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Jasminder Singh

Jasminder Singh

EDWARDIAN GROUP is one of the UK’s leading privately owned hotel groups and has been operating and developing its hospitality portfolio since Jasminder Singh began his career in the hospitality industry in 1977. In January 2024, the group announced the sale of its Radisson Blu Edwardian properties in London, ten hotels with 2,053 rooms, to US private equity firm Starwood Capital Group for a reported £800 million ($1 billion). Edwardian Hotels London will retain and continue to operate The Londoner, their flagship hotel, and its two Radisson Collection hotels, The May Fair, and The Edwardian Manchester. “Following the successful launch of The Londoner and a period of strong trading across the portfolio, this sale represents an opportunity to refocus the group and position it for its next chapter,” Inderneel Singh, chief executive of Edwardian Group and son of Jasminder, said. “Our three landmark properties - The Londoner, The May Fair Hotel, and The Edwardian Manchester – are perfect showcases of our vision for the future, and we remain committed to investing in and delivering distinctive experiences for guests in high-end, purpose-built, city-centre hotels,” he added. The group opened The Londoner, on the south west corner of the iconic Leicester Square, in September 2021 as the world’s ‘first super boutique hotel’. It incorporates 350 bedrooms and suites, six concept eateries and bars, two private screening rooms, seven meeting spaces and a ballroom for 850 guests. Launched after six years of development, delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic, the 16-storey hotel stands 30 metres (almost 100ft) tall and 32m (nearly 110ft) below street level in the heart of the capital. For Jasminder Singh, the hotel heralded a new era in his journey from an accountant to one of the most successful hoteliers in the UK.

A collaboration between global architecture firm Woods Bagot and Edwardian Hotels’ creative director Rob Steul, the project was sensitively integrated into the historic urban fabric of Leicester Square. It has earned a rating of excellent from BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method), described as the world’s leading science-based suite of validation and certification systems for sustainable built environment, after securing an industry-first £175m Green Loan from HSBC UK. “Since its inception we have always had bold ambitions for The Londoner to write itself into the very fabric of the city. Not only in the way of experience, but also in becoming part of its history – creating a milestone, future-proof hotel on the capital’s most famous square. There was absolutely no question that The Londoner had to be a ground-breaking sustainable build that would stand the test of time,” Singh said. The ‘5-star urban resort’ has already been recognised as one of the best hotels in the world by the industry. The Londoner is a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts Legend Collection, a portfolio of exceptional properties in the world’s most remarkable destinations. They took home three awards including the coveted hotel of the year, along with the best event spaces and hotel newbuild awards last year, at the Europe regional and the global awards of AHEAD, which recognises properties for their hospitality experience and design. Singh began his career within the hospitality industry in 1977, with the purchase of his first hotel, The Vanderbilt, in South Kensington. He has expanded steadily in the next two decades, building his portfolio of hotels. In 2003, he first turned heads with the acquisition of The May Fair, the legendary luxury hotel with a glamorous past, from InterContinental


Inaugurated in 1927 by King George V and Queen Mary, The May Fair was the first new hotel to open in the British capital in over 20 years and quickly became a playground for London’s high society. Today, the 400-bedroom hotel has transformed into a contemporary boutique getaway, known for its timeless elegance and charm, while remaining the favourite of the high-fliers from the world of cinema and fashion. The hotel group has placed great emphasis on technology and has reaped the benefits – it has several apps of its own and is among the front-runners in the industry for its ‘virtual’ host, Edward – which can be easily accessed through a mobile phone and is helpfully on call 24/7 and doesn’t get tired or irritated. Singh explained: “Today’s guests expect to be connected at all times and they want a seamless experience they can trust.” Born in a Sikh family in Dar-es-Salaam in modern-day Tanzania, Singh reached the UK in 1968, aged 17, to study. He was schooled in Kenya, where he stayed with his maternal uncles. His father Bal Mohinder Singh worked for the railways but took early retirement after Tanzania became an independent country no longer under British rule. He then moved to Kenya, starting a small business, until 1973 when Jasminder was properly settled here. The family initially ran a post office in Stamford Hill, north London. Singh qualified as an accountant with Hacker Young, and considers himself “very lucky” to have got a break in the hospitality industry from his uncle. He found the industry fascinating as it never felt like work to him and he later commented that the industry in its entirety gave him a sense of fulfilment. “We react to new trends, but also remain confident that the essence of Edwardian Hotels London is upheld. It is important that visitors trust in the quality of the experience we provide. For more than 40 years, we have updated the products we offer to guests, developing a reputation of surprising and delighting them,” Singh previously told the GG2 Power List. Unsurprisingly, he has been a driving force within the hospitality sector, with his outstanding contribution to the industry being recognised with an OBE in 2007. He was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Stirling in 2008. He is the winner of the Asian Business of the Year award at the 2015 Asian Business Awards. Singh is married to Amrit, an interior decorator, and they have four children – son Inderneel, and daughters Siraj, Krishma and Ushira.

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