Jim Murphy - PREM Group’s Managing Director

Over the last few weeks there has been some comment in the media from Taxi representatives that there is now an over supply of taxis in Ireland and in Dublin in particular . From a consumer viewpoint it is indeed easier to get a taxi these days and surely that is a good thing particulerly on weekend nights . It is a pity that when the taxi regulator was deregulating the industry they did not use the opportunity to deal with the standard of taxis on our roads . I recently had some Belgium clients in Dublin and we needed a taxi for four persons . The taxi arrived on-time when we ordered it ,but you should have seen the faces on my colleagues when they saw the car that arrived for us . Four of us had to squeeze into a 1999 Toyota Corolla that in my view had seen better days . Now I have nothing against the Toyota Corolla ,I think I owned one at some stage ,but surely this model was not designed to be a taxi . At best it was designed to carry three passengers in some comfort ,not four adults plus the driver .Given the age of the car I would question its road wordiness as a commercial vehicle ,yet I am sure if asked the owner could show it had passed the necessary tests . Contrast that experience if you order a taxi in most other European country’s .If you arrive in Brussels airport for example you will be met by a line of taxi’s all the same color ,all of a sufficient size to take four passengers in comfort ,most will be Mercedes or similar and all will be spotlessly clean both inside and out . Is it not time that we made moves to standardise the taxi fleet in Ireland . I have no doubt the Taxi unions will say that the cost of the cars in Ireland are much higher than in the rest of Europe ,etc,etc,. Someone needs to tackle all these issues and set a target to improve the quality of the product for the consumer . Perhaps a tax incentive ,similar to the Capital Allowance scheme that was available to Hotels could be designed for new taxis . In the Hotel sector we have a modern world class hotel product ,much of which would not exist if it were not for the capital allowance schemes of the last two decades .

 Over the last three months we have been bombarded with information on the slowdown in the US economy and the impact that it would have on the economy’s around the world . I don’t know about you but I am beginning to find the information overload and analysis in the business pages a bit tedious . Who really knows what the next few months has in store ? In Ireland the American market is critical to the success of our tourist industry . After a pretty poor first quarter we are all hoping for a pick up in the coming months as the season gets into its stride . Given the weakness in the dollar ( and more recently sterling ) you would wonder why anyone in America would even consider venturing outside of the United States for there hard earned vacation . Yet you have to remain optimistic and try and search for some positives among all the doom and gloom . Therefore it was somewhat reassuring to get the following a opinion on the American situation from the Irish Tourist Industry Confederation . Lets hope this analysis is correct .

• This week the International Air Transport Association (IATA) downgraded its industry profit expectations for 2008 to $4.5 billion, based on global economic growth slowing to 2.6% and an average annualised oil price of $85 per barrel.  That’s the second downgrading since September last when IATA predicted $7.8 billion profit for this year, and that figure was revised downwards again in December to $5 billion.(IATA represents some 240 airlines comprising 94% of scheduled international air traffic).
• At an average annual price of $86 per barrel, fuel represents 32% of airline operating costs and a total bill of $156 billion, according to IATA
• Nonetheless passenger demand increased in February by 4 to 5%, though this was well down from the demand growth of 7.4% in February of last year.  Things are slowing down according to IATA boss Giovanni Bisignoni.
• The full introduction of Open Skies on March 31st complicates forecasting too.  For instance there are 25% more weekly flights scheduled to serve the US market out of Heathrow.  It is reasonable to assume that consumers will benefit from greater choice and lower fares due to intensified competition.
• Although there is only a marginal increase in capacity on Irish transatlantic routes, we should also benefit from greater choice and lower fares.  Aer Lingus have direct services from 3 new gateways, San Francisco, Washington DC and Orlando (these new routes were introduced last Autumn).
• The US credit crunch has clearly dented consumer confidence.
• According to a New York Times/CBS poll, Americans are more dissatisfied with the country’s direction than at any time since this poll started in the early 1990’s.
• 81% of respondents believe “things have pretty seriously gotten off on the wrong track”, up from 69% a year ago and 35% in early 2002.  There is now, it appears, nearly a national consensus that the country faces significant problems.
• 78% of respondents said the country was worse off now than 5 years ago, just 4% said it was better off.  Only 21% of respondents said the overall economy was in good condition.
• Interestingly the poll found that Americans blame Government more than banks or borrowers, with 40% blaming the Regulators, 28% blaming the lenders and 14% blaming the borrowers.
• Also interestingly a clear majority favoured Government help for individuals but not for financial institutions, even if the measures would help limit the depth of a recession.
• Perhaps somewhat reassuringly, more than 70% said their financial situation was fairly good or very good, which is only slightly down on 2006.
• Curiously the poll found that 43% of those surveyed said they would prefer a larger Government that provided more services, while an identical 43% said they wanted a smaller Government that provided fewer services.
• As for the longer term, only 46% of parents said they expected their children to enjoy a better standard of living than they themselves do, down from 56% in 2005.  In more general terms about the next generation, only a third believe it would live better than people do today.  That suggests a current lack of confidence and natural parental concerns.  It is very probable that every generation of parents believed similarly from time to time, but the reality has always been different.
• The nationwide New York Times/CBS poll was carried out by phone between March 28th and April 2nd and the margin of sampling error was plus or minus 3 percentage points.
• But consumers are resilient, none more so than US consumers, and many many millions will vacation as always this year.  Europe and Ireland will get their share thanks to competitive access costs, though we will probably see fewer than we would have predicted 6 months ago.  Lower fuel costs, a stronger dollar and a pick up in US consumer confidence are what is needed.
• And perhaps that’s on the way.  At a recent forum called A Wall Street Look at the Business of Business Travel, Ken McGill, Executive Vice-President and Managing Director, travel and tourism, for the economic analysis firm Global Insight, said that the US is currently in a recession.  He added it was “mild”, and that the negative growth will last only two consecutive quarters, which is generally described as the minimum time frame of a recession.”The global economy is both robust and broadly distributed, and the interplay between growing and slowing economies around the world will help the US economy recover quickly”, he added.

