David Clarke, Chief Executive of Best Western Hotels GB, speaks to Hospitality & Events North about how the UK’s largest group of independent hotels is tackling the recession and why the UK hotel industry has a lot to be proud of.

David Clarke has been in the hotel industry for over 30 years and has seen the good and bad times come and go. He’s overseen the fanfare of major events, met VIPs and knows how a lampshade should be positioned. David’s first foray into hotel management was also his most formative. In the early 1970s he was Assistant Manager at the Lygon Arms, a country house hotel in the Cotswold village of Broadway. He cites the hotel’s owner, the late Douglas Barrington, as being one of his inspirations: “He taught me how to look after customers and the importance of attention to detail. Every detail, from lampshades to curtains, were in the correct place; phenomenal attention to detail. I learnt a lot by the way he treated me, he led in such a charismatic way.” David went on to serve in a number of management positions, including Managing Director of Portland Hotels, before joining Interchange & Consort Hotels Ltd, the company behind Best Western Hotels, in January 2006.

David is at the peak of his career: “I love what I do; the highlight of my career is now.” This is not to say he hasn’t enjoyed a rollercoaster ride hosting events at hotels he’s worked at. He was General Manager at The Caledonian Hotel in Edinburgh in the early 1990s when the European Summit came to town, complete with the leading politicians of the day including the then Prime Minister, John Major. “It was an enormous privilege to host the summit but with it brought enormous challenges – the security and sheer hard work for one thing – but it was a fantastic experience though one I wouldn’t like to go through again!” Everything ran smoothly for David and his team until the very last day when the delegation didn’t leave until long after their appointed midday departure time. “The hotel was closed to the public until they left and we had Christmas party bookings from 6pm. We had to wait for the all clear to reopen the hotel and were facing a dilemma of whether or not to ask the party guests to make alternative arrangements; luckily it didn’t come to that.”

Over the years David has experienced recessions and understands the value of trust during tough economic times: “My experience of recessions is that people are less likely to experiment with their choices. Rather, the consumer makes decisions based on factors such as choice, location, price and security – the trust they have in a brand.” The Best Western brand has been established in the UK for over 40 years and is the largest group of independently owned and managed hotels in the UK with over 280 three- and four-star properties. “Best Western is recognised as a brand that can be trusted and is the biggest single reason why people bring their business to Best Western,” he adds.

Far from relying on its credentials as a leading hotel brand, Best Western has adapted its offering to cater to recent changes in the marketplace. Earlier this year it launched Best Western Venues, a venue-wide new standard for meetings and events, which means all aspects of event planning, booking, execution and costing is consistent across all Best Western’s venues, which covers over 1,300 meeting rooms. “The objective is to make sure the person holding the meeting will know in advance what they get for the price; it will remove the surprise of hidden extra costs,” explains David. The hotel also re-launched its loyalty programme earlier this year by adding greater value, such as room upgrades and hotel stays. Over the next 12 months, Best Western will be working to ensure rates quoted are consistent across all available routes, including all online retailers.

With the Basil Fawlty image of bad mannered hoteliers and inept staff all but a distant lampoon thanks to the UK hotel industry’s investment and progression over the past couple of decades, David doesn’t believe that the industry’s high standards should be compromised by the recession: “The service ethos in the industry has improved enormously but it needs to be maintained by ongoing investment in staff and services. The industry shouldn’t start cutting corners – it’s easy to lose quality quickly and difficult to get it back,” he explains. “What we’ve got in Great Britain is damn good. We’re very good in this country at bringing ourselves down but there’s a lot to be confident about.”

For details, visit www.bestwestern.co.uk