Michelle Allmark

Michelle Allmark is Creative Director at Ignite Hospitality and is always there when there is something creative going on! She is also passionate about farm animal welfare and the environment.

What TYPE of Hotel or Restaurant are you?

It has become an ongoing joke between myself and my husband that I choose not to stay at a hotel or eat at a restaurant because I don't like their logo typeface. Whilst this is just a bit of banter between us it is actually a serious unconscious influence that your customer/lost customer will have knowingly or unknowingly registered.

Environmental Hotel Cards - Not worth the recycled paper it's printed on!

Just a quick little rant but one that makes a massive impact on my opinion of the hotel I am staying in and the environment.

Wonderful Watergate Bay Hotel in Cornwall!

Wow what a hotel!

The Next Generation? Take Advantage of Technology!

I popped down to the New Designers exhibition last week to see the new graduate talent. Some beautiful design work - I came away feeling inspired with a handful of business cards in hand.

Operational Consultancy? A 5* F*** Up?

I experienced a communication breakdown on a massive scale this week, leaving both myself and the restaurant manager speechless.

Hotel Consulting In The Bahamas - Week 2

Well we have been here for nearly 2 weeks now and I think we know most of the Island! It does not take long for news to travel - I am sure that even if you just say something out loud the Island knows about it!

Hotel Consulting In The Bahamas

Paul and I are working in The Bahamas for 5 weeks consulting for Swains Cay Lodge based on a remote island called Andros. We will be working on all aspects of the hotel, marketing, operations, design, online, everything you can think of! We will be very busy, but what a place to be busy, it is stunning and I have never been to somewhere quite so peaceful!! I am a digging this Bahamian vibe but I think after 5 weeks London is going to be a real shock to the system!

Don't 'Takeaway' An Opportunity

Takeaway menu re-prints are a pretty regular occurrence for some restaurants.

Don't Dilute Your Brand

Sam's recent blog 'Marketing on a Shoestring' has some great ideas for getting your brand out to people. It is really important however to make sure that you take good care of your brand and don't dilute it. Having brand guidelines and sticking to them is important especially when designing in-house.

Veer towards British Veal!

It's a bit of a funny one for me to write this one, (not having eaten red meat or chicken for 22 years!) but basically I am encouraging the use of veal in restaurants and hotels. There is a slight catch though, I am only encouraging the use of British veal.

Spending a penny

Your exterior is welcoming, your light features amazing and your furniture stylish yet comfortable. You have ticked all the boxes and thought of every last detail, or have you? Too many restaurants spend a fortune on their interiors and then forget a place that you are pretty much guaranteed all of your customers will visit and interact with... your toilets.

Go on, be a good egg!

Banish the battery egg in your kitchen and you could get an award thrown in!

Makeover Magic

Spring has been great weather wise so far, lifting everyone's spirits out of the doom and gloom of the constant reminder of the recession. Why not bring some of that spring vibrancy inside and have a look at freshening up your interiors?