Spirit aims for 43 Good Night Inns sites by 2009

Boss Giles Thorley has indicated that Punch's managed division will beat tough trading conditions through innovation. Jo Bruce looks at some of the new initiatives

Spirit, Punch's managed division, aims to have a bigger presence in the hotel market than Ibis by the end of 2009.

The company is rebranding its accommodation Good Night Inns as part of a major refurbishment programme, with five sites now trading under the brand, a further 19 due to be completed by the end of July and 43 by the end of 2009. Six more sites will open this month.

Spirit has spent £1.9m upgrading 20 sites with between £3,500 and £6,000 being invested per room.

Three sites are being totally revamped with an average £12,000 per room investment. There is also one new-build site, the Foxhunters, in North Shields, next to a Two for One. Spirit aims to drive occupancy and room rates to rival Premier Inn at 70% and £47 net.

Good Night Inns is being positioned as a premium budget offer and brand values include white linen, flat-screen TVs with Freeview channels, large desk with high-backed chair, "home" bedroom décor, Wi-Fi as standard and an iron and ironing board in each room.

Room rates will start from £49 per room up to £89, depending on the site, and breakfast will cost an extra £7.50.

Karen Turton, Good Night Inns operations manager, says: "We are a pub company, but the budget-hotel business continues to experience growth and rooms are another way we can drive the business. Our USP with Good Night Inns is that a warm welcome and comfortable rooms will make our guests feel at home, which is why we have put in things like flat-screen TVs and floral wallpapers to help create a home from home feel."

The average revenue per week generated by Spirit Hotels is £207,000, excluding associated breakfast and food and drink sales. The brand is divided into two operating segments: heritage and core.

Heritage rooms will operate in some of Spirit's more beautiful and historic buildings and will typically be located next to or above a Chef & Brewer. They will feature more upmarket black and gold branding to the core Good Night Inns colours of blue and yellow. Of the 24 that will be complete by the end of July, 12 are heritage and 12 core.

Good Night Inns' core market is weekday business, but Turton says they are working on a strategy to increase occupancy at weekends by 5% by targeting the family and wedding market.

The company has 1,100 rooms across its estate and in the last year gained £1m in revenue through partnerships with web booking partners LateRooms and bookings.com.

From 26 June customers will be able to book a Good Night Inns room online on the brand's own website, www. goodnightinns.co.uk.

The company is now offering NVQ qualifications for house keeping and reception teams.

Good Night Inns openings so far:

Old Mill, Coventry

Dog & Partridge, Tutbury, Staffordshire

Castle Hotel, Kirby Muxloe, nr Leicester

Chase Hotel, Nuneaton, Warwickshire

Greswolde Hotel, near Solihull