Whitbread chief executive Andy Harrison said the hotel market was showing a divergence in performance between a robust London and the regions
Whitbread, which has the most hotel rooms in Britain, said its size and flexible pricing had helped it win market share as sales growth at its Premier Inn business and the broader sector stalled over the Christmas and New Year period.
Chief executive Andy Harrison said the hotel market was showing a divergence in performance between a robust London and the regions. Whitbread said on Tuesday it would meet forecasts for 2011/12 profit despite the hotels slowdown. "Consumers are still under heavy financial pressure, with falling disposable incomes. We think the economy is pretty flat," Harrison told reporters.
The company, which also owns Costa Coffee shops and the Beefeater and Brewers Fayre pub restaurant chains, said total sales rose 10.1%, with like-for-like sales growth slowing to 1.8% from 2.4% in its third quarter.
Costa fared well, with a like-for-like sales rise of 6.2%, tempting customers seeking affordable treats and benefiting from rapid international expansion.