  He also predicted that both increases in fuel prices and decreases in the value of the dollar would moderate in the medium term, contributing to recovery.  “The global economy is a good-news story: slowing growth, then getting back on track.”

  Let’s hope Ken is right.

Forget Paris. Give Milan a break. Antwerp is confirming its status as Europe’s capital of cool

by Stephanie Duval ,Flanders Today

When you look at Antwerp closely - filtering out the tourist attractions and construction sites - you’ll probably reach the same conclusion we did. Antwerp really is the new Paris. This is not just a slogan that sounds good (though we think it does). There’s more to it than that. Stephanie Duval investigates

When people think of Paris, they think of romance and history, culture and good eating, and probably also of fashion. Antwerp has all that, and more. The city has long been labelled the fashion capital of Belgium, but we reckon you could just as easily call it the fashion capital of Europe. Of course Paris and Milan have a much longer history when it comes to prestigious houses of fashion - a rich heritage that can’t be ignored.
But where do you go if you’re looking for something new? You turn to Antwerp.Talented international design students are desperate to secure a place at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts so that they can study under Antwerp’s leading fashion designers. Other fashion cities may have head start on us, but we’re catching up fast.

In the beginning were the “Six”: The fashion world went wild over six Antwerp designers with difficult names: Walter Van Beirendonck, Ann Demeulemeester, Dries Van Noten, Dirk Van Saene, Marina Yee and Dirk Bikkembergs. Almost overnight, the port city became known all over the world for its fresh, avant-garde designer talent.

The six paved the way for subsequent generations, and new Antwerp designers have emerged to claim the attention of the international fashion crowd. The designer duo behind AF Vandervorst, for example, recently celebrated their 10th anniversary on a Milan catwalk. Last year, Bruno Pieters became the artistic director at Hugo Boss, while Kris Van Assche holds the reins at Dior Homme. The head offices migh be situated in the capital of France, but we all know where the talent is coming from.

Antwerp also outshines other cities in terms of culture, romance and history: just take a long walk along the River Scheldt or a stroll through the older parts of the city. Traditional gables hide hundreds of years of history, and small cobblestone streets lead to picturesque squares with benches and old trees.

ut this doesn’t mean that Antwerp is old-fashioned. On the contrary, it leads the way in contemporary architecture designed to blend in with the historical surroundings. The “Eilandje” - the hip docklands neighbourhood - is the place where small creative businesses thrive. And where the number of trendy cafes is growing exponentially.

The city has cleaned up some of the seedier quarters of the Eilandje, such as the Falconplein, which has been transformed into an attractive square where people from two different parts of the city meet one another.

The Royal Ballet of Flanders, meanwhile, chose Antwerp for its head offices and it’s here that they perform most of their productions, while scintillating operas are staged nightly in the beautifully refurbished Flanders Opera building.

