La Mamounia Marrakech is a legendary palace, that has been part of the fabric of Marrakech since 1923, and has been named as one of the best in the world on several occasions. Our Senior Consultants Raad and Diego had the privilege and great pleasure to train & coach their Front of House and F&B teams over the last couple of weeks. We would like to say ‘shukran, merci & thank you’ to their team for the warm welcome, superb hospitality, great participation, amazing support and receptiveness to our suggestions.

The Londoner Hotel is known as the world's first ‘super boutique hotel’, with 8 floors above Leicester Square – and 8 more below! We definitely had a super evening at tonight’s AICR UK event. Many thanks to Amandine Breteau and the committee for organising, to Michael Cheung & his fabulous team for hosting, and to our fellow sponsors HotelPartner for sponsoring.

Our Senior Consultant Raad very much enjoyed travelling to beautiful Edinburgh and had a great time training and coaching the amazing Le Petit Beefbar Edinburgh team. The first Scottish residence of Beefbar Global has opened its doors in the historic InterContinental The George. Many thanks for organising all aspects of our F&B Sales Culture Training, and a special thank you to their Head Chef for the delicious team lunch. With your support, we will boost results and enhance guest experiences further.

Pulitzer Amsterdam offers their guests a unique blend of up-market, traditional and modern Dutch craftsmanship in an intricate maze of 25 connecting Golden Age canal houses. Our Senior Consultant Raad had a great time training & coaching their fabulous Front Office team on new ways of boosting revenue and enhancing guest experiences further. Raad looks forward to returning for the training at the sister hotel Kimpton de Witt in June and will be following the progress of both teams. We wish you a very successful summer ahead!

It was a great pleasure to return to the InterContinental London Park Lane for tailored training and personalised coaching sessions with their amazing Reception, Club & Guest Relations teams. Many thanks to their FO management for the meticulous organisation and openness to our suggestions, and to all their associates for the warm welcome and eagerness to learn new sales techniques. We look forward to following your progress and wish you a very successful summer!

After a successful training day in Mayfair, it was just a short walk to the AICR event at Claridge's . Many thanks to Amandine Breteau & the committee for organising, to Johanna Dlugosch & the entire team for hosting, and to Gold Key Media for sponsoring a fabulous evening!

50 Shades of Hospitality is a global podcast hosted by the Swiss Hospitality Guild. Dedicated to learning from industry players around the world, it consists of a series of around 100 conversations with international hospitality and tourism experts. Many thanks to Crystal Cavin and Egidio Marcato for inviting us as guests, and for giving us the opportunity to share our thoughts on the importance of investing in hotel teams. You can now listen to our conversation on all major podcast streaming services.

Tonight’s Annual General Meeting of the AICR UK took place at the spectacular Raffles London. Many thanks to Philipp Leboeuf and the entire team for hosting and to our friends Impact London for sponsoring this special evening. We would like to thank Thomas Reesink for his creative leadership & great support, and congratulate the newly elected President Amandine Breteau. We wish you & the new committee all the best and look forward to continuing our successful partnership!

As proud sponsors of the AICR UK, it was a great pleasure to spend time with the UK's Best Receptionist Sonia Bharj at Pan Pacific London. During a tailored training & coaching session, we worked on further enhancing her upselling & cross-selling skills and helped to prepare her for the international competition. We wish Sonia, her managers and all supporters a fantastic trip to Athens and keep our fingers crossed for the AICR World's Best Receptionist finals!

Over the last couple of months, Stefanie has been working on an exciting project for Firmdale Hotels. This included consulting, training and coaching for the amazing Room Reservations and Front Office teams across their 8 beautiful hotels & townhouses in London. We would like to thank the General Managers for giving us this opportunity, and all departmental managers for their fantastic support for our Sales Culture Training. You truly inspire your teams to love what they do, and we’re delighted to support you.

Last night's AICR UK event at Newby Teas was the perfect blend of tasting delicious teas & snacks, exploring the rich history of tea, and catching up with members & fellow sponsors. Many thanks to the committee for organising this unique evening and to the Newby team for welcoming us to their beautiful Tea Boutique. As a next highlight, we look forward to the AGM in March at the Raffles London!

Stefanie had a wonderful time training the Front of House & Reservation teams at Heckfield Place, a country haven in beautiful Hampshire. Just an hour from the hustle and bustle of London, this lovingly restored Georgian family home at the heart of a working estate redefines the idea of a hotel. We would like to thank everyone for their great support, and wish you a balanced & very successful year ahead.

The Cambrian Hotel in Adelboden, a member of Design Hotels, combines unique contemporary interiors with personalised service, unsurpassed views across the Swiss Alps, and a restaurant & bar overseen by the renowned Welsh chef Bryn Williams. It is the ideal base camp for outdoor enthusiasts year-round, and the perfect place to find your own right balance. Our Senior Consultant had the pleasure to train and coach their Front Office and F&B teams. We wish you all a very successful remainder of the winter season!

Following our successful training at the Park Hyatt hotels in Paris, Vienna, Zurich and Milan, we are excited to partner with the recently opened Park Hyatt London River Thames. This UK flagship property in London’s Nine Elms offers travellers the right balance of refined luxury, exquisite design, art-infused sophistication, majestic river views, and personalised service. Care for people so they can be their best. Our Senior Consultant Stefanie very much enjoyed training their amazing Front Office & Guest Relations teams!

Many thanks to the AICR UK committee for organising the first event of 2025. The evening was hosted by Suzanna Di Domenico and her amazing team at the Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, the second Mandarin Oriental property here in London. Thank you for showing us your beautiful new hotel. We had a fan-tastic time!

Our Consultant Diego had the great pleasure of training & coaching the Front Office team at the Thompson Madrid. The first property of the Thompson Hotels brand in Europe is located in the heart of Diego’s hometown Madrid, in an iconic building on Plaza del Carmen. We would like to thank their management for organising our training, and their team for the fantastic support. We wish them a very successful end of year – with great results, motivated colleagues and many happy guests.

Uzbekistan, a central Asian nation so rich in history and culture, while still being off the beaten track for many. Our Consultant Raad had the pleasure of training the Reservations, Front Office, F&B and Spa teams at the InterContinental Tashkent this month. The energy which these young people bring to the organisation is phenomenal, and with the right development, they will be great contributors to the growth of the tourism and hospitality sector in the country. Now it’s time to say “Rahmat” and goodbye to this amazing team.

Corinthia London is nestled in the heart of Westminster. The hallowed walls of London’s Magical Grand Hotel discreetly hold the tales of many illustrious residents and guests. But what truly makes it special is the team, their attention to detail and personalised service. Our Senior Consultant Stefanie had the great pleasure of consulting, training and coaching their Front Office Team. We wish you a happy & healthy festive season and a great start to the new year. Here’s to a very successful partnership in 2025!

50 Shades of Hospitality is a global podcast, dedicated to learning from industry players around the world. It consists of a series of almost 100 conversations with international hospitality and tourism experts. Many thanks to Crystal and Egidio for inviting us as guests, and for giving us the opportunity to share our thoughts on the theme ‘Invest in your team, and they will invest in you.’ We look forward to the launch of our interview, which will be available on the 50 Shades website and all major podcast streaming services early next year.

The Conservatorium Hotel, part of The Set Collection, is one of the leading design hotels in Amsterdam. Their breathtaking Cartier Christmas tree is the centrepiece of this year’s festive season and lights up the esteemed living room. Invest in your team, and they will invest in you. Our Senior Consultant Raad had the pleasure of training & coaching the amazing Front Office and Guest Relations teams. We look forward to a successful partnership - with boosted results, a highly motivated team, and many memorable guest experiences.

Many congratulations to the Receptionist of the Year 2024 Sonia Bharj (Pan Pacific London), the 1st runner-up Ayesha Khizar (Mandarin Oriental Mayfair), and the 2nd runner-up Maximillian Jones (Claridge's). You and all the other amazing finalists can be very proud of your achievements. With such aspiring talents and supportive managers, the future of the UK hospitality shines bright! As proud sponsors, it was a great pleasure to be one of the role players today. We look forward to supporting Sonia's preparations for the international competition.

The AICR UK committee, judges and role players are ready to find the Receptionist of the Year 2024. Who will succeed Chelsea Lacey and represent the United Kingdom at the 61st AICR International Congress in Athens? The winner will be announced at tonight’s reception at the Corinthia London. We keep our fingers crossed and wish all 10 finalists great success!

We’re delighted to announce that Raad Masarwah has been promoted to Senior Consultant. For the last 3 years, he has been providing our consulting & training services across the EAME region, receiving great feedback from the workshop participants, and producing excellent results for our hotel partners. Raad is actively involved in project work, program design, and business development. He is a fantastic facilitator, experienced advisor, and an amazing team player.

Many thanks to the AICR UK committee for arranging tonight’s fabulous event, and for organising this year’s Receptionist of the Year competition. The evening was hosted by our friends at Hotel Cafe Royal. A big thank you to their team for the warm welcome and excellent hospitality. And huge congratulations to the Finalists of this year’s ROTY competition! You, your mentors & supporters can be very proud of making it to the last round. We look forward to meeting you on 25th November to find out who will be crowned the winner.

2024 has been an exciting year for the AICR UK, with new initiatives, membership numbers growing further, and more sponsors joining. Many thanks for organising last night’s drinks reception at The Cadogan. It was a wonderful evening and a great opportunity to catch up with the committee and with fellow sponsors. We look forward to the next event, hosted by our dear friends at Hotel Cafe Royal. And we’ll meet again at the Corinthia London next month to find out who will be crowned the UK’s Best Receptionist 2024.

Care for people so they can be their best. Our Senior Consultant Stefanie had a great time auditing, consulting, training and coaching the Sales Teams at the Andaz and Hyatt Regency London. Our tailored workshops incorporated both hotels and the various sales opportunities of their Events Planners, MICE, Social Events and Proactive Sales team members. With your eagerness to learn new techniques and everyone's amazing support, we will boost sales results and enhance guest experiences further.