Sonja Vodusek named MD of the Peninsula London

Australian hotelier Sonja Vodusek has been appointed managing director of the Peninsula London, the 189-bedroom luxury hotel set to open in 2021.

Currently general manager of the Peninsula Tokyo, Vodusek will join the property overlooking Hyde Park Corner in 1 February 2020. She has worked for the Peninsula Hotels since 2010 when she joined the group's New York property as hotel manager. She was later appointed as general manager of the Peninsula Manila in the Philippine before moving to Tokyo in 2015.

Prior to joining the 10-strong Peninsula Hotels, Ms Vodusek spent 16 years with Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, working in the US, Japan, Ireland, Australia and the Czech Republic.

Peter Borer, chief operating officer, the Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotels, owner and operator of the Peninsula Hotels, said: "With her international experience and unwavering dedication to our guests, I am confident that under Sonja's leadership, the Peninsula London will prove to be an exciting new addition to the remarkable city of London."

Vodusek, who studied at the Blue Mountain International Hotel Management School in Sydney and the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, added: "I am honoured to be joining the Peninsula London as managing director. The team and I greatly look forward to opening our doors in 2021 and welcoming guests and visitors alike."

Clement Kwok, chief executive of HSH told The Caterer in June that the Peninsula London will offer some of the largest hotel bedrooms in London with the standard room starting at 600 sq ft.

The public spaces at the hotel will include a western restaurant, Chinese restaurant, large lobby where afternoon tea will be served and a retail boutique serving coffee. It will also feature a gym, swimming pool and 26 residencies.