THE general manager of a soon-to-open central London hotel is using the dreaded millennium bug to his advantage.
David Sharpe, of the Shaw Park Plaza, is pledging to keep his prices at rock-bottom rates as he fears a breakdown in computer technology could affect the quality of the service.
He claims he is not being unrealistic.
“I am not being a damp squib,” says David. “We have a team working on the bug. All our equipment that is being installed is bug compliant, but there is a worry about external influences.”
He says there is no way that a hotel manager can predict what level of service they can provide over the big millennium changeover.
David, whose hotel is sited between King’s Cross and Euston railway stations, said he also wanted to keep prices at rack rates because he could not rely on staff foregoing their celebrations to work over the New Year.
“How can hotel and restaurant managers guarantee staff are prepared to work on a night that will only happen once in their lifetime?” he said.
David’s policy goes against the trend of other London hotels, which will inevitably raise rates to take advantage of a huge influx of New Year revellers into thecapital.
Even with him holding rates, David does not really expect to be full over themillennium as the hotel only opens thisSeptember.
Catering has also been hit by his fear of the millennium terror.
He has done away with the usual five-star service and will only offer bed and breakfast.