‘Cultural gap' forced Brown's chief to quit

THE former manager of Brown's Hotel in London has resigned after less than a year in the job because there was "too much interference from the Asian owners".

Brown's was bought by the Singapore-based Raffles group last year, but manager Andrew Coggings became unhappy that he was not allowed to run the hotel in his own way.

He said: "I had very little input to decisions but I was responsible for the hotel."

Coggings, 34, has already moved on to manage Slaley Hall, the De Vere group hotel in Hexham, near Newcastle.

Coggings said that the cultural gap between Asian and European methods was proving a problem for him in managing Brown's, and that other staff were also departing.

During his short stay at Brown's, he successfully introduced the new hotel restaurant, 1837, which has received a string of good reviews.

Coggings said: "I would have loved to have stayed at Brown's, but I couldn't take responsibility for a hotel that I was not being allowed to manage. Even the smallest decisions had to be referred to Singapore."

A Brown's spokesman said: "The input from Raffles International was to provide direction in ensuring that service and product quality was consistent with company standards."

Brown's has not yet found a new general manager, but the historic hotel is about to lose another key member of staff when financial controller Liz Whittaker departs in a few weeks' time. She was unavailable for comment.

by David Harris