Maybourne Group plans major international expansion plan

The owner of three of London's top landmark five-star hotels is set to embark on a major international expansion programme, Caterersearch has learnt.

Maybourne Hotel Group, owner of Claridge's, the Berkeley and the Connaught, revealed that it is poised to announce its first overseas venture "very soon". The move will kick start a phased roll-out of individually branded hotels in international gateway cities.

Stephen Alden, chief executive of Maybourne, told Caterersearch: "We're planning to open one or two hotels a year every year for the next 10 years. We are already looking at New York, Milan, Dubai and Moscow. We'll be taking a very individual approach to each property."

Alden believes the group's luxury offer could work in either existing historic buildings or in new builds that become city landmarks of the future.

"They will all be iconic buildings," he said. "We've put a lot of time in behind the scenes in developing the product and creating brands which will have an instant impact."

Alden has a track record of branching out into international markets after taking the US group Starwood's luxury St Regis brand into Europe when he opened the St Regis Grand in Rome.

Since joining Maybourne in 2005, he has spearheaded a £70m refurbishment of the Connaught.

Maybourne was known as the Savoy Group until January 2005, after it was acquired by Irish property investment group Quinlan Private.

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By Gareth Cosslett

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