In the heart of Leicester Square sits The Londoner, a £500 million architectural marvel that plunges six storeys underground and soars 10 storeys into the London sky. This ambitious project, which opened in 2021, isn't just another luxury hotel – it’s Jasminder Singh’s “love letter to London,” a testament to the vision of one of Britain's most influential hoteliers.
The journey to this crowning achievement began far from the glittering lights of London's West End. Born in 1951 in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanganyika (now Tanzania), Jasminder arrived in England at 17 with just an O-level certificate from Nairobi’s Saint Joseph's School. His entry into hospitality came through an unexpected door – accountancy.
“I was lucky to get a break in hotels in 1975 from my maternal uncle. Compared to accountancy, I found the hotel business fascinating,” Jasminder later recalled. “It's all-consuming – it never feels like work. That's what I love about this industry. It provides total fulfilment.”
That passion led him to found Edwardian Hotels in 1977, embarking on a strategic journey of acquiring and transforming underperforming properties. His first significant purchase was the Vanderbilt Hotel in Kensington in 1978, followed by a string of acquisitions throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Each property became a canvas for Jasminder’s vision of distinctive, high-quality hospitality.
The acquisition of the iconic May Fair Hotel in 2003 marked a pivotal moment in Jasminder’s career. This glamorous institution, with its popular cinema-cum-theatre and deep connections to London's cultural scene, became his flagship – until The Londoner took that crown. The May Fair continues to evolve under Jasminder’s stewardship, recently unveiling its renovated bar with interiors reimagined by his daughter Krishma Singh Dear, head of design at The Edwardian Hotel Group, featuring contemporary art from Maddox Gallery and bespoke furnishings from Restoration Hardware.
The Londoner's construction tells its own dramatic story. In 2017, invited guests gathered around a 33-metre-deep hole in Leicester Square – where the Odeon Cinema once stood – for a unique ‘bottoming out’ ceremony. This engineering feat would house six underground levels, complementing the ten storeys above ground. Today, the hotel boasts 350 rooms and suites, six dining venues, and a 550-guest ballroom, exemplifying Jasminder's commitment to innovation in hospitality.
Last year marked another strategic milestone as Jasminder orchestrated a landmark transaction with the US-based private equity firm Starwood Capital Group, selling 10 Radisson Blu Edwardian properties in London with a combined total of 2,053 rooms.
The deal, estimated by Bloomberg to be worth around £800 million, marks a new era for the group as it focuses on its core flagship properties: The Londoner and The May Fair Hotel in London 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,” his son Inderneel, now chief executive, explained the move.
“Our three landmark properties … 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.
Behind the business acumen lies a deeper story of resilience and purpose. A few years ago, Jasminder suffered a heart attack, an experience that strengthened his commitment to healthcare causes. Edwardian Hotels London is an official corporate fundraising partner to Cancer Research UK, with funds raised by the wider company going to the Francis Crick Institute in London, a world leader in biomedical research.
His East African roots inspire his involvement with African educational charities, and he has long supported Care International. Jasminder has also contributed to educational projects in India, emphasising community development.
Jasminder’s approach to hospitality combines tradition with innovation, and he remains optimistic about the hotel industry despite economic challenges, focusing on operational efficiency, technology, and guest experience.
“Running hotels is labour-intensive,” he has noted. “However, you can use new technologies to re-engineer our processes. With housekeeping, for example, we have implemented technologies to ensure rooms are cleaned in a timely manner. All housekeepers are issued iPods in the morning, so they know which room to clean, which rooms are becoming vacant, and who is staying late. That has significantly improved efficiency.”
Today, Jasminder can often be found in the ground floor café of The Londoner, where he’s moved his office from the May Fair. “I like to see the comings and goings at my hotel,” he commented. This hands-on approach has characterised his nearly five-decade career, earning him an OBE in 2007 and a doctorate from the University of Stirling in 2008.
The Singh family remains involved in the business, with Jasminder overseeing the group’s operations and Inderneel as chief executive managing day-to-day activities. The group is also family-oriented, with Jasminder’s daughters, Siraj, Krishma, and Ushira, contributing to various aspects of the business.
Interestingly, Inderneel’s marriage to hotelier Surinder Arora's daughter Sonia wasn't a corporate merger – both families insist it was a true love match.
As Edwardian Hotels focuses on its three flagship properties, Jasminder’s vision continues to shape London's hospitality landscape.
