The UK hotel market has been on a roller coaster ride in recent years. First, there was the 2008 recession, then the 2010 European debt crisis, before London saw a raft of new hotel openings for the pre/post Olympics period (as well as enjoying a successful Games). More recently, business has become more volatile due to terror attacks and political uncertainly as Brexit negotiations get underway.
Yet the market remains resilient. According to VisitBritain, tourism receipts for 2016 achieved £22.5 billion, up 2.1% on the previous year. Hotel revenue figures have also proved positive, with properties enjoying a 5.4% increase on GOPPAR by June 2017, according to HotStats.
I caught up with Juan Ruano, a Customer Success Manager with the London office for Duetto, to talk about the opportunities and challenges currently facing UK hoteliers.