Lallemand's Grand plans

Marie-Béatrice Lallemand, general manager of the world's largest Hilton and one of London's few high-profile female hotel managers, is to leave the 1,058-bedroom Hilton London Metropole on Edgware Road at the end of February.

She is quitting Hilton to take up the post of general manager at Inter-Continental's Grand Hotel on the Place d'Opera in Paris. The 514-bedroom hotel has been closed for refurbishment since December 2001. Lallemand will start her new role on 1 March, but the hotel will not reopen for business until May, with the official relaunch date set for September.

French-born Lallemand said she was moving because she wanted to be closer to her friends and family.

Lallemand collected a Catey for Hilton in 2002, when the hotel won the Group Hotel of the Year category. She also spoke at Caterer's recruitment conference last year.