MANDARIN EYES DEAL TO RUN RITZ

THE Ritz, the epitome of the luxury London hotel for the past 88 years, looks set to be taken over by the Hong Kong-based Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group under a management contract.

Caterer understands an agreement is currently being finalised and that a senior manager from within the Mandarin Oriental group has been lined up to take over as general manager.

Speculation about such a move has been mounting since control of Trafalgar House, which owns the Ritz, passed to the same stable of companies that owns Mandarin. Indeed, Mandarin chairman Simon Keswick is also chairman of Trafalgar House.

Sources close to Mandarin suggested Englishman Brian Williams, general manager of the 437-bedroom Mandarin Oriental in Macau, had been earmarked to relocate to London to run the Ritz should a management contract be signed.

Mr Williams, 35, has had an impressive track record since he started his career with Forte at London's Waldorf hotel in 1980, subsequently working at the Imperial in Torquay and the Dubai International.

He joined Mandarin in 1985, swiftly rising through the ranks to become manager of the Mandarin Oriental in Hong Kong. In 1991 he was promoted to general manager of the company's Macau property.

It is unclear, however, where the arrival of Mr Williams at the 129-bedroom Ritz would leave the hotel's managing director Terry Holmes, one of the industry's best known and admired characters.

A spokeswoman for Mandarin Oriental in Hong Kong declined to comment on the subject of the Ritz, but admitted that it would be "wonderful" to have a property in the UK.

Some 30% of business to the Mandarin in Hong Kong comes from the UK, and a presence for the companyin London would clearlyprovide a big boost to its hotels.

lFollowing the disposal of London's Dukes Hotel in April (News, Caterer, 14 April), Trafalgar House is understood to be close to selling the nearby Stafford.