Liat Clark finds a range of business hotels throughout the UK under both the Thistle and Guoman brands

Who are they?

Two brands – Thistle, a three- and four-star UK-wide chain, and Guoman, a four- and five-star offering in central London locations. The group is due to open its fifth UK Guoman in the New Year, and will launch its debut Signature loyalty scheme shortly after.

Where in the UK?

Guoman Hotel Management is comprised of two separate brands – Thistle and Guoman – with a combined UK room count of 8,413. The two portfolios are very different, with Thistle’s 33 hotels located in city centres including London, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Cardiff (it also has two in Malaysia), and Guoman’s four hotels based in London (with one in Shanghai).

The Thistle brand has undergone many transformations, having been launched in 1965 and floated on the London Stock Exchange under its current name only in 1997. The four- and five-star Guoman brand was launched in 2004. Its four highly individual hotels are the Royal Horseguards in Westminster, the Tower hotel by Tower Bridge, the Charing Cross (above the station) and the Cumberland at Marble Arch.

What are the hotels like?

A combination of listed and purpose-built properties, Thistle has a strong presence in London with its spread of 12 three- and four-star properties. These include the 692-room art deco Thistle Marble Arch and the 92-room Victorian-fronted Thistle Piccadilly.

“Thistle is all about quality service and great locations, predominantly city centre,” says Heiko Figge, managing director of Guoman Hotel Management. “Guoman is all about how unique you can be – large, international, high-quality properties.”

A case in point is the 1,019-room Cumberland, a 1920s property with an interior that was transformed in 2004 to the highest specifications. It has a contemporary art exhibit in the lobby adjacent to the Michelin-starred Rhodes W1 restaurant. The Royal Horseguards, part of the 19th-century One Whitehall Place, has luxurious features such as iPod docks synced with built-in speakers, and televisions in the bathroom.

Thistle is in the middle of a £100 million brand revamp aimed at creating consistency. Public areas and guestrooms are being upgraded in all properties, with the work to be completed in the next few years. Some £70 million has been spent so far. Figge says:“We will always be a full service brand, but one that will be close enough to our customers to recognise what they want, as opposed to what we want to deliver.”

Are they for business travellers?

Looking at the spread of locations, from Newcastle and Manchester to Bristol and Liverpool – not to mention the Heathrow, East Midlands and Aberdeen airport hotels – the portfolio has been built up with the business traveller in mind. Leisure destinations are scarce, and Figge says the meetings market comprises 24 per cent of the company’s overall revenue.

As such, every hotel is equipped with wifi, and 29 of the 33 Thistles have multiple meeting rooms (as do all Guoman hotels). The Royal Horseguards is an ideal venue, with most event spaces located in an adjoining building and featuring plenty of period character. The largest room, the Gladstone Library, hosts 350 delegates theatre-style.

In reaction to concern among business travellers over the cost of food and drink compared with room rates, the company revised menus at Thistle properties in 2011. “Surely your food and beverage [prices] can’t exceed your room rate,” Figge says. “I think you’d get a bit annoyed.” Thistle’s restaurants have now been “de-cluttered and simplified”, he says, after customer surveys showed a demand for laid-back fare such as burgers and salads.

Is there a loyalty scheme?

The company has been working on one, to be introduced in early 2012. Known as Signature Guoman and Signature Thistle, it will apply to both brands and reward guests the more they stay. Highlights of the three-tiered programme (Blue, Ruby and Gold) will include room upgrades, unlimited free wifi and dedicated check-in.

“I’m not convinced that clocking up a trillion points that get you a set of luggage is where we should be heading,” Figge says. “It’s about random acts of kindness – there has to be something that makes you feel special when you stay with us. That could be the ease with which you check in and out, or preferences for what you like in your room.”

Tell me the good news…

Of the 3,000 Thistle rooms in the regions, more than 2,000 have been refurbished as part of the investment programme, along with improved meeting space, restaurants and bars. Attention is now being focused on the London properties, with renovations due for completion in 2012.

“Marble Arch is a huge investment for us. It’s going to be a lead property in the UK. We have an amazing restaurant and bar concept,” Figge says. Bedrooms are yet to be refreshed but an executive lounge has been introduced. Works are under way at the Euston, Piccadilly and Royal Trafalgar properties, while Kensington Gardens is complete.

And the bad…

Thistle and Guoman charge for wifi. “We are negotiating with a number of providers at the moment [to offer it for free], but we have to brief them and say this is what we have to do. It’s not industry standard yet,” Figge says. Building work may also disturb guests.

Future plans?

Technology designed to streamline guest stays is due to be installed in Guoman properties. For instance, self-check-in stations will be trialled at the Cumberland in early 2012.

The Thistle Grosvenor Victoria is to be upgraded to a Guoman. The £20 million project was due to be completed in January 2012, with rooms featuring the sleek interiors of other Guomans. Figge says a Guoman in Edinburgh or Manchester would be ideal, but there are no Thistle properties suitable for such a transformation. The company is also on the lookout for properties in London, Scotland, York and around the M25.

Where can I learn more?

Visit guoman.com and thistle.com. Loyalty programmes will be accessible at guomansignature.com and thistlesignature.com from early 2012.