News in brief from Jurys Inns, Heathrow Airtrack and easyHotel
Jurys Inns raises £60m for restructure
Hotel chain Jurys Inns Group has raised £60m from existing shareholders and lenders to support "continued growth and expansion."
The Group said a consortium led by Quinlan Private and the Oman Investment Fund had also come to its aid.
Jurys Inns' ceo John Brennan said the new funds were a "vote of confidence" in the its business model in a challenging trading environment.
Five new Jurys Inns hotels have opened in the UK this year as part of an "ambitious" expansion programme.
The Group plans to open a further four hotels next year in Portsmouth, Glasgow, Newcastle and Bradford.
The first Jurys Inns hotel on mainland Europe will open this September in Prague, the Czech Republic.
www.jurysinns.com
Heathrow Airtrack plans submitted
British airports operator BAA has sent its plans for the proposed London Heathrow rail link to the UK transport secretary.
The Airtrack rail link will connect Heathrow with the national rail network to the south and west of the airport.
The application, if approved, will allow BAA to buy any land needed for the development.
Heathrow Airtrack could one day link Heathrow's T5 to London Waterloo, Guildford and Reading.
BAA said a public inquiry into the plans could begin in 2010 if the project is approved by the transport secretary.
www.baa.com www.dft.gov.uk
easyHotel occupancy hits 94%
Budget hotelier easyHotel has reported 94% occupancy in the second quarter, up from 90% last year.
easyHotel said it had seen a "buoyant" quarter with average daily rates (ADR) up 5% year-on-year to £40.22.
Revenue per available room (revPAR) rose 9% to £37.82 as a result of the improved rates and occupancy.
The "super budget" hotelier, founded by easyJet entrepreneur Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, will open a new property in Cyprus this year.
New builds in Dubai, Sofia and Berlin will add 400 rooms to easyHotel's portfolio.
www.easyhotel.com