London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

Hotel giant LGH says 1,500 jobs at risk

Hotel giant LGH says 1,500 jobs at risk

About 1,500 staff at hotels managed by LGH in England and Scotland have been told they are at risk of redundancy because of the coronavirus crisis.

LGH, which manages 55 properties, including some Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and Hallmark hotels, said the staff were in a consultation period.

But one team member said the company had "made it clear" most of those roles would go.

The UK hospitality industry has been hit hard by the pandemic.

'No jobs'


LGH manages about 2,500 staff on behalf of hotels, many of which are franchised.

The BBC was approached by an LGH team member who did not wish to be identified, but said that the majority of staff at his hotel had been told they could be made redundant.

He said the picture was the same across many LGH hotels.

He added that while the "official line" was that staff were in consultation, LGH had "made it very clear that there was no other option" and most roles would be axed.

"I feel a little betrayed by the company," he said. He felt the company had not given staff enough warning about the situation that they were in.

"There's just no jobs out there at the moment," he added.

He and many of his colleagues have been on furlough, but during that time, he said he had been anxious about the future.

Skeleton staff


Joanne Monk, group people and development director at LGH, said no hard and fast decisions had been made about how many jobs would be cut.

But she said LGH hotels were being run on skeleton staff at the moment, and that was likely to continue.

Because of the effects of the coronavirus on the hotel industry and the economy as a whole, it was likely that only a small number of staff out of those who were made redundant would be able to be redeployed within LGH hotels, Ms Monk said.

But some staff may be retained on casual contracts, she added.

"There is absolutely not the demand [for hotels] that there was before the pandemic," she said, and that was not likely to change within the next six to 12 months.

The majority of staff who are at risk are operational - such as chefs, barpeople, front-of-house staff and cleaners - but LGH-managed staff are at risk across the board.

The "central staff" - that is, the higher management within the firm - are also at risk, she said.

"This isn't what anybody wants," she added.

Staff had been regularly informed about furloughing, she said.

The winding down of the government's job retention scheme from the beginning of August was a factor in the timing of the consultation, but the main reason the firm had warned staff about the risk of redundancy was that it did not anticipate demand to pick up within the next year, Ms Monk added.

Coronavirus cuts


The hospitality industry is one part of the UK economy that has been hit hard by the effects of the coronavirus crisis.

Pizza Express said on Tuesday that it could close 67 UK restaurants, with the loss of 1,100 jobs.

And not even a week into August, at least 7,500 jobs have been lost or are under threat as the government's job retention scheme starts to wind down.

In August alone, Dixons Carphone said 800 jobs are to go, Hays Travel said 878 employees may lose their jobs, and DW Sports said 1,700 jobs were at risk.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×