Radisson - who's in charge?

What on earth is happening at the new Radisson? One day we are told by the management of the hotel that it will not be opening until just before Christmas. The following day the owners of the hotel come out and refuted this claim, insisting that the hotel will be open in the first week of November.

Apparently the construction team are working overtime to ensure the hotel is finished for handover in October and the owners, headed by Ted Clucas, are insistent that the hotel will open in November. It appears that the statement from the hotel's sales and marketing director, Lisa Stewart, was not agreed with the owners and not surprisingly they are furious that the hotel management announced a change in opening date without their approval.

However, it does beg the question who is actually running the hotel? Normally hotel owners who have signed over the management to another company, do not get involved in the day to day management of the business. Surely the team at the coal face, headed by General Manager Jonathan Huglin, are in the best position to judge when they will be ready to open their doors to paying guests. If this PR cock-up is an example of the relationship twixt owner and manager, then good luck to the team when the hotel does get going!