It’s almost impossible to describe all the ways in which Antwerp lives up to the description of “the new Paris”. It’s best to find this out for yourself, so we’ve put together a list of some of the best places to go in Antwerp. You won’t find most of these places in the standard tourist guides, but trust us. We know Antwerp. And it’s just like Paris.
DAWN
Locals living in Het Zuid district like to eat breakfast at Farine’s Food (Vlaamse Kaai 40), where guests all sit at one big table, creating an instant family feel. There’s a lot more to discover in this area, including the boutique of Antwerp jewellery label Atelier 11 (Scheldestraat 32). Expect original designs that exude that typically Antwerp sense of extravagant fun.
MORNING
A little further down on the Nationalestraat, Sien (Nationalestraat 91-95) is the new kid in town when it comes to world-class designer fashion. Proenza Schouler, Givenchy, Allessandro Dell’Acqua and Hussein Chalayan are just a few of the names Marie-Josine van de Water offers in her luxurious boutique. If your budget doesn’t stretch quite that far, you can head down to the equally chic boutique LXP (Hopland 53), short for Luxperience, where you can rent gorgeous designer outfits, accessories and jewellery. There’s even a secret entrance in case you want to enter and leave unnoticed.
AFTER WORK
Antwerp locals know Man Chi as the place to go for a quick massage. Right next door, the neighbourhood’s new wellness salon Sukha (Ijzerenwaag 11) offers an ayurvedic treatment for every ailment. Beauty aficionados will also be thrilled to discover the little Italian shop Santa Maria Novella (Augustijnenstraat 39). Following the ancient traditions and recipes of herbal care, this luxuriou brand offers perfumes and skin careproducts.
LUNCH
For a glimpse of Antwerp’s hip crowd, book lunch at Hungry Henrietta (Lombardenvest 19). Who knows, you might find yourself rubbing shoulders with Dries Van Noten or Walter Van Beirendonck. However, if it’s organic food that makes you tick, you’ll love Lombardia (Lombardenvest78). Its extravagant interior harbours a health-food restaurant serving Antwerp’s best vegan salads, sandwiches and homemade iced tea.
DINNER
Fiskebar (Marnixplaats 12) is something of a culinary newcomer, but it’s already known as the best place for fish in the entire city.
Insider’s tip: order several appetisers instead of one main dish, and eat them like tapas. After dinner, take your pick from the various options Antwerp’s nightlife has to offer. In any case, don’t even think of going to bed before you have visited the best cocktail bar in Belgium. The head bartender at Sips (Gillisplaats is a true genius. Though not exactly spacious, this place is hotspot central.
SUNSET
Want some dancing to take you into morning? Cross the river and head to Club Cabane (Jachthavenweg 1, Linkeroever) to join the city’s jet set. This is also the place to catch the last rays of Sunlight while sitting on a beautiful terrace overlooking the Scheldt. There’s even a swimming pool for those long summer days. For the less Bling-Bling crowd, there’s Lucy (Solveynstraat 2). The restaurant and bar on top of the Arthur building offer an amazing view of the city skyline. During the day, it’s an art gallery featuring experimental and creative projects. Get there while you can though - Lucy is a pop-up concept that could disappear without warning.
LATE NIGHT
Music buffs will love Trix (Noordersingel 28). This cultural platform offers lesser-known bands and upcoming DJs the chance to showcase their skills and build up an audience. If it’s the dance sceneyou’re looking for, the best place to go is the newish club Noxx (Straatsburgdok - Noordkaai 3). The glamourous location offers a different experience in each of its rooms. The LED ceiling and dance floor provide the perfect backdrop for your favourite dancing moves.
AND SO TO BED
PremGroup have four Hotels in Antwerp conveniently located around the city -

