Village Hotel Club rely on Nexus for both an overall company ‘umbrella’ account and a host of smaller accounts that leaves autonomy with the managers of every location.

The vibrant business has quickly carved out a distinctive niche for itself in the UK hospitality sector, with an informal style and imaginative offers that provide an upscale experience for residents, diners and gym members. Designed with town and city centre breaks very much in mind, most of its 28 venues nationwide are strategically located for easy access to both a major centre and adjacent scenic countryside.

The standout national chain occupies a unique position in the domestic hospitality market because of all it offers consumers. Village Hotel Club enjoys a very strong following, with thousands of loyal members and return visitors.  Its owners believe that it has tremendous potential for growth over upcoming years as companies strive to set out points of difference and offer recognisable service options and brand identities.

A strong indication of this confidence came with the arrival of three new venues in 2015, in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow, and the acquisition of the five-star Cameron House Hotel in Loch Lomond in November 2015.

Naturally, an enterprise that sets such store by impeccable, unique service standards that cater for the differing needs of an array of residents and visitors expects the same flexibility and quality thresholds from its own providers.

We designed a package geared at meeting the differing needs of the various locations: this sees us partner head office on a centrally administered rental operation, while each hotel has an individual account to fulfil all their needs.

Managed centrally and delivered through IRIS, our breakthrough management and information software, all venues can log on to the system to access the central deal negotiated by head office – whose rental requirements are also catered for. All cars are taken for travel to training courses and meetings or as company vehicles for new arrivals or when theirs is being serviced or repaired.

Pam Fitzgerald, Group Purchasing Director at Village Hotel Club, said: “This service is ideal for us. Not only can we get any car we want at any hotel within an hour, the management technology allows us to meet important operational considerations.

“Because we are a multi-site operation that relies very much on encouraging and developing talent at a local level, we need rigorous purchasing control and monitoring, but not without uncoupling our managers from spending decisions on their patch, at the risk of disaffecting them. With IRIS, we can see which hotels are spending on what and where at the touch of a button – but only if any data gives us cause for concern or prompts a few tips on cost savings or other financial efficiencies, do we ‘have a word’. Rather than ‘Big Brother’, everyone accepts it as a useful tool to bring down overheads and raise margin.”