IN THE WINNING arcs of a heritage skyline, Tony Matharu sees something more than bricks and mortar: he sees London’s future – and, crucially, its confidence.
The hotelier and property entrepreneur has built a reputation for rescuing landmark buildings “at the end of their previous lives” and turning them into luxury hospitality destinations, but the bigger story is what drives him: a moral code rooted in family, and a civic mission that has made him one of the capital’s most influential business voices.
That code is embedded in the name of his business, Integrity International. At the Eastern Eye Property Awards in September 2025, where he won the top honour, Matharu delivered a masterclass that read like a manifesto.
“If you are true to yourself and true to others, you don’t compromise. You hold on to your moral philosophy. That is integrity,” he said. “You can be flexible in different aspects of your life, but your moral principles should remain steadfast.”
The origin story, as ever with Matharu, begins at home. Born in the UK to parents from Kenya, he credits his mother for both the seed funding and the values.
“My mother instilled values that stick with me to this day,” he said. “All this would not have happened if it was not for her and her ambitions for us,” he has reflected, citing her “drive, strength, courage and most importantly, the values” that still guide him.
From those foundations came scale. In the 1980s, Matharu and his brothers Harpal and Raj began converting empty office space into hotels, building the Grange Group into a portfolio of 17 four- and five-star properties. In 2019 they sold four prime sites for £1 billion – a defining moment that freed Matharu to pursue a sharper focus: high-impact acquisitions, heritage transformation, and a louder public presence.
Recent deals underline that ambition. Planning permission was granted in March 2025 to turn the Grade II listed Atlas House into a 104-room boutique hotel – a building he described as a chance to “demonstrate our continued commitment to invest in and breathe new life into London property”.
Alongside it sit Albany House near St James’s Park and the Crescent buildings by Tower Hill – each acquisition positioned not just as development, but as storytelling: London, restored.
His current portfolio includes the award-winning Tower Suites, Tower Residences, a restored Victorian building near the Tower of London, and the Westminster-based Wellington hotel.
Matharu maintains an active presence in London's business community. He previously sat on the board of the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry and currently serves as the chair of its Asian Business Association business group.
Yet his real power may lie outside his portfolio. In the “vacuum of post-Covid lockdown” he founded Central London Alliance, expecting “just 50 supporters”. Six years later it boasts over 20,000 members and stages high-visibility events – from the London Sports Festival to fashion shows in iconic locations – all designed to pull people back into the city.
As he puts it: “In purely economic terms, London is the beating heart of the British economy.”