Ramada Plaza Antwerp

Express by Holiday Inn Antwerp

Astoria Hotel

Carlton Hotel

For the best rates for these and all our hotels log on to www.premgroup.com

PREM Group are not the only Irish people to show an interest in Belgium and Flanders in particular. The following article documents a long connection between both countries. Everyone is aware of the Irish pubs that take up some of the best real estate locations in historic Flemish cities. But the Irish presence in Flanders goes far beyond a well-pulled pint served by a cheerful barman from Dublin.  The Irish have been coming to Flanders since at least the eighth century. The patron saint of Mechelen, St Rombout, was an Irish monk murdered near Mechelen by two men after he advised them to change their evil ways. By the 17^th century, a sizeable Irish community had settled in the Irish College in Leuven, where they worked on several texts that helped to shape Irish cultural identity. The Irish also came to this region to fight in the various European wars that scarred the Flemish landscape. Many belonged to the band of Irish soldiers known as the Wild Geese that tramped across 17^th century Europe on behalf of Louis XIV of France. One of them, Patrick Sarsfield, died in Landen, near Sint-Truiden, in 1693. As he lay bleeding to death on foreign soil, he lamented: “Would it were for Ireland”.  One quarter of a million Irish soldiers came to Flanders in the First World War to fight in the armies of the British Empire, many of them also wishing that they were dying for their homeland. Some came from Catholic families hostile to the British presence in Ireland, while others were from Protestant families loyal to the throne. They fought alongside one another only once – in the Battle of Messines Ridge in June 1917, when a largely Irish army captured the low ridge south of Ypres, paving the way for the Battle of Passchendaele later in the summer.  The Irish connection was forgotten by most people after the war. But 10 years ago, in a symbolic gesture of reconciliation, Queen Elisabeth II joined the Irish President Mary McAleese to unveil a tower in memory of the Irish dead of the war. The round stone structure was modelled on traditional Irish towers and built partly with stones salvaged from a British army barracks in Tipperary destroyed during the Irish struggle for independence. The ceremony on the bleak ridge nine kilometres south of Ypres was the first public event attended jointly by a British monarch and an Irish president.  It is worth remembering the many Irish people who have passed through this region of Europe, picking up something of its culture and language on the way – like James Joyce, the Irish Writer who spent a few days in Antwerp, took Dutch lessons in Ostend and sprinkled his utterly baffling novel Finnegans Wake with words lovingly culled from the language of the Flemish.    

by Anne O’Regan

March 07th 2008 marked ‘Daffodil Day’ which is a fund raising day in aid of the ‘Irish Cancer Society’.In past years our company and employees have participated in fund raising events which included selling of daffodil pins and flowers and even a trip ‘back to the floor’ for our Managing Director, Jim Murphy. This involved Jim getting back in uniform and working a breakfast shift at our Days Hotel Galway. Great funds raised by his efforts and lots of very satisfied customers!This year, we decided to do something a little different. - As well as the usual sales of pins & flowers, one of our accounts team volunteered (was convinced!!) to have his leg hair waxed, if we managed to raise €1,000. I guess when you hear that the person is a guy (Colin Nolan) that will make you raise your eye brows a little more!! With this incentive dangling before us like a carrot, we eagerly set about reaching our target. Everyone was so generous and got busy rattling tins for spare cents, raffling an Easter hamper and selling daffodil pins & flowers. Even the beautician (Toni from Tonic Hair & Beauty) was kind enough to donate her services and time, without charge.As the day dawned, Colin received the news that, not only had we reached our target, we had exceeded it! Thanks to everyone who donated and helped to raise €1,225.00 for the Irish Cancer Society. – Particular thanks to Colin who not only donated some cash, but his leg hair as well!! Colin was very brave and didn’t shed a tear. In fact, the only tears shed, were tears of laughter, from Colin’s colleagues!

The University of Delaware recently teamed up with Courtyard by Marriott to develop a room concept for the hotel of the future . The following video is the result . A lot of the ideas are technology based as you would expect ,yet some make a lot of sense such as the water efficient shower . I wonder how long the alarm clock would last before it is slipped into someones suitcase . There is no talk of the most important item in any hotel bedroom and that is the bed . I recently stayed in a new 5 star hotel in Ireland and I have to say that it was the worst bed I have ever slept in . Surely when a hotel is being designed a top class bed should be  standard regardless whether it is a budget or 5 star hotel . When we are designing the hotel room of the future we should at least get the bed right . Click on the following link to see the video of the hotel room of the future.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-LWSkZkjr8

