Edinburgh Tourist Tax

There are serious proposals in the city of Edinburgh for a tax to be levied on tourists staying in hotels to raise funds for the city’s investment in tourism promotion. A city is no different to a company or a country; in these difficult economic conditions, finances are stretched and imaginative ways of raising additional funds and augmenting normal sources of city funding are being sought. However an Edinburgh tourist tax, a bed tax, or whatever name the concept is called is not the solution for the city of Edinburgh

La Dolce Vita…in recessionary times

The achievement of first class, memorable customer service is a target for all service businesses, especially hotels & restaurants. Achieve it and you can set yourself apart from the competition, miss it and you just become another business in the market segment that you operate in. We’re in the midst of what many commentators say is the worst economic crisis since the 1930s. Consumer spending is under stress and unnecessary or non-essential spending is being reduced. Restaurants everywhere are struggling and it’s not uncommon to find empty tables in restaurants where reservations many days in advance were required to secure a table.

UK VAT rate limits tourism growth

The British Hospitality Association (BHA) stated in its recent Annual Report that the current high level of Value Added Tax (VAT) at 20% in the UK was clearly a deterrent to visitors and discourages British guests from holidaying in GB.

A hotel with true independent style

A very early morning start to attend a breakfast meeting is not something which is often welcomed but anticipation and a sense of enthusiasm are certainly present when the venue for the breakfast meeting is Prestonfield House in Edinburgh.

Does hotel design attract guests?

Classical marketing theory – in its simplest format – states that the success of a hotel is dependent on the correct combination of the physical Product (or service) attributes, the Price, the way it is Promoted and its Location. Of course we all remember Conrad Hilton’s comment that the only thing that was important in a hotel’s success was three things – location, location, location. It’s not so simple now.