Recently, the BHA announced details of a new business performance programme run by the Hotel Business Improvement Management (HBIM) team.

The programme offers members a four day profit improvement course which is delivered by an established hotel industry professional and designed to improve profits throughout the business.

Previously, we looked at the work of HBIM in the restaurant industry

This issue we focus on the work of the programme in a regional hotel, the Best Western Castle Green Hotel in Kendal. The Best Western Castle Green Hotel in Kendal has three stars and is set in 14 acres of gardens and woodland with views of Kendal Castle. The winner of the Cumbria Tourism ‘Large Hotel of the Year’ 2009, it has 100 bedrooms, extensive purpose-built meeting and function facilities for up to 300 delegates as well as leisure facilities for with two Technogym studios, pool and aromatherapy treatments.

The hotel also offers a wide choice of dining either at the Greenhouse Restaurant awarded two AA Rosettes or at Alexander’s, the hotel’s pub in the grounds. An already successful operation, HBIM was brought into to help the team make further bottom-line improvements, having been recommended by another Best Western member who had benefited from the programme. There were four key areas to address: economics, management skills, team building and sales and marketing

The outcome of this analysis was a structured approach to the various sections of the business with gross operating profit increasing by 9 per cent moving from 18 per cent to 27.1 per cent, topping 30 per cent in May 2009. The target is now set at 32 per cent – previously thought to be unattainable. Managing director, Tim Rumney, says that the programme enabled the team to work more closely together and develop individual skills.

“The team now have a better knowledge of figures and we have a hotel-wide focus on sales. Now, all Heads of Departments are skilled at forecasting. We also have transparency regarding the company strategy – enabling us to move forward together, as a team.”

Full details of this programme appear on the website at www.hbim.co.uk

Any BHA members interested in using HBIM’s services should contact

Peter Nannestad on Tel: 01225 471 400 or John Pattin on Tel: 07721 500 811 or alternatively email [email protected].

Tim Rumney, Generaly Manager of the Castle Green Hotel can be contacted on Tel: 07876 576 834