13 January 2009

Online B&B firm to expand under new chairman

Bed and Breakfasts Guide, the operator of accommodation website www.bedandbreakfastsguide.com has appointed David Lyne as non-executive chairman.

Lyne, currently chairman of the Pinnacle Travel Group and former chief executive of AIM-listed travel promotions company Landround, is joining as the founders, Nigel Harris and David Martin, prepare to relaunch the site.

The UK bed and breakfast industry is thought to be worth £1.7 billion and is tipped to grow markedly during the current recession, especially given the weakness of sterling.

Bedandbreakfastsguide.com expects to make further announcements in the next few months as the company prepares a series of marketing and product initiatives.

Harris said: "This is the ideal time to be adding strategic leadership to the organisation, as we prepare to implement our growth plans in 2009.

"We believe that bookings through our sites will continue to grow significantly during the coming months, and look forward to tapping into David’s experience in developing travel and leisure focussed businesses."

Lyne, who previously oversaw the integration of the hotel booking programme, Travel Offers, into Landround’s portfolio when the latter acquired it in 2001, said: "Nigel and David have achieved great things with bedandbreakfastsguide.com in a short space of time, and this is the ideal moment to be looking at expanding the business into new areas, both in terms of product mix and geographically.

"I am looking forward to working within this ambitious entrepreneurial culture to assist the founders in growing their business."