A familiar and much-loved name is back where it belongs on Douglas Promenade with the return of the Palace Hotel and Casino. The decision to revert to the hotel’s original name signals a move back towards its Manx heritage and, free from its franchise arrangement with Hilton UK Hotels which ended on 13th November, the Palace can now integrate more fully into the Sefton group of hotels and better utilise and promote Isle of Man suppliers and services. Adrian Brockhouse, Managing Director of Palace Hotel and Casino Ltd, explained: ‘The Palace was one of the strongest Manx brand names for the best part of thirty years. It built a strong reputation, not just as a hotel, but as a leisure complex. ‘While we enjoyed an excellent relationship with Hilton, we were restricted in terms of which suppliers and services we could use and how fully we could cross-market and cross-sell with our other Sefton Group hotels and facilities. With that restriction lifted, we can now maximise the benefits that independence and operational flexibility provide. ‘Initially, any changes will be subtle. The hotel and casino will continue to operate as before, but customers will slowly begin to notice the changes, be it the new Palace uniforms for our staff, a change in customer service ethos or the rebranding of the health club. ‘Ultimately, however, our aim is to re-establish the Palace name and build on it over the next few years – we want the Palace brand to be synonymous with great value hotel services and superb leisure activities for all age groups.’ -ENDS-