Staying at Park Plaza Hotels is the perfect new year’s resolution

As a new decade begins, so does the opportunity to visit some of the best locations across the continent. Whether that be prolific cities at the top of anyone’s must-see list, or up and coming areas set to entice travellers in the months to come, make broadening your horizons your 2020 New Year’s resolution.

Lucy joins Jupiter Hotels as the new Group Director of Sales, bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience to the role, having spent more than 30 years in the hotel industry, working for Forte, Marriott, IHG, Apex Hotels and most recently the Amaris Hospitality group, where Lucy was employed as Regional Director of Sales and Head of Sales Support.

Lucy has extensive knowledge of both the UK and Irish markets and specialises in all commercial areas of B2B and B2C Sales and MICE.

Every year, as soon as the Christmas decorations come down, Valentine’s Day clichés start creeping in. Shops start stocking up on heart-shaped chocolates and cheesy love cards, florists are busy making bouquets of roses and clothing stores start displaying Valentine’s Day outfits in the windows. It comes with no surprise that Valentine’s Day has become a holiday that carries a certain level of pressure, meaning romance and gifts for couples and a daunting feeling for some singletons.

But it doesn’t have to be so. Valentine’s day is the best excuse to celebrate you and boost your self-worth. Being single on this day of romance is an opportunity to enjoy some quality time with your friends too.

Although the population is growing, England and Wales saw birth rates drop by 3.2 per cent in 2018. In 2012, there was also a drop in the peak by 9.9 per cent. This drop can be due to a range of reasons. The most common reason is likely due to couples deciding to focus on their careers and start a family later on when they have more money.

This isn’t the case for all couples, however. Unfortunately, the reason is fertility. According to the NHS, while 84 per cent of couples will conceive naturally within a year if the have regular unprotected sex, one in seven couples may struggle to conceive. While some may go down the route of IVF, others may choose to have surgical procedures to help treat infertility. There are also supplements available for both partners to take to help boost their fertility levels. Coenzyme Q10 boosts fertility by improving sperm quality. But, while these are all ways to try to increase our chances of conceiving, there are many bizarre fertility rituals evident across the world. Here, we explore.

LGH Hotels Management Ltd has emerged as the top winner at the prestigious VenueVerdict Awards for the fourth year running, securing four major awards for the best group and highest rated hotel.

LGH secured two Group Awards for 2019: No. 1 Large Group (for those who host 15 properties or more), and the Gold Standard Group Award, given to the hotel group with the highest number of venues achieving VenueVerdict Gold Standard Accreditation.

For the food and drinks industry, Instagram is an unescapable source of advertisement. Whether your brand has embraced social media or not, your plates and glasses will be popping up in someone’s Story feed — if it’s aesthetic enough, of course. This potential crowd of eyes can be so beneficial in spreading the word about your products, even more so if it goes viral!

According to Deliveroo, the trend of Instagrammable food is not only here to stay, it’s rising. The takeaway giants highlighted a number of delicious items that are most likely to get snapped, including the always-popular milkshake. But what other drinks trends are sent to take 2020 by storm? Stay ahead of the competition and make sure you’re serving the right stuff in 2020!

Strand Palace has recently joined Green Tourism, the largest and most established sustainable certification programme in the world, with the aim of achieving one of their respected Awards.

A Green Tourism Award means that a business works responsibly, ethically and sustainably, contributes to their community, is reducing their impact on the environment and aims to be accessible and inclusive to all visitors and staff. Businesses that meet the required standard receive a Bronze, Silver or Gold award based on their level of achievement.

• Next summer, the hotel chain led by Kike Sarasola will open its first beachfront hotel – Room Mate Olivia – owned by HIP in Calviá, Mallorca

• With interior design by Jaime Beriestain, the hotel will feature 391 rooms, four open-air swimming pools, a wellness centre complete with gym and a children’s play area

• The first 100 bookings made via the website will receive an exclusive 50% discount

Madrid, 23 December 2019 – Room Mate Hotels, the international hotel chain founded and led by Kike Sarasola, is launching its latest brand: Room Mate Beach Hotels. Next summer, it will open its first beachfront hotel – Room Mate Olivia – owned by HIP in Calviá, Mallorca.

Jurys Inn and Leonardo Hotels UK & Ireland has welcomed Eugen Patrascu as the new Deputy General Manager of Leonardo Royal Southampton Grand Harbour.

With over 30 years’ experience in the hospitality industry, Eugen has finessed his skills by working in some of Romania and the UK’s leading hotels. Starting with an interest in F&B, Eugene took on his first managerial role as Assistant Night Manager at the five-star Athenee Palace Hilton Bucharest.

Fresh from another year of wowing their dedicated clientele with a varied and always luxurious offering, Grand Trunk Road are adding a vegan twist to their beautiful menu for January 2020.

Since their launch in 2016, the restaurant has stood at the helm of quality Indian fine dining. With a sublime menu devised by Head Chef Dayashankar Sharma, from his own experiences travelling and collecting unforgettable recipes along the legendary Grand Trunk Road trail, the restaurant has garnered awards, nods from Michelin and legions of satisfied customers since its arrival three years ago.

Fresh from a year that saw them relaunch and bring their singular brand into the mainstream, Conscious Chocolate round off 2019 as one of the year’s most exciting products; smooth, sumptuous, dairy-free and rich with organic indulgence.

As Veganuary awaits on the other side of Party Season, Conscious Chocolate are providing the exquisite, moreish way to indulge in the light of a healthy New Year with their tempting, cutting-edge and truly decadent vegan fare.

Premium boutique hotel set to become the natural habitat for the curious traveller

Park Plaza Vondelpark, Amsterdam has officially reopened its doors in the Dutch capital’s Oud-Zuid neighbourhood, bringing beautiful rooms, authentic experiences and a ‘secret garden’ to the city’s central point.

Adjacent to the famous Vondelpark, the premium boutique hotel’s multi-million Euro transformation draws inspiration from the birds of Vondelpark, combining their colourful and vibrant nature with the creative spirit of Amsterdam to offer a unique and welcoming space for guests that – like the birds of the park – have travelled far to be there.

Paul Beavis, managing director for Lanson UK and North America, is stepping down from the role at the end of December after 20 years with the Champagne house.

“Paul has overseen the growth of the brand in the UK and key export territories and was instrumental in reinvigorating the brand and our key partners and sponsorships in the UK.

“He is leaving the company in a commanding position for which we are truly grateful. Paul will be leaving at the end of December to explore new opportunities,” said Lanson’s president, François Van Aal.