Hoteliers rocked by blast

One of Manchester's premier hotels was partly wrecked by last Saturday's bomb blast, writes Angela Jameson.

Numerous others also suffered minor damage or have had to cope with accommodating evacuated guests from elsewhere.

The Ramada Hotel, just 250m west of the bomb, had windows in 80 of its bedrooms blown in. Luckily all guests and staff had been evacuated prior to the blast.

"We have no idea of the cost of putting things right," said Glynn Dalby, general manager at the Ramada. "But we hope to have 150 of the 200 rooms available for the rest of the month."

The Mitre, an independently owned, 30-bedroom hotel within the inner cordon of damaged buildings in the city centre, was still closed as Caterer went to press.

Its staff and guests had also been evacuated before the bomb went off.

At the Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza Midland Hotel, a false ceiling collapsed in the foyer creating considerable debris.

Graham Cross, general manager of the Jarvis Piccadilly hotel, praised his staff for their handling of the evacuation and said the hotel was able to host a wedding for 500 on Sunday.

The Palace Hotel, on the outskirts of the city centre, became something of a refuge for many visitors and reported a very busy Saturday night. And the Portland Thistle also reported increased business from companies needing meeting rooms.