Drive Profitability and Support Re-Structuring and Re-Branding of a Seasonal Hotel
30 Bedroom, 3 Star Coastal Hotel
South West
Brief
The directors were unhappy with the current management of the hotel and losses being incurred by the business. To turn a loss making hotel into a profitable seasonal family seaside resort. Operationally, to oversee the re brand and relaunch of the hotel’s food and beverage offering, accommodation provision and spa on a minimal budget, and adjust management structure accordingly.
Project duration: 18 months- 1 day per week
Key Actions
- Restructure of management team including head chef
- Promote and mentor new General Manager
- Operational team support
- Spa project rebrand and refit
- New Food and Beverage concept
Outcome
A long term project with ongoing weekly contact. A roadmap towards profitability, with new product offering and people in place to deliver the transformation. Introduction of management information and analysis, to include board of director reports.
Testimonial
"Tim brought his operational expertise to the hotel at a difficult time. The existing manager was struggling and the team unsettled and unhappy. As a newly promoted General Manager, I benefitted from Tim’s support, and we began to turn the business around operationally. The hotel continued to face seasonal challenges, however Tim was a cornerstone of its success during the rebrand and relaunch."
S Cobbin
General Manager
Family Owned Hotel Business Sale and Transition to New Ownership
80 Bedroom Resort Hotel
Dorset
Brief
A privately owned and traditionally run family hotel in the process of being sold to a hotel investment company required operational and management mentoring, to guide the vendors and the business through the process, and to enable a smooth transition to new ownership. To move a loss making seasonal hotel to breakeven point, and support a new development team’s planning project from an operations perspective.
Project duration: 24 months - 2 days per week (commenced 10 months prior to purchase)
Key Actions
- Mentoring role to the incumbent General Manager
- Replace 100% manual systems with Hotel Perfect property management system and management information system.
- Ensured the premises were fully compliant.
- Manage long standing guest expectations throughout the sale / purchase transition.
- Developed new food and beverage offering to include a café bar with minimal budget
- Recruitment of new management team, to include General Manager, Head Chef and Bookkeeper
- Kitchen works refurbishment
- Monthly management information board presentations
Outcome
A very sensitive consultancy, and an emotional family business sale. Taking a large seasonal hotel of 80 rooms gradually forwards, from a 100% manual reservation system and multiple traditions and systems, and integrating it into the new hotel company. A new General Manager and management support team was recruited, and every aspect of the business reviewed and rationalised, to move the loss making business to the required breakeven point. The hotel was handed over to a full time resort manager to take forwards.
Testimonial
My family had owned the hotel since just after WW2, and in recent years we had struggled with the ageing property and old fashioned manual systems. Tim brought his knowledge of hotel operations to modernise our reservations, billing and management information systems. He was an important support through a very emotional journey, as the family passed over the keys. We introduced a new food and beverage service, rationalised wage costs and began to reduce losses.
K Ferguson
Owner
Introducing Exclusive Use Events and Weddings to Strengthen Revenue Streams
Private Estate with Hospitality Businesses
Cornwall
Brief
The estate wanted to attract exclusive use events, including weddings, but didn’t know where to begin. To advise on the potential exclusive use and wedding market revenue stream, and teach the management team how to attract, plan, price, communicate and execute successful events.
Project Duration: 7 Days.
Key Actions
To review and advise on all key aspects of the business, present recommendations and action changes.
- Develop USP for weddings and events.
- Template wedding and exclusive use offers
- Share industry contacts
- General Manager coaching to understand the seasonal revenue opportunity of weddings and events.
Outcome
A new wedding business and exclusive use offer was established, and the events business began to grow.
Testimonial
"Tim was recommended to us and we were pleased to get him involved. We were weeks away from relaunching a hotel when it became clear we needed external support to ensure we could do this successfully. In a very short time he identified what was required and then supported us delivering that. We have since worked with Tim on a number of other projects and would not hesitate to recommend him to you. A worthwhile investment."
Ramon van de Velde
CEO
Hotel Pre-Opening Planning, Management Budgeting and Performance Coaching
Private Estate with Hospitality Businesses
Cornwall
Brief
The estate’s owners had two clear areas of concern with the hospitality arm of their business. The first was a hotel which they had purchased, and was at the time undergoing complete renovation works. Secondly, they were facing operational challenges in an existing gastropub. It required a review of operations in readiness for opening of the new hotel, and a roadmap to profitability for the gastropub, and in both businesses, to develop a team the estate’s owners would have confidence in.
