Strong Xmas sales for The Inn Collection Group
The Newcastle-based company enjoyed bumper bookings during the festive break with 82% of available rooms booked up by guests across the north of England and North Wales.
New Year was particularly strong across the group, with 95% occupancy across its 23 open properties, six of which were fully booked.
Included in the sextet were Sunderland’s the Seaburn Inn, which also enjoyed 100% occupancy over Christmas, the Angel Inn at Bowness on Windermere, which reopened to guests following refurbishment on 27 December and Beaumaris’ the Bull’s Head Inn.
bookings helped drive a 20% increase in like for like revenue compared to Christmas 2021. This was driven by special festive staycation packages which combined two and three-night stays with breakfast and dinner throughout.
Outstanding team
With a cost-of-living crisis still hitting household incomes, the Inn Collection Group rooms director Kate Bentley believed the performance showed how offering value for money could help the industry weather the current economic storm.
She said: “We’re delighted to have had so many guests choose to stay with us and make a stay at our Inns part of their festive celebrations.
“The economic challenges facing everyone are well documented, but the booking rates show that if you can offer people a break that they feel presents value for money, the customers are out there.
“Our teams across the group have done an outstanding job in allowing us to do that and to finish the year on a very positive note.”
The rest of December had also been busy for the company, which added a further eight new properties to its portfolio over the course of the year.
At the start of the month, it completed the purchase of the iconic art-deco Midland Hotel in Morecambe from Lancaster Foundation whilst throughout. More than 900 guests enjoyed ‘Breakfast with Santa’ over the course of 16 events at eight separate sites.
The Inn Collection Group also provided support to a range of activities in the communities local to its Inns, playing a part in ensuring treasured Christmas traditions continued.
Festive events
Thanks to donations of more than £9,000, Christmas lights shone brightly in Ambleside and Coniston, Seahouses New Year fireworks went off with a bang and the children of Grasmere received extra presents at the annual party held by the local RAOB club.
The pubco also ran a ‘Winter Warmers’ campaign, where half-price hot drinks were offered to those aged 65+ as the group partnered with supplier Ringtons Tea.
Reflecting on 2022, The Inn Collection Group managing director Sean Donkin said: “2022 is a year we can be proud of. Our people have shown huge resilience in the face of a challenging climate, and it is great to have seen that reap rewards throughout the year.
“We’re now looking forward to an exciting 2023 with the business set to evolve further with 12 Inns currently under refurbishment set to reopen and deliver further growth for the group.”
