Kempinski's London venture still stalled

Further delays have hit the opening of the first London hotel for the Kempinski group.

The German group wanted the 64-bedroom hotel in South Kensington to open in time for the millennium, but four months later it is still unable to say when it will open.

"It's a building and development issue. It's no secret that we hoped it would be open at the turn of the year," said Chris Hartley, vice-president marketing.

Kempinski began advertising the hotel in its 2000 brochure, which was published in February, and Hartley said that his team has had to tell customers that they are unable to give a definite opening date.

In January the hotel's first general manager, Carsten Rath, quit, partly in disappointment at the delay (Caterer, 13 January, page 7).

Hartley said that no further moves had been made to find a replacement. "At the moment it would seem a fruitless exercise, until we know more," he said.