Hotels report boost in post-Referendum bookings

07 July 2016 by
Hotels report boost in post-Referendum bookings

Some hotels around the country are reporting an increase in bookings from overseas visitors since the UK voted to leave the EU.

Best Western, which represents more than 260 independent British hotels, claims it has seen a spike in bookings from US and Chinese visitors since the referendum.

Business rocketed in the week after the vote, with its Monkbar hotel in York recording a 236% increase in bookings from America. Its Kings Manor hotel in Edinburgh reported US and Chinese bookings up nearly 50%, compared with the same week last year.

Best Western has recruited additional staff to its head office in York to help with the demand.

Rob Payne, chief executive of Best Western Great Britain, said: "We know it is early days but we are seeing a double bounce to business as a result of Brexit. We've seen an increase in international bookings to some of our hotels in great British locations. Interestingly, we are also seeing an increase in enquiries from hotel owners wanting to join the Best Western brand since the Referendum."

Independent operator James Thomas, owner of Ramsgate's 27-bedroom Royal Harbour hotel, has also seen a 31% surge in new booking enquiries following the referendum.

He said: "We've always enjoyed a good number of guests from abroad, but have experienced nothing like this before. We are also taking bookings for later in the year from Brits who will enjoy a ‘staycation' rather than travel abroad for a European city break."

However, not all hotels have seen such an increase in business. Sean Philby, area director of sales for Carlson Rezidor, operator of Radisson Blu and Park Inns, said: "We haven't seen any significant inbound increases from the likes of the US and Chinese markets, although it is very early days. There are suggestions that Brexit could see an increase in visitors from China but there are no stats to support that as yet."

A spokesperson for AccorHotels, which has hotels under the Sofitel, Mercure, Novotel and Ibis brands, also said it had not seen any significant increase in web traffic coming from the US or China looking to book hotels in the UK.

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