Macdonald's new boss quits to run Whitbread hotels

Patrick Dempsey, chief executive of Scottish group Macdonald Hotels, has left the company after just seven months.

Dempsey has left Macdonald to head up the Whitbread Hotel Company, where he will run its estate of Marriott hotels. Whitbread's Travel Inn chain of budget hotels will continue to be run by Mike Tye.

Whitbread was unable to confirm when Dempsey would take over the role, but current hotels managing director Alan Parker is due to take over as chief executive of the group when David Thomas retires in June.

Macdonald Hotels, which went private in September last year, confirmed that Dempsey had left the company, but was unable to comment further.

Dempsey began his career in the hospitality industry at Forte, where he spent some 20 years and held several management roles, including managing director of Posthouse Hotels and head of the group's London hotels division. From 2001 to 2003 he worked for contract catering giant Compass as chief executive of its Restaurant Associates business.

Dempsey could not be reached for comment before Caterer went to press.