Hyatt back in London to run Churchill hotel

Hyatt International is returning to London after a three-year absence. The group has announced that it will take over the management of the 445-bedroom Churchill hotel on Portman Square in the West End.

The hotel, which is owned by the Churchill Group, is currently operated by InterContinental but will transfer to Hyatt on 1 May and be renamed the Churchill Hyatt Regency.

InterContinental said it was "disappointed" to lose the contract, but added that it was just another example of "churn" in the market.

Hyatt's last venture in London was the 280-bedroom Hyatt Carlton Towers hotel on Cadogan Place, which was taken over by Dubai-based group Jumeirah International in December 2001. Hyatt president Bernd Chorengel said: "We are enormously pleased to return to the heart of London with our core brand. This is a wonderful addition to our portfolio and I am sure that we can fulfil the potential of this important property."

Michael Gray, former general manager of the Hyatt Carlton Towers, will supervise the crossover in management and will become general manager once the hotel is fully operated by Hyatt.

Gray said he was "excited and delighted" to be taking over the hotel. "We cannot wait to get back into London," he added.

Between now and May Hyatt will conduct a review of the hotel and its facilities. It has plans for an 18-month renovation of the property that will see public areas undergo cosmetic renovations and back-of-house areas be extensively overhauled.

Employees at the hotel were told of the decision late on Friday (6 February), but no job cuts are planned as a result of the changeover.

Hyatt has only one other hotel in the UK, the 319-bedroom Hyatt Regency Birmingham.