Britannia Hotels shakes up leadership team

Britannia Hotels has appointed a new board of directors alongside plans for fresh investment across its 65-strong network of hotels across the UK.

The new board comprises four directors, all of whom have been promoted from senior positions within the hotel group’s ranks.

Simon Powell has worked at Britannia Hotels for 18 years and has had a career across hospitality spanning 30 years. Helen Rees, who joined the company in 2023, has 25-plus years of managerial hospitality experience. Prakash Sivaran has over 25 years of experience in hospitality and joined in 2020. Finally, Paul Streets has spent three years as general counsel for Britannia Hotels, and previously had over a decade’s experience in various legal roles.

Alongside its refreshed leadership team, Britannia Hotels, which was founded from a single hotel in Manchester in 1976, is planning a multimillion-pound property refurbishment programme alongside investments in new systems and technology for its teams.

The group, voted the worst hotel chain for the twelfth consecutive year in 2025, will also introduce new entertainment break programmes across five of its hotels and a refresh of its visual branding.

Streets said: “Britannia Hotels has a proud heritage and unique place in the UK hospitality landscape. As we approach our 50th anniversary, the new board represents an important moment for the business – one that allows us to respect what has been built over many years, while bringing greater focus, clarity and ambition to how we operate going forward.

“Our priority is to invest in our hotels and our people and deliver consistent and great value experiences for our guests. We are excited about the opportunity ahead and confident in the long-term future of Britannia Hotels Group.”

The hotel group’s most recently published accounts show group sales up 4.9% to £162.4m in the year to 31 March 2024 alongside a 20% slide in profits to £31.3m.

Britannia Hotels is set to go to trial next year under charges brought by Liverpool City Council following the death of guest Chloe Hayes, 21, at its Adelphi hotel in Liverpool in 2022.

Photo: Richard OD/Shutterstock