Hotel mogul Alex Langsam enjoys record profits as Braverman grapples with migration
Britannia was named the worst hotel chain for the tenth year in a row in November. A survey by consumer groups which found respondents referring to the company’s properties as “tired and tatty”, with a “rough and ready” feel.
Accounts filed last week for the year ending Mar 31, 2022 revealed turnover of £118m. The pre-tax profit made during the period beat the previous record high of £33.3m generated in 2016.
“This result represents a return to performance levels comparative to pre-Covi 19 achieved during a period of difficult trading conditions which continued to limit opportunities for growth,” the accounts read.
In recent months, Britannia has added one-time upmarket hotels in the likes of Scarborough and Bradford to its portfolio.
The business was founded in 1976 when Mr. Langsam bought a 100-bedroom hotel in South Manchester, The Country House Hotel. Expansion was turbo-charged in 1982 when British Rail sold Mr Langsam its hotel division, British Transport Hotels.
Representatives for Britannia Hotels and its owner did not respond to a request for comment.
Record profits come as Suella Braverman, the Home Secretary, is grappling with the migrant crisis. The Government is struggling to deliver on Rishi Sunak’s pledge to “stop the boats” carrying illegal migrants across the English Channel.
Plans to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda have been held up by legal challenges, though ministers are hopeful that the first flights could begin later this summer.
Meanwhile, plans to use large barges to house hundreds of asylum seekers have also hit difficulties.
The Telegraph revealed earlier this month that Ms Braverman’s plan to put hundreds of migrants on a barge on the Royal Docks next to the London City Airport runway had been blocked by local businesses and Sadiq Khan, the capital’s mayor.
Proposals to use a giant cruise ship to house asylum seekers near Liverpool were also scrapped after opposition from the port operator.