hotels, castles, stately homes and health spas.

Grandeur Hotels, a division of Gyber Sales Promotion, has signed up about 30 properties so far and is planning to have 100 on its books within the first year.

"We are a unique consortium, with no membership fees in the first year," claimed Guy Barber, Grandeur's managing director.

Hotels signing up to the Grandeur deal are charged an inspection fee of £75 plus VAT for the first year.

Mr Barber said membership fees for the second year would be less than £250.

The main source of income for Grandeur will come from joint promotions run by the hotels in partnership with other clients of Gyber. These clients include Intercity East Coast, Porsche, House of Fraser, Peugeot and Bailey's.

Under a promotion, a company such as Peugeot would pay Grandeur a fee to be able to offer stays at the hotels as incentives to its staff or customers.

Hotels will be able to opt in and out of such promotions as they see fit and all it will cost them will be offering discounted rates.

"It's a very different consortium," said Andrew Burnet, sales and marketing director at the 125-bedroom Old Course Hotel in St Andrews, Fife.

"It will cost us nothing in the first year and we need to boost room nights in the winter so it can only help," added Mr Burnet.