The Best Western Centurion Hotel, set on the edge of the Mendip Hills between Bath and Wells at Midsomer Norton, overlooks the hotel's attractive parkland golf course. The hotel has 44 bedrooms and meeting and function facilities for up to 160 delegates, a gym, steam room, sauna and family swimming pool and the 9-hole on-site golf course.

For dining there's a choice of the relaxed atmosphere of Cubros Bar and Restaurant or Jays Bar and bistro, part of the leisure complex.

The hotel is a diversification from the core business and the contact with HBIM (Hotel Business Improvement Management), the programme delivery organisation, was by chance. Not surprisingly, the management was very sceptical about the possible success of the programme, having had a bad experience with a previous consultant but, after recommendations by other hotels, Group Managing Director Martin Jones commissioned the programme from HBIM.

The hotel was in a loss-making situation with poor trading figures and high wage costs. The HBIM programme was tailored to turn the operation into profit, re-arrange the organisational structure, develop the team and concentrate on sales and marketing.

OUTCOMES: a responsive team who turned the operation into profit within four months. Loss making months of January and February were followed by a very small profit in March and significant profit in April and May, matching the budgeted profit potential.