A new arrival at a city centre hotel is tipping its links with Hull’s business community to help drive the venue’s continuing revival.

Sarah White says the strong relationships forged by General Manager Luc Perquin have helped to promote the Mercure Royal Hotel, as has the major refurbishment which prompted his appointment two years ago.

As Sales and Revenue manager, Sarah’s role is to raise awareness of the improvements, and she has plenty to work with.

“The hotel has a lot of advantages in terms of the location and the general facilities,” said Sarah, 29, who has spent 12 years working on the operational side of the hospitality industry.

“And Hull itself has a lot to offer. I have worked here before on secondment at another hotel and I really like the area.

“The city centre has a Purple Flag, which is a trusted sign of a safe, diverse and entertaining night out and the Mercure Royal Hotel was the first building to fly it earlier this year.

“The presence of a BID is also an asset, as demonstrated by the Fashion Week finale taking place on our doorstep at Paragon Interchange, and Luc is heavily involved in the city’s promotion through his role as a BID Board Director and as a prominent member of the Bondholders.

“There are all sorts of events going on – much more cultural activity than I’ve come across in other places where I’ve lived and worked.”

Luc arrived at the Mercure Royal Hotel in 2011 soon after the completion of a major refurbishment programme.

He said: “The improvements brought back a lot of customers and what they found was that the product and the service was much better than it had been for a long time.

“Sarah’s appointment builds on those improvements. Her strong background on the operational side means that when she receives feedback and requests in her sales role she knows exactly what the hotel can do and what needs to happen to make things better.”

Sarah added: “My role is varied and extends to bringing in new business across the board, primarily bedrooms but also conferences and other functions and events.

“As a result of the changes we are building up a core of regular guests and repeat visitors who are attracted by the friendliness of our team and by the surroundings which are historic but also stylish and modern.”