Chewton Glen, in New Milton, Hampshire, has been voted the best hotel in Britain — and the second best in the world. It has held its Michelin star for 21 consecutive years and was voted ahead of dozens of more famous hotels by readers of Condé Naste Traveller. It was beaten to the best in the world title by the Ladera Resort in St Lucia. – The Times, 22 October.

Hotel group Millennium & Copthorne is taking its former insurance adviser Willis to court over damage and business interruption losses at its Millennium Hilton Hotel in New York and losses at its other US hotels resulting from the 9/11 terror attacks. – The Scotsman, 22 October.

The United Nations yesterday suspended Compass Group’s military supplies division as a service provider pending the completion of an investigation relating to its part in securing a UN peacekeeping supply contract. The suspension will mean that Compass’s ESS unit ceases to supply 30,000 troops in seven peacekeeping missions in places such as Kosovo and Cyprus. – The Times, 22 October.

Whitbread is expected to join the auction for parts of Compass’s Select Service Partner division, which operates Moto motorway service stations. It is also expected to be a bidder for Travelodge, the second largest lodge chain when it is put up for sale by private equity owner Permira next year. – Mail on Sunday, 23 October.

A near total ban on smoking in all public places is expected to be approved by the government tomorrow. The only concession will be that pubs and restaurants will be given the option of creating smoking “carriages”. These will have to be sealed chambers with self-closing doors cut off from public areas and with high-quality ventilation. A source close to Patricia Hewitt, the health secretary, said: “The aim is to make them as unpleasant as possible.” – Sunday Times, 23 October.

Managers of pubs are being offered bonuses worth up to £20,000 a year to maximise profits once 24-hour opening is legalised next month. Managers for many of the big chain pubs dominating Britain's city centres are being ordered to draw up business development plans explaining how they will keep people in their pubs after 11pm and offered shares of the profits if they beat sales targets. – The Observer, 23 October.

The American private-equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CDR) has approached investment banks to seek advice on making a bid for Compass Group . CDR, which already owns Brakes, has held talks with a number of banks in recent weeks but is not thought to have made a formal appointment yet. Sources said this weekend that CDR was some way off a decision to approach Compass, which is valued at £3.8b. – Sunday Times, 23 October.

The Government is facing its first Commons defeat since coming to power in 1997 as more than 100 MPs threaten to force it to ban homophobic discrimination in hotels. Gay rights campaigners have attacked the Government for refusing to ban what they see as "outrageous" and "disgraceful" bigotry. VisitBritain has decided to review its code of conduct but it remains legal for hoteliers to refuse a room on the basis of sexuality. – The Independent, 23 October.

Whitbread is to axe between 200 and 250 of the 800 posts at its Luton headquarters. Details of the cuts will be announced alongside the group’s interim results, which are being published on Tuesday. Last month, Whitbread announced it was holding a review of head-office jobs, as well as the departure of 16 senior managers. The moves to cut costs are part of attempts to streamline the group in the face of increasing speculation about a break-up bid for the company. – Sunday Times, 23 October.

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