Project duration: 2 months – 3 days per week.
Key Actions
- Current management team review
- Review opening operational plan and budget
- Present the estate’s owners with a new vision for the management team and pre opening plan.
- Restructure operational management team
- Coach and support with budget setting and management information system
- Gastropub kitchen team – review costings, stock systems and rota scheduling
Outcome
Both businesses benefitted from external advice to steady the ship, re-energise the teams involved with focused areas of responsibility, and step by step plan put in place for opening.
Review and Transform Student Catering Services
Multi University Campus
South West
Brief
The facilities management team were required to prepare a business case for transformation of existing catering outlets, and to support a new build project of a 100 cover sustainability café and 100 student café bar, to be presented to the universities for approval. Improvements to the university events business, and establishing new service level agreements with the accommodation providers were also sought. The facilities company approached The Brocklebank Partners with a specific set of consultancy requirements to help them with these projects.
Project Duration: 12 months, 3 days per week.
Key Actions
To improve delivery of on campus catering, address staff recruitment and culture and take a lead role in planning future projects to extend and enhance student catering facilities.
- Comprehensive review of all catering outlets.
- Recruitment of executive chef to oversee all food production.
- Establish new menus and pricing
- Establish process and profitability of Events and Hospitality
- Introduction of new commercial design team to the university.
- New designs, business and operational plans for 100 cover sustainability cafe, and 100 cover student cafe bar, and business forecasts for both.
- Creation of ‘business as usual’ plan re-structuring the business around the universities needs.
- Project lead to improve sustainability footprint with the introduction of a ‘Garbage Guzzler’
Outcome
A period of 12 months support resulted in multiple operational and strategic changes, which were then handed over to the in house management team to take forwards.
Recruitment of a new executive head chef, instrumental in improving food quality and production, the increased use of local produce to reduce food miles. A new team structure, with resulting staff culture change. A significant step forwards for the events and hospitality offering, refining both service levels and profitability. Transformation projects agreed and engaged, and designs drawn up, incorporating a degree level student catering architectural design competition.
Testimonial
"Tim has brought his amazing catering and leadership expertise into our campus and helped transform our food offering across our many outlets. He has supported us in developing our two new outlets and also worked with our hospitality teams to bring forward inspiring and more local offerings across the whole range of services required. He is a true professional with a wealth of experience in the hospitality industry."
Tony Sanders
CEO at FxPlus
Reduce Trading Losses, Streamline Operations and Reopen with Covid Safe Practices
Private Members Club and Hotel
Mayfair, London
Brief
The members club had been on the market for several years. Losses were considerable and the business was unappealing to investors. It required a comprehensive business wide review to analyse trading losses and create a roadmap towards profitability, and to secure a positive exit strategy.
Project Duration: 8 months, 2 days per week.
Key Actions
To review and advise on all key aspects of the business, present recommendations and action changes.
- Office systems modernised and moved to digital.
- New PMS, EPOS and STRIPE payment system established.
- Staff restructuring and coaching.
- Building contracts reviewed and necessary changes made
- Employment contracts, employee handbook, and operations procedures established.
- Compliance training updates for fire, first aid, and health and safety.
- New management information reporting system established.
- Food and beverage stock check system introduced
- New food and beverage offering introduced and pricing established.
- Accommodation upgraded, maintenance introduced, cleaned and made compliant
- Re-opening plan with Covid safe practices and training.
- Ongoing monitoring and support of the business post re-opening.
Outcome
The business was supported over a period of 8 months. Following an assessment of the critical short to medium term needs, a plan was drawn up and implemented. Crucially the operation was fine tuned and trading losses reversed. The business was successfully sold in December 2020.
Testimonial
"We engaged Tim on a turnaround project for a small townhouse club in Central London. The business faced a cocktail of historical losses (particularly in F&B), poor record keeping, virtually non-existent systems, staffing and property related issues. Tim approached each area calmly and methodically, engaging with us regularly for key strategic decisions. We were hugely impressed with his mixture of professionalism, work ethic, and sense of perspective (and humour)."
John Kinder
Owner