By Robin Sheppard, President, Bespoke Hotels
Hotel News is sponsored by Guestline
Noël Coward once remarked: “Work should be more fun than fun.” However, since the genesis of Covid-19, plus the decision to enact collective self-harm on our great nation through Brexit, it’s been far from fun for anyone in the business of hospitality and catering.
The pace of change alongside rabid economic decline, coupled with a tone deaf government, sees many layers of problems repose ongoing siege to our industry.
Recessions tend to take many different forms, and what I find extraordinary is that we have effectively been in recession since 2016 without opening up our souls to any form of confession. We have somehow defied gravity through what now appear absurd schemes like ‘eat out to help out’ and the ‘CBILS scheme’, which are now really biting as inflation and interest rates balloon.
Politically a lack of leadership, clarity and purpose has been evident for some time, witnessing a feckless Prime Minister turn an 80 seat majority into abject resignation within three years due to an entire lack of moral compass and commercial nous. And all this at the time of greatest need for leadership, clarity and purpose.
This has forced hospitality professionals to come up with their own solutions and cut their cloth accordingly. This sees pubs no longer open on Mondays and Tuesdays, restaurants moved to not operating lunchtime service, and entire wings of hotels mothballed due to a lack of people available to service them. Solutions have been found, but are detrimental to all cast into the situation, including HM Treasury.