Sleeping in London

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Written by Linda Hohnholz

There are many wonderful cities on the planet; London has to be at or near the top of cities to visit and revisit. Many people agree.

There are many wonderful cities on the planet; London has to be at or near the top of cities to visit and revisit. Many people agree. The UK is the 8th largest international tourism destination ranked by visitor numbers and the 7th largest international tourism destination ranked by visitor expenditures. Tourism provides 3.1m jobs which is almost 10 percent of the entire UK workforce.

The success of the hospitality industry can be attributed to the smart and savvy c-suite executives running the excellent properties that offer guests more than shelter โ€“ they provide experiences that take the hassle out of travel and improve the quality of business and leisure tourism.

A recommended World Hotel property in London is the Royal Garden (Kensington High Street). This centrally located 394 room hotel has busses stopping a few feet from the entrance and is a short walk to the Underground. The neighborhood shops run from boutique to department stores, there is a terrific laundromat nearby (for weary road warriors who have run out of clean clothes), and the Chinese take-out across the street is really good (at least by NYC standards). The Kensington Gardens, next to the hotel, is a lure for joggers from early AM to late night and children love the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Playground nearby.

Perhaps the real reason to stay at the Royal Garden is because it is run by a very experienced GM who has a professional staff that keeps the property humming and guests happy. Thanks to the genius of the Concierge staffers I was able to run-about the city using public transit โ€“ and never got lost (if I followed instructions).

So โ€“ who is responsible for this gem? The GM is Jonathan Lowrey. Even if there was a โ€œtypical backgroundโ€ for a c-suite executive, he would not meet the profile. He grew up in the small market town of Kirbymoorside in Yorkshire and dropped out of school at the age of 16, working part time in restaurants.

When he realized that he liked working in kitchens and the culinary arts and actually enjoyed the challenges of the hospitality industry he enrolled in a four-year chef apprenticeship with Trust House Forte (an important hotel brand at the time). He spent quality time in the kitchens but ultimately decided that this department was too limiting and he wanted more. Recognizing talent, Trust House offered him the opportunity to join their graduate management team and Lowrey became Assistant Conference and Banqueting Manager at their Brighton property. He went on to become Food and Beverage (F&B) Manager at the Chester Grosvenor hotel and then joined the Royal Garden as Deputy Food and Beverage Manager. His next move was to Claridridges, in Mayfair London as F& B Manager and then on to Bangkok, Thailand.

His career continued with an association with the Peninsular Group working in project development where he managed hotels and developed a private members club. After working for an American management company he returned to London and reestablished his presence at the Royal Garden Hotel, part of the World Hotel group.

Lowrey hosts international guests with a business executive focus during the week, many who regularly stay at the hotel through corporate contracts while weekends include couples and families seeking London attractions. The hotel attracts many meetings and business events with special attention given to the music and entertainment industry (think Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber), as well as sports (with a focus on rugby and cricket teams).

Hotel History

The Royal Garden is part of the Goodwood Group. Built in the 1800s, it was known as the Palace Hotel. In the 1900s it was used as the headquarters for the Womanโ€™s Royal Voluntary Service. The Labour Government demolished the building in the 1960s and it was rebuilt by Colonel Richard Seifert. In 1965 it reopened under the Royal Garden brand. It was refurbished in 1994 under the management of the Goodwood Group, currently under the direction of Jennifer Carmichael, the daughter of the late Singaporean businessman Tan Sri Khoo Teck Pual who gifted her the hotel on her 21st birthday.

For additional information: http://www.royalgardenhotel.co.uk/

About the author

Avatar of Linda Hohnholz

Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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