Friday 26 June 2015

Fitness Friday - Today's Top Tip from Club Continental

Fitness Friday: Today's Top Tip...

By Adam Domyslawski, Gym Manager at Club Continental and Personal Trainer

Your weekly shop swap...


Summer is just a around the corner and we want to support you to be your best. To feel fit and make those tiny tweaks that will make the biggest differences. 

So, today's top tip is this; when you are doing your 'food shop' this week, why not swap your normal cooking oil for coconut oil? It tastes great, reduces hunger and aids weight loss. 

What's more...


Coconut Oil is also known to be really effective if you apply directly to your hair and skin, it acts as a deep conditioning moisturiser, with mild sun protection too! 

So, it's simple. Make this one swap and you will look and feel fabulous! You'd be coco-cuckoo not to! 

To get your weekly Friday Fitness Top Tips, just like our Facebook page; where you can be connected, inspired and informed!! Happy Friday!



Friday 12 June 2015

JOIN US...

Wednesday 1st July 2015 



From vacation to staycation, business to pleasure and lavish celebration to romantic dinner for two - welcome to the New Continental Hotel, where for over 30 years we have been combining heritage and traditional values in a modern, contemporary and high class setting. Our guests can be assured of the warmest and most professional of welcomes at a family owned hotel, where only the best customer service will do.

The busy season has arrived and our family run hotel is currently recruiting for people to come and join our merry team. Don’t miss out! Our staff receive many benefits such as free use of Club Continental, our in-house leisure complex complete with gym, pool, sauna and steam room!

Waiting Staff:
Full and part-time waiting staff with experience...

If you are friendly, hardworking and an energetic team player with passion for customer service and good communication skills and would like to be part of an expanding, exciting business – we want to hear from you! We love people who believe in being honest, brilliant and have confidence in themselves.
Our waiters and waitresses ooze personality, enthusiasm and a genuine desire to ensure every customer experiences exceptional service, so if you thrive in a busy environment and can start immediately then email us – we can’t wait to hear from you!
Rates of pay will depend on experience.
Chambermaid:
4 month temporary contract...
We are looking to expand our Housekeeping team during our busiest time. The New Continental Hotel has 99 en-suit bedrooms, located in the heart of Plymouth. The hotel boasts a Brasserie, four bars, six function spaces and Club Continental - our in-house leisure complex; all providing a friendly and welcoming atmosphere with a genuine and warm personality.
We are looking for chambermaids, previous experience of working in a hotel preferable. The desirable candidate will have a passion for hospitality and a desire to deliver a top quality service to ensure our guests leave having had the best hotel experience of their lives.
You must be a team player as well as being self-motivated to be the best that you can be.
We are offering a competitive salary and hotel benefits package as well as the opportunity to make your mark in our family hotel.

Immediate start required. 


Wednesday 10 June 2015

New Continental Hotels Top Tips for Business Travellers....



Business travel can be especially wearing when you are trying to combine early starts and motorways, whilst performing your regular daily work tasks. In today’s corporate culture, when we think work; nine times out of ten we think motorways - not desks!!  

This doesn’t appear to be seeing any signs of change from the latest report written by PWC in their Growth Beds in UK Hotels Forecast 2015. In this report it states that there is an ever growing business travel outlook, with a 6.5% growth in spending expected in 2015. In support of this, one-third of UK travel managers also expect business trip numbers to increase, according to the 2014 International Travel Management Study.

The New Continental Hotel follow conversations in their sector with great interest and were recently engaged by not only the PWC report, but also a debate on current trends and change management; held at the Hilton Tower Bridge in London. Top designers and experts from all over the world focused on the future of hotel design and why "lifestyle" is transforming the places we stay.

Bobbie Hajiyianni, the Managing Director of the New Continental Hotel, comments on how she feels ‘lifestyle’ has certainly impacted her business; but how it’s mainly due to the fact that ‘business’ has indeed impacted lifestyle!
“Today in the world of business, having to travel for work is essential.  Business is done on the road as much as it is in the office; and with a growing workforce who aren’t office based, times have definitely changed for my industry”
Bobbie goes on to say that growingly, what was once an assistant or PA making the booking, business men and women are more likely to choose their hotel themselves - rather than trust the decision of others. 
“ We have seen a definite shift in booking patterns over recent years, people are now making their own choices and for good reason – the market for business hotels has vastly diversified in recent years, and today’s business travellers can expect far more than just a  desk in their bedroom!”
Although the New Continental Hotel is not a specific ‘Business Hotel’, Bobbie explains that in her 30 years of experience she has noticed more recently, that people aren’t as set on staying in a corporate hotel as they once were. So, when asked ‘what can you do to get more from your trip?’ she shared her experiences:   


Choose the right hotel...

There is definitely more business travel, but companies have tighter budgets so are having to do more with less.  As a business traveller make sure your pound goes further; look at what added value you can receive. 

In a world that is hinged on technology, make sure your hotel can offer stable, reliable Wi-Fi. It sounds crazy in 2015, but you need to have confidence that you can access crucial business data securely. If this is a top requirement and having access to your company network via phone, tablet or laptop is essential, it really is always worth confirming their technical ability to provide you with the service you require. By checking with the hotel it ensures you aren’t left disappointed or unable to work on arrival.  

We know that business travel can be a lonely and soulless affair, by choosing an independent or family run hotel you can be sure to receive a warm and hospitable welcome, yet still have the resources and facilities you need as a business traveller. Making sure your hotel has ample parking, breakout rooms for impromptu meetings, a lively restaurant or bar on-site for the evening or quiet spaces to work, we always find these things are essential from is essential. Also, if you are staying in a hotel that is not purely for the business traveller, do always check the breakfast times. More often than not they begin at 7am, but remember, you can always put in a request for an earlier start at the time of booking.


Pack smart...

Living out of a suitcase isn’t pleasant, especially if you’re lugging around items you don’t really need! Many hotels offer a wrap around service and can provide you with many of your creature comforts. Don’t be fooled, it’s not only big hotel brands and chains that can offer you bath sheets, hair dryers, dry-cleaning, irons and spare chargers; many independent hotels can also offer you all you need too!


Stay fit...

One of the hardest things about travelling frequently is sticking to a healthy diet and exercising frequently. Exercise is a powerful way to keep motivated and increase productivity; if you are an active gym goer then a business trip can get in the way of your schedule, but don’t let it! Many hotels now offer great leisure complexes, with pools, saunas and steam rooms - as well as weights and cardio equipment. Always make sure that if you are choosing a hotel that is not a Business Hotel, you check their opening times. Opening at 7am and closing at 9pm, we have learnt that for business travellers, these timings are crucial to suite their schedules.


Enjoy your trip!

Travel can be one of the most enjoyable but also time-consuming aspects of business life. Whilst continuing economic uncertainty around the world has rattled business confidence, it has not stopped companies from needing to send their staff out on the road. So rather than fight it – embrace it! People often focus on the negatives about travelling for work; leaving family, the never-ending days on the road, check-ins and that’s without including your 9-5! The thing is, it can also broaden the mind, enhance creativity and improve self-knowledge - make sure you allow yourself time to enjoy even just an hour’s stroll each day – because that alone really will transform how you look at business travel.  










The New Continental Hotel welcomes business travellers and we would like to thank all of the companies and organisations who have chosen us as their preferred hotel in Plymouth over the last 30 years.