In brief

Radisson SAS Hotels Worldwide is to build a £35m, five-star hotel at Manchester Airport. Construction of the 354-bedroom property is to start immediately, with opening scheduled for autumn 1998.

The hotel, being built in a joint venture with Costain and Skanska, will have a direct link to the airport's elevated passenger walkway.

Yates Brothers Wine Lodges has secured £25m bank finance and £7.5m from a rights issue to step up its expansion. By the end of the year, it is to open four more outlets.

The group has also bought out the remaining 25% of Watling Street Inns and plans to accelerate the roll-out of this traditional free-house concept.

In the half-year ended 29 September, the company had pre-tax profits ahead by 34% at £4.3m from sales up 18% at £34.4m.

The trial of Robert Feld, former managing director of Resort Hotels, began this week at Middlesex Guildhall Crown Court. Mr Feld denies defrauding investors in the company, which collapsed in 1993. The trial continues.

The Observatory, a £3.1m Whitbread venture, including a 140-seat Beefeater restaurant and a 51-bedroom Travel Inn, opened this week in Leicester. It is situated on the edge of the Meridian Business Park.

Pub operator JD Wetherspoon said this week that its managing director, Mark McQuater, had resigned to pursue other interests.