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After their sterling efforts in
trying to impose unacceptable operational and
financial terms on us and in unilaterally
cancelling our provisional May bank holiday
reservations at Hinckley Island and Daventry for
the 2015/2016 season, The Hotel Collection have
now excelled themselves by arranging major
renovation/refurbishment works at Hinckley
Island over the 4NCL weekends of 14-15 February
& 21-22 March 2015. Unbelievable.
Under The Hotel Collection’s
standard terms and conditions, in such
circumstances “we will …… offer you an
alternative accommodation of the same standard,
or higher”, and they have apparently offered
their Oxford hotel as a replacement. Quite apart
from the fact that I do not regard this venue as
“of the same standard, or higher” either
in terms of quality of playing space or
availability of bedrooms, the state of our
relationship with The Hotel Collection is such
that I am not prepared to trust them on a matter
of such importance to the 4NCL.
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Holiday Inn, Birmingham Airport |
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We have therefore agreed
with Holiday Inn Birmingham Airport
that they will host Divisions 1 and 2 on
14-15 February and 28-29 March 2015.
As you will know from earlier emails of
mine, we are already hosting the 4NCL’s
first FIDE rated congress there at the end
of January 2015, and they will also be
hosting Divisions 1 and 2 for the 2015/2016
season; based on my site visit and meetings
and with the hotel management I am confident
that this will be an excellent replacement
for Hinckley Island. And at least they are
keen to have our business. The March weekend
will be a week later than the Daventry Court
weekend, but I hope you will agree that this
is an acceptable price to pay for the extra
confidence that we can have that we will
actually get a venue worthy of the 4NCL.
Division 3 South and North
arrangements remain unchanged.
More detailed information
below:
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You (and your players if they are
making individual bookings) should phone the
Holiday Inn to make new bedroom bookings.
The number to call is 08716 639007; press
option 1 for reservations and quote “4NCL
Chess”. The two members of staff who form
the reservations team have been briefed on
our arrangements; in the event of any
problems please ask for the reservations
manager Ewelina Tomiszczak. I understand
that there is no need to cancel any
arrangements you may have made with Hinckley
Island.
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Bedroom,
dinner and parking rates are as follows:
(a)
Single occupancy bed and breakfast:
£50.00 per room per night
(b)
Double occupancy bed and breakfast:
£60.00 per room per night
(c)
£12.50 per room supplement to upgrade to
executive rooms
(d)
Dinner upgrade is available at £15.00 per
person
(e)
Complimentary car parking for all
resident guests
(f)
£5.00 per day car parking charge for all
non-residents.
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You
can find more details about the venue here:
http://www.ihg.com/holidayinn/hotels/gb/en/birmingham/bhxap/hoteldetail
and travel arrangements here:
http://www.ihg.com/holidayinn/hotels/gb/en/birmingham/bhxap/hoteldetail/directions.
Please note that a courtesy bus
shuttle for hotel residents is available to and
from Birmingham International Railway Station.
I have reviewed Hinckley
Island’s rooming list for both weekends, and
most if not all of the bookings so far have been
made by team captains/managers. I should be
grateful, however, if you could bring the new
arrangements to the attention of your players so
that they are suitably briefed.
Do please let me know if you
think there is any other information you need at
this stage.
I should like to put on record
my gratitude to Anthony Cleckner, our former
account manager at Puma Hotels, for his great
help in putting these arrangements in place at
short notice.
Mike Truran
5
Dec 2014 |
