Hotelier of the week: Mark Lankester

Mark Lankester, Group CEO of Tune Hotels.com talks about the expansion of the budget brand into the London market...

London is one of the world's most popular cities, for both leisure and business travellers. In 2008, it welcomed 14.8 million visitors - almost twice as many as New York.
 
A crucial part of any city is the hotel accommodation it offers - and there has to be a broad enough range to suit every taste and budget.
 
Whilst the economic downturn and a weakening pound have helped make London a somewhat cheaper destination, staying in the capital can still be a costly affair.
 
As we start to emerge from the global economic downturn, we are already starting to see business and leisure travel increasing again. The resulting growth in demand can only fuel higher hotel prices, and this will be exacerbated in London by events such as the 2012 Olympics.
 
The best long-term remedy is a wider choice of low-cost hotels in London. This will ensure there is an extensive choice and continual supply of reasonably priced accommodation, regardless of exchange rates or other factors.
 
This is as important for business travel and it is for leisure - cost-conscious business travellers, many of them running their own companies, need to keep their travel budgets to a minimum.
 
But low cost shouldn't mean low quality. Value is the key and hotels needs to offer a practical range of good quality amenities at an affordable price.
 
Tune Hotels.com offers a five star sleeping experience at a one star price. We focus on the high quality basics with excellent beds of a standard you'd expect to find in a five star hotel, along with ensuite power showers, and then a pay-as-you-use system for energy consuming amenities such as wi-fi and TVs.
 
In this way, we ensure that guests aren't being charged for amenities they won't use - something which is often the case in other hotels - enabling them to manage their travel costs more effectively.
 
Over the next seven years, we plan to open 15 hotels with a total of 1500 rooms in London, with our first property opening in Westminster this September.
 
More good value accommodation like this will make London more affordable, opening it up to a wider audience, and helping it to grow in popularity as destination for both leisure and business travellers.