Topland Group has appointed Lionel Benjamin as Director of Hotels to lead