Industry appointments, 8-12 June

Conrad London St. James has appointed Angela Cento director of Business Development, while Simon Drake joins as hotel manager. 

Eight new team members have also been introduced to the sales team, to deal with the increased demand for the high quality events, meetings and functions.

With a strong background in luxury hotels including Hotel de Vigny Relais & Chateaux in Paris and London Marriott Park Lane and Baglioni Hotel, Centro’s motivated approach to sales is sure to boost revenues. Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces previously employed Drake as director of Food and Beverage for the company’s two London hotels. After two years as general manager of a boutique hotel in the Surrey hills, he has chosen to return to London.

Commenting on the appointments, Conrad London St. James GM Nicholas Chalmers said: “The investment in the Conrad London St. James’ team is representative of our commitment to providing the highest quality experience to all our customers. Whether business or leisure, our goal is for guests to relax and enjoy Conrad’s range of intuitive services.”

Conrad London St. James is located opposite St James Park underground station and is just a five minute walk from Victoria railway station.

Following the release of tourism figures highlighting a further year of growth in Scottish Tourism expenditure, the Scottish Tourism Alliance (STA) has announced the appointment of three high-profile board members. 

They are Alison McRae, (projects director at Glasgow Chamber of Commerce), David Lonsdale (director of the Scottish Retail Consortium) and Henk Berits (director of Marketing & Commercial Services at the National Trust for Scotland).

The new board members provide further strength to the organisation that is acknowledged as being the voice of the tourism industry in Scotland and leads on industry matters.

Marc Crothall, CEO of the Scottish Tourism Alliance said: “These recent Board appointments demonstrate how far the STA has grown in stature by being able to attract such industry experts onto our board in what is such a diverse industry. It’s by collaborating with and strategically drawing together leaders from across differing sectors of industry that will enable us to showcase the economic and cultural significance of tourism in Scotland and drive forward the National Tourism Strategy.”

Tom Lewis, former general manager at Swinton Park hotel in North Yorkshire, has joined Wildsmith Hotels in Cumbria and North Lancashire as operations director.

In his new role, Lewis will work closely with founder Andrew Wildsmith, overseeing all three properties. Wildsmith Hotels include Hipping Hall, Kirkby Lonsdale, The Ryebeck, Bowness-on-Windermere; and the forthcoming Forest Side restaurant and hotel in Grasmere, due to launch in September.

Lewis brings a wealth of experience to the Wildsmith Hotels, with spells in a number of high profile establishments, including the Dorchester where his career started as a trainee manger, Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, in Oxfordshire, as general manager and latterly at Swinton Park Hotel, Masham, North Yorkshire.

Andrew Wildsmith, owner of Wildsmith Hotels, said: “Tom’s experience and qualifications speak for themselves. Wildsmith Hotels is currently celebrating 10 successful years and with a third hotel launch underway, it was time I brought in a right hand man to help me across all the properties.”

The Splendid Hospitality Group has appointed James Clarke general manager for the new Hilton London Bankside hotel, which is set to open this summer. Clarke brings with him more than 20 years’ experience within the hospitality industry and joins from the London Hilton on Park Lane where he was director of Operations.

Discussing his appointment, Clarke said: “I am thrilled to be playing a pivotal role in opening the Hilton London Bankside. The construction phase is always interesting but I can’t wait to be checking in our first guests at the end of the summer.”

Stuart Bailey, CEO of Splendid Hospitality Group said: “We are delighted to have James on board to manage Hilton London Bankside which is an exciting new addition to our portfolio. With 292 stylishly decorated rooms, it will be one of the largest hotels within the Splendid Hospitality Group. James also brings with him a good understanding of the Hilton ethos.”

Clarke studied in the UK and USA and one of his prestigious early jobs included working at the Waldorf Astoria in New York as director of Room Service and Hospitality Operations.