City booming in ‘heatwave’

9:18am Friday 9th May 2008

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YORK is sizzling its way to a record year hoteliers and tourism chiefs revealed today as the city basks in the sunshine.

As temperatures soared to 70F the York Hoteliers Association reported that booking numbers were soaring too, with a 25 per cent increase at one venue in the space of a week.

Now many hotels, including big players like the Hotel du Vin, Middlethorpe Hall, the Royal York and the Marriott, have reported they are either fully-booked and on track for a record year, or virtually full.

And with the first meeting of the year at York Racecourse due next week the city is now bracing itself for another surge in numbers.

Today Gillian Cruddas, chief executive of VisitYork, said hundreds of extra visitors were pouring into the city as the sunshine blazes overhead.

Katharina Barenthien, general manager of the Marriott in York, said at this early stage it was on track for a bumper year and all its 151 rooms were booked for next week.

She said: "York is experiencing a real boom with the spring bloom. The sunshine has helped create a real buzz around the city."

Sophie Lemm, regional business development manager-Yorkshire, for the Hotel du Vin in York, said: "We are very buoyant and the sunshine is having a big effect.

"People are flocking for our al-fresco dining in our courtyard.

"We are very busy next week for the races and expect the champagne to be flowing."

Nicola Thresh, marketing manager for Middlethorpe Hall, said: "The weather is having a very positive effect on bookings, both for our lunches on the terrace and for rooms."

Gemma Riseboro, events co-ordinator at the Royal York, said all 167 rooms were fully booked. She said: "We are on track for a record year at this stage, we are seeing really strong growth."

Amie Postings, chairman of the York Hoteliers Association and general manager of The Grange Hotel in Clifton, York, said: "Since Sunday, we have seen a 25 per cent increase in bookings.

"It's making people think about summer and our increased occupancy rates show people want to come to York, especially when the sun is shining.

Mrs Gillian Cruddas said she expected hundreds of new visitors to pour into York over the next week.