newsletter-prem-group-270807.pdf

Every day is a struggle for children diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. For them, it is usually more difficult to experience the joy that should be part of their daily life. Therefore, the objective of BEYOND THE MOON is to give some days filled with laughter and joyful experiences to as many of these children as possible, together with their families. Our MOON brightens up the dark and painful days of those children and will shine forever. For more info, visit our website www.beyondthemoon.org In spite of its international outreach, BEYOND THE MOON can perfectly act as a local charity in every community or country, and thus make everyone’s support very tangible. Collected funds are used to offer these children and their families an all-in carefree vacation to a child-friendly destination, far away from the hospitals and the daily treatments. A sponsor can personally refer a sick child that he/she knows from his/her community or BEYOND THE MOON can nominate a sick child and family on behalf of the sponsor. That makes the sponsors support very tangible, transparent and gratifying.    How our partnership got started Our cooperation with PREM Group started in November 2005 with a pledge of €4,000 on behalf of the staff at the corporate office, to offer the family Mantle (the first Irish family!) a holiday of a lifetime at Disneyland ® Resort Paris. The staff decided to forfeit their annual Christmas party funding and instead donated it to BEYOND THE MOON. Soon thereafter, the hotels in Ireland and the United Kingdom partnered with our association and embraced our mission through our “Change for Children” programme. Next, as a result of the business expansion to Europe, also hotels in Belgium and the Premier Apartments in Ireland and the United Kingdom joined the BEYOND THE MOON family and displayed a “Change for Children” collection box a the reception with donation envelopes in each bedroom. PREM Group have, to date, sent 4 families on a BEYOND THE MOON vacation experience and we have raised sufficient funds for two more families to be nominated shortly. The following newsletter details some of the fundraising activities carried out by the PREM Group team as well as testimonials from some of the families.

Corporate Lesson 1
A sales rep, an administration clerk, and the manager are walking to
lunch when they find an antique oil lamp. They rub it and a Genie comes
out. The Genie says, “I’ll give each of you just one wish.”
“Me first! Me first!” says the administration clerk.
“I want to be in the Bahamas, driving a speedboat, without a care in
the world.” Poof! She’s gone.
“Me next! Me next!” says the sales rep.
“I want to be in Hawaii, relaxing on the beach with my personal
masseuse, an endless supply of Pina Coladas and the love of my life.”
Poof! He’s gone.“OK, you’re up,” the Genie says to the manager.

Corporate Lesson 2

A crow was sitting on a tree, doing nothing all day.
A rabbit asked him, “Can I also sit like you and do nothing all day long?”
The crow answered: “Sure, why not.” So, the rabbit sat on the ground
below the crow, and rested.
A fox jumped on the rabbit and ate it.
Moral of the story: To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be
sitting very high up.

Corporate Lesson 3 A turkey was chatting with a bull. “I would love to be able to get to
the top of that tree,” the turkey sighed, but I haven’t got the energy.”“Well, why don’t you nibble on my droppings?” replied the bull.”
They’re packed with nutrients.”
The turkey pecked at a lump of dung and found that it gave him enough
strength to reach the lowest branch of the tree.
The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch.

Finally after a fourth night, there he was proudly perched at the top of the tree.He was soon spotted by a farmer, who shot him out of the tree.
Moral of the story: Bullsh*t might get you to the top, but it won’t
keep you there.

I recently had the pleasure of been invited to dinner at Gordon Ramsey’s restaurant at Claridges in London . I must admit that I am a bit of a fan . I really enjoyed his no nonsense approach when helping out restaurants in his Kitchen nightmares series . More recently I have enjoyed getting into The F Word and having recently got SKY+ at home I can record all these programmes and watch them at my leisure .

When I started out in the hotel business I was very fortunate to spend some time in Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland when it was a British Transport Hotel and 5 star service was provided ,regardless of cost . I worked  in the main restaurant and service was in the classical French style .This was hierarchy style of service I thought that had all but disappeared in restaurants over the last two decades . It was a very pleasant surprise to see this traditional level of service live on at Gordon Ramseys given the labour intensity that is required .While the service and atmosphere were great is was the food that excelled .We all went for the seven course tasting menu at £75 per person .It was great to see and to be able to sample some of the dishes featured on the chefs TV shows . I enjoyed trying the pea soup and poached quail egg ,mind you it looked better on TV .The beef wellington main course was the ‘tour de force’ ,a traditional dish cooked to perfection . A lot of tasting menus in restaurants can often leave you feeling hungry ,but not in this case portions were generous . I have no doubt that Chef Ramsey was nowhere near the restaurant but his influence was everywhere and his professional team did him justice . All we were missing was some expletives coming from the kitchen ,but perhaps that is the image ,strikes me Gordon Ramsey is a shrewd business man and if he continues to deliver the quality we enjoyed in Claridges ,he can only go from strength to strength .If you are in London ,put this on the list of restaurants to visit ,even better if you can get someone else to invite you . Thanks Alexis !!