Church, world of business and politicians pay tribute
WARM tributes were paid to Sir William Hastings last night from a diverse range of voices — inclduing those from a bishop, politicians and the business community.
Bishop of Down and Dromore Harold Miller expressed his sympathies. “I am so sorry to hear of the death of Sir Billy Hastings. Billy contributed enormously to the development of the hospitality sector in Northern Ireland during and after the Troubles,” he said in a statement last night.
“Most people would have given up, but Billy’s steely determination and love for his homeland meant that he kept going — sometimes almost alone. He was a regular worshipper in Down Cathedral, and gave priority to Sunday worship when he was away from home. He will be greatly missed.”
Former UUP leader Lord Empey described him as “the leading light in Northern Ireland’s tourism and hospitality industry when it wasn’t such a popu- lar path to follow”, while councillor Jim Rodgers recalled: “He was a man I looked up to and I held him in the highest regard. You could have called Billy at any time of the day or night to seek help or advice and he never turned you away.”
Janice Gault, chief executive of the Northern Ireland Hotel Federation, said: “Sir William Hastings was a true visionary and well ahead of his time. He will be remembered as a real champion of tourism and a stalwart of the local hotel sector.”
Colin Neill, CEO Hospitality Ulster paid tribute to Mr Hasting’s role in kick-starting an industry here. He said: “...he has left a legacy which has formed the foundation for our now successful tourism industry. It is suiting that with his family so embedded in the industry, his legacy will be carried on for generations to come.”
Visit Belfast said: “We unite in honouring his lifetime of exemplary and inspiring business achievement, and, in particular, his exceptional contribution to Belfast and Northern Ireland’s tourism and hospitality success.”
Billy Hastings (later to become Sir William) was a critical tutor for a young academic like me with a deep suspicion about the potential merits of a growing tourist sector.
Looking back to the brave decisions which he was to make, Billy had the gift of starting ‘from the worst of times, to make decisions for the best of times’.
Billy Hastings was a formidable opponent. At the time when he decided to buy the Europa Hotel, it symbolised so much of the toil and trouble of living in Northern Ireland. We argued whether he had done the right thing. How would he make a living based partly on repairing and maintaining the ‘most bombed hotel anywhere in Europe’. History has given him the reward of being right. As the years progressed, our argument became less forceful. Occasionally a barbed reminder of how he was doing would put this older academic back in his place. A failure that I am happy to acknowledge.
Billy started his pathway to success with the minor advantage of a very modest silver spoon. His family were small part players in what would now be called the hospitality trades: he had first-hand experience of the pub business.
The Hastings Hotels group has been a path-breaker in the emergence of globally competitive hospitality services which serve Northern Ireland well.
He originally bought a small group of hotels with a history of traditional ownership, sometimes linked to the former railway companies or the Grand Met group. Over time his estate and its hotel services have set the improving standard that Northern Ireland has needed.
In the modern world, so dominated by large international brand-name hotels, the success of Billy continues to lie in the high standards offered by family controlled units, now capped by the pending regeneration of the Grand Central: a revival of a pre-Troubles name in a post-Troubles environment.