Italian company Royal Demeure Hotel Group establishes head office in London
Italian luxury company the Royal Demeure Hotel Group is believed to be on the verge of announcing plans to open properties in the UK after moving its headquarters from Rome to London.
The group, which operates the Hotel d'Inghilterra in Rome alongside five other properties, has also appointed a new senior management team, including Greg Ward, who for seven years was sales and marketing director at Von Essen hotels and most recently director of sales and operations at Clarenco. His new role at Royal Demeure is as group sales and marketing director.
Other new appointments include Colin Catelino, formerly financial director for the Espa Group, as chief financial officer, and Charlotte Gray as marketing and communications manager. Gray spent the past eight years with the Royal Automobile Club and Como Hotels & Resorts.
Royal Demeure, which is owned by TDA Capital, a private Italian-owned investment company, is headed by group chief executive Professor Luigi De Simone Niquesa.
Ward said that he was thrilled to be have joined what he calls "an iconic" group of hotels.
"Situated in cultural capitals like Rome and Florence, each property has many individual qualities, which I look forward to highlighting for the benefit of travellers looking for a truly memorable luxurious experience, he said. "Additionally, with plans for future growth and investment, it is an extremely exciting time to join the company."
De Simone Niquesa added: "We have created a dynamic and experienced new team that will lead us through the next stages of our development plans. The experience in luxury customer experiences and strong commercial background that each new team member brings makes them instrumental in developing and shaping the growth of the hotel group. They join us at a time when we are looking to strengthen the collection's positioning within the industry."
The Royal Demeure portfolio of hotels is based in historical buildings and include the Hotel d'Inghilterra, Residenza di Ripetta and the Hotel Beverly Hills in Rome; the Hotel Helvetia & Bristol in Florence; the Grand Hotel Continental, Siena; and the Hotel Villa Michelangelo, Vicenza.
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