UK Chancellor dismisses calls to widen business rates U-turn beyond pubs

The UK’s Chancellor Rachel Reeves appeared to confirm while speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, that any incoming business rates relief would only be made available to pubs, not the wider hospitality sector, saying that “the situation the pubs face is different from other parts of the hospitality sector”.

Research from Colliers found that hotels could see rateable values spike as much as 250% and that they will be hit with an average increase in rateable value of 77% under current plans. This compares with 29% for pubs and 14% for restaurants.

New figures from the Office for National Statistics show nearly 9,000 jobs have been lost from the hospitality sector since the Autumn Budget.

More News & Views

by Becky Hoyle 12 March 2026
ASAP Operator Member Frasers Hospitality a business unit of Frasers Property Limited, has unveiled a series of comprehensive asset enhancement initiatives (AEIs) spanning four gateway-city assets across Kuala Lumpur, London, Melbourne and Singapore. The asset enhancement strategy reflects Frasers Hospitality’s disciplined capital deployment approach aimed at sustaining value, enhancing income resilience and reinforcing long-term portfolio performance. Briefly, these encompass: Capri by Fraser, Kensington / London: Global debut of refreshed brand identity Novotel Melbourne on Collins: Inventory optimisation and brand alignment The Westin Kuala Lumpur: Strengthened premium segment with sustainability upgrade Frasers House, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Singapore: Luxury heritage transformation for long-term value accretion Across all four properties, the AEIs are aligned with structural trends reshaping global hospitality demand, including the rising preference for experiential and design-led environments, and heightened institutional focus on sustainability performance and operational resilience. Read more
by Becky Hoyle 29 January 2026
New data from the RIBA, construction sector analyst Glenigan and the British Property Federation show a decline in residential construction
by Becky Hoyle 29 January 2026
ASAP Operator Member Staycity Group has completed on a sale, development and leaseback transaction with Bridges Fund Management and Citygrove 
by Becky Hoyle 12 March 2026
ASAP Operator Member Frasers Hospitality a business unit of Frasers Property Limited, has unveiled a series of comprehensive asset enhancement initiatives (AEIs) spanning four gateway-city assets across Kuala Lumpur, London, Melbourne and Singapore. The asset enhancement strategy reflects Frasers Hospitality’s disciplined capital deployment approach aimed at sustaining value, enhancing income resilience and reinforcing long-term portfolio performance. Briefly, these encompass: Capri by Fraser, Kensington / London: Global debut of refreshed brand identity Novotel Melbourne on Collins: Inventory optimisation and brand alignment The Westin Kuala Lumpur: Strengthened premium segment with sustainability upgrade Frasers House, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Singapore: Luxury heritage transformation for long-term value accretion Across all four properties, the AEIs are aligned with structural trends reshaping global hospitality demand, including the rising preference for experiential and design-led environments, and heightened institutional focus on sustainability performance and operational resilience. Read more
by Becky Hoyle 29 January 2026
New data from the RIBA, construction sector analyst Glenigan and the British Property Federation show a decline in residential construction

ASAP Industry Development Sponsors 2025

The support of our sponsors is essential for our efforts in advocating for our members and interacting with policymakers.