Member Info for johnvic

How can the format of restaurant closures possibly be ‘ highly popular with guests’ ? I stay in various Premier Inns regularly. From what I witness, an adjoining Beefeater etc closes, replaced with a couple of rooms within the hotel converted to the new breakfast area, also called a restaurant for evenings. In hotels where there are no obvious nearby restaurants and therefore one has little choice but to eat on site, it is commonplace to be told what products from the dinner menu are out of stock. Always Ok for pizza and microwave curry however and dry oven chips (no fryer) At hotels where there are an abundance of nearby eateries, I am told that guests are encouraged to try Wetherspoons just round the corner for example. They clearly do not want to serve evening meals unless you are content with Pizza and bottled beer. My point is that whilst it is clear to see that Whitbreads are struggling to find kitchen staff etc, by disposing of their restaurants for short term gain/profit these hotels will join the others which have become soulless. Just tell the truth Whitbreads and quit the spin. You are taking your customers for granted!!

I am not sure how much more WTB can save via efficiencies? The hotels I stay at all seem to be operating with minimum staff levels. The move into Germany was a huge mistake IMO which I bet they wouldn’t repeat. I often observe poor morale amongst staff members. Compare attitude to that of JDW staff who all seem happy working in an upbeat busy pub environment. And yes many of the rooms are extremely tired, albeit generally clean, but could do with a full refurb. Without the ill conceived move into Germany the Prem Inns here could be buzzing. Instead, as mentioned they have virtually given up on food other than breakfast. All we have left to judge them on is the condition/quality of the room and attitude of staff when you see them. Feeling of soulless which is very sad as with their unprecedented stable of hotels they should be streets ahead of all others in the budget hotel sector.

Me12345 absolutely correct. I use various Prem Inns often. Conclusion is they are only interested in renting rooms. Restaurant opening times inflexible and despite choice-less menus, it’s commonplace to be told which items are out of stock (steak & gammon) etc when checking in. Seems they think they can get away with pizza, curry or fish & chips. Now you will find they are trying to get away with oven chips in various hotels. No longer have a fryer I have been told. It’s clear to see that WTB like running a lean operation which I think is not doing them any favours. Frozen fish & cardboard oven chips disgusting. They need to stop pretending to be something they are not and do things properly or just become another Travelodge.

And all the ridiculously priced confectionary that nobody with half a brain would ever go near!! Always in stores where there is zero nearby competition I’ve noticed.

I did ‘get it’ earlier. Just seems a rather odd arrangement. £6 million now and maybe a further £23 million in 2023. If you loan me a quid I’ll give you a fiver on Friday. Hopefully it will work out for everyone but just looked a bit Iffy at first sight.

Did I read correctly ? A challenging target by 2023 I’m sure, but up to £23 million in cash. Maybe Businesswise know something INSE doesn’t or perhaps the deal was concluded in a Blackpool Wetherspoons.

I see there was a sell off yesterday afternoon. Did someone know ?

Sounds like this customer has ‘1st Dibs’ on what gets sold to China. Big country so hopefully will make him and all shareholders rich !! Let’s just hope he’s a brilliant business person and that Chris hasn’t got stitched up on price due to the desperation of getting an order in the book. So I wonder what profit margin on marble to China ?

I’m out of here as I lost patience with this one some time ago. So much promise one would have thought, but so unbelievably disappointing. What on earth is wrong with this Company ? There must be some underlying flaw somewhere ? Any thoughts anyone if a buy price in the 13’s is worth another small punt ?

Yes - I did spot the Temple deposit. Is that timely announcement a way to ‘bury bad news’ do you think ?

More disappointment in very slow motion.

How many years now, and why does this Company find it so difficult to sell their products ?

I’ve seen one or two Safestyle vans again lately but being in this trade myself I must say that I wouldn’t be betting on a quick recovery here. Firstly, trade is very patchy so I’m not surprised to read that lead generation is costing more. Secondly, it’s all well & good trying to cover the whole country, but my guess is that the further you are from your base the more difficult things become. I was chatting to 2 fitters some time ago who had to leave home at 5-00 am to travel around 100 miles to be first in line at nearest depot to load windows, then drive even further to the installation address. Something has to give ! Also there are too many costly surveying mistakes made. I know this for a fact as I have been a beneficiary. As I’ve said before - when the economy is booming this business model will do OK but I can’t see a return to £1.50 let alone £3.00 anytime soon.

Good spot Pascha - I haven’t been following Iron with same enthusiasm for ages. Trying to be a little more conservative with my share picks these days. I took an unhealthy punt on these and did make quite a chunk but I’ve had plenty of losers too ! It Seems strange that the ‘man in the know’ has so few shares himself, especially on that sort of money. Regards the smelter, as Iron have no cash, you can only think that they are looking for the off taker to stump up. I just think this is a 40/60 punt, and on certain days when I’ve tried to sell down it was virtually impossible to knock out £1k worth, so just wary of having too many, but once again best wishes and GLA.

Pascha - I understand your frustration too. I remember the morning that iron hit 20 pence. I was holding absolutely loads. Just holding a nominal 100k now as this one is too difficult to call and I think could go either way, but been reading the same recycled news for so long and I just don’t have the belief to be holding more. My feeling, for what it’s worth is that there are too many negative factors going against this project. The kitty is always about to run dry and they will surely need a shed load of money to ever start producing. I had no idea Peter Cox was on that huge salary but must say have been a little miffed at the small number of shares he holds. In fact I seem to remember him selling some a few years ago for just a few grand and thought at the time ‘what’s that all about’ ? I do hope that I am wrong and all the LTH here are rewarded for their patience.

I’ve been in and out a couple of times. Lost money & patience and won’t be returning. Seemed like a good little story and may well be in long term but fed up with watching the price manipulated down for INSE’s next strategic move. I hope I’m wrong for those holders but my feeling for what it’s worth is that my money is best deployed somewhere else.

Price gets slammed nearly 20% at a stroke and here we go again ! Didn’t something similar happen not so long ago ? Perhaps INSE will become ‘takeover’ material in say 5 years ?

A long wait for this Company to turn round. Same old ‘Fluff’. Sales rep’s ‘on a jolly’ - either don’t bother to call on clients at all, or turn up on the doorstep unannounced, planned around a night out. If I were Management I would certainly make it my business to know what was going on but they are obviously out of touch and I would doubt that this share price will do better than just bumble along over next few years unless someone gets a grip of what’s happening ‘out in the field’.

I can’t see why this Company is finding it such a struggle to get sales momentum moving. If the product is so good, what on earth is holding sales back ? Still too much recycling same old news and future sales based upon hope and promises. Who’s going to end up with all the marble if they don’t pull thru ?

Lot’s of ‘Fluff’ once again.