FAIRMONT Hotels and Resorts is launching a sales and marketing drive in a bid to boost bookings from the UK by 15%-20% by the end of next year.

FAIRMONT Hotels and Resorts is launching a sales and marketing drive in a bid to boost bookings from the UK by 15%-20% by the end of next year.

The hotel management company, owned by Canadian-Pacific Hotels, has 36 five-star city and resort hotels throughout the US, Canada, Bermuda, Barbados and Mexico.

Well known properties include The Plaza Hotel in New York and The Fairmont SanFrancisco.

New staff will be taken on at Fairmont’s London sales office to blitz travel agents with information on the brand.

Staff will also be attending next week’s World Travel Market in Earl’s Court.

Fairmont Hotels and Resort executive director Paul Ryan said: “Canadian-Pacific Hotels is a better known brand name than Fairmont in this market, so in effect we are starting from scratch.

“We want to position the brand name Fairmont in the minds of the UK trade including travel agents, corporate agents and tour operators.”

Ryan said he was looking at joint promotions with partners and offering fam trips for top producing agents.

“The UK is our biggest market outside of America,” added Ryan.

“We’ve already seen an increase in bookings of 15%-20% this year and we’ll be looking to see bookings increase by at least that by the end of next year.”

Ryan said Fairmont was interested in expanding its presence to Europe but would only consider landmark properties that fitted in with the kudos of the group’s existing hotel and resort portfolio.

Shaw Park Plaza marks anniversary

LONDON’S ShawPark Plaza Hotel is celebrating its first anniversary by offering guests staying in superior rooms at the Euston Road Hotel between October and January next year, an upgrade to a business suite. In addition it is giving away a bottle of champagne to clients dining in its Mirrors restaurant.

Since last year the Shaw Park has had an average room occupancy of 85%. It opened a guest-only gym in April which includes a sauna, steam and beauty treatment room as well as aerobic equipment, a multi-gym and weights.

The Park Plaza Hotels group is working on the Park Plaza Hotel in Victoria, due to open next May, and recently acquired the Sherlock Hotel in Baker Street.