Hotel Cateys 2025: Hotelier of the Year 2025 – Franck Arnold, the Savoy

This year’s Hotelier of the Year describes himself as “the captain of the ship”. 

And that ship is the historic Savoy hotel on London’s Strand. A hotel that has welcomed guests for well over a century and holds a place in the cultural zeitgeist.

Franck Arnold possesses the exacting eye required to deliver luxury at the highest level, but combines it with a relaxed and approachable manner widely praised by a judging panel of his industry peers.

His management style has empowered teams to showcase their personalities and brought them on board with a vision that has breathed new life into one of luxury hospitality’s most recognisable institutions.

The hotelier had been general manager of the Ritz-Carlton in Toronto for more than four years, having worked in cities including Edinburgh and Washington earlier in his career, when the call came in 2020. “When people want to talk to you about a role at the Savoy, you listen,” said Arnold. “It’s one of those staples of luxury hospitality. It is a British institution but it’s known around the world. So as an opportunity, I could not just ignore it.”

When he arrived, the hotel was on the verge of reopening after the pandemic lockdowns. Staff had been scattered over the intervening months, so recruitment and retraining were required to ensure that as the hotel gradually began welcoming guests, it would meet their exacting standards.

He rose to this challenge and judges of the Hotelier of the Year Award praised Arnold’s leadership, which aims to build empowered teams who deliver service to the highest levels, in a relaxed style.

Achieving this has seen Arnold turn a traditional leadership model on its head, giving the team the tools to use their initiative and create moments of magic.

Having a team that can deliver luxury at the highest level has always been essential in the top echelon of London’s hotels, and with that marketplace having undergone a dramatic expansion in recent years, Arnold’s steady stewardship is more critical than ever.

And with a full renovation of the hotel, due to be completed in 2027, Arnold is determined that the Savoy not only preserves its history and heritage, but also continues to define the next era of luxury hospitality for generations to come.

Previous winners of the title were full of praise for this year’s winner. Craig Bancroft of Northcote in Lancashire, said: “Franck Arnold is the epitome of a great hotelier. He oozes hospitality and has a wonderful charisma that is simply infectious. He cares about his guests and his team in equal measure. While carefully navigating and developing a great property he has a sympathetic hand in the past, while always looking to the future with innovation and modernity. Franck is a first-class operator and a well-deserving recipient of this converted award.”

The Ned’s Gareth Banner, Hotelier of the Year in 2024, said: “Franck has shown himself to be a classy hotelier throughout his career and it is clear that the Savoy is thriving under his leadership.”

And Sally Beck of the Royal Lancaster London, said: “Franck is an inherently kind man, with tonnes of positive energy. He brings that kindness and energy to every interaction. This brings the best out in everybody and gets great results. I am delighted for him; he totally embodies the values of the Hotelier of the Year.”

• Read the full feature on Frank Arnold