Exciting challenges face new chiefs

It’s a return to a favourite part of London for experienced hotelier Eva Mount who will oversee the launch of the new The BoTree hotel on London’s Marylebone Lane this summer, having been appointed general manager.

Mount brings a wealth of five-star experience in hotel openings and rebranding in the capital, having previously held general manager roles at The Guardsman (sister hotel to The BoTree), The Athenaeum Hotel & Residences, The Arch London. She spent over 10 years with Firmdale Hotels, including general manager roles at Dorset Square Hotel, and Charlotte Street Hotel.

Returning to Marylebone, one of her favourite London villages, she’s thrilled to have the opportunity to be at the forefront of The BoTree’s opening: “Launching The BoTree is a labour of love, and it’s an honour to be at the helm of such an exciting London opening. The BoTree will offer guests a vibrant and elegant place to stay with two incredible restaurants, a nightclub and an unparalleled location from which to discover the city.”

As a qualified yoga instructor, Mount spends her free time practising yoga and meditation, which help her resolve any interesting conundrums, whether work or life related. She also enjoys walking her two miniature schnauzers, Alfie and Murphy.

Set to launch in summer 2023, in the heart of London’s West End, at the intersection of Marylebone and Mayfair, The BoTree will capture the spirit of the city’s ‘village’ life and reflect the prestige of central London. Vibrant and elegant, the 199-room luxury hotel, complete with 29 stunning suites will boast dynamic bars; two destination restaurants, one of which will provide spectacular rooftop views of the city; a live music club; boutique screening room and fitness centre.

The BoTree will be sister hotel to the award winning Middle Eight in Covent Garden and The Guardsman in Westminster and will be a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts’ prestigious Legend Collection.

Maybourne Hotel Group, operator of London’s legendary and prestigious hotels Claridge’s, The Connaught and The Berkeley, as well as international properties The Maybourne Beverly Hills and The Maybourne Riviera, has announce the appointment of Roland Fasel as COO, from April 2023. Swiss-born Fasel has almost 30 years of global experience within the hospitality industry, with a distinguished career spanning three continents with luxury hotel groups. His most recent role was with the Aman Collection where he was COO for the last six years.

Prior to that, he enjoyed an eight-year tenure at The Dorchester Collection where he served as both general manager of The Dorchester as well as regional director for The Dorchester Collection, overseeing new openings and development of the brand. He was recently awarded the prestigious Hotels magazine’s ‘Hotelier of the World Award 2022.’ In his new role at Maybourne Hotel Group, Fasel will be responsible for the commercial success and quality of the current portfolio of hotels, building on their reputation for unrivalled service and personalised guest experiences, as well as helping spearhead a programme of international expansion.

Warner Leisure Hotels, specialists in short UK breaks designed exclusively for adults, has appointed Tony Roberts to the newly created role of chief commercial officer. Roberts has spent 23 years in the cruise industry and will join Warner Leisure Hotels in April from Seabourn Cruise Line, where he is vice-president of global commercial operations, guest services and head of UK and Europe operations.

The hotel group runs 15 rural and coastal hideaways, all a stone’s throw from some of the country’s best-loved beauty spots and offer Grade I and II listed manor hotels through to picturesque villages by the sea. RoomRaccoon, an all-in-one Hotel Management System (HMS) for independent hotels, has announced that it will strengthen its representation in the UK and Ireland with the appointment of Ed Kerr as country manager of RoomRaccoon UKI.

Kerr joins RoomRaccoon armed with more than 15 years of experience in the travel industry, including six years in sales and business development roles in hospitality technology companies such as Booking.com, Guestline and RMS Cloud. In his new role, Kerr will focus on strengthening RoomRaccoon’s sales development and provide a direct service to independent hoteliers, B&Bs and apartment owners in the UK and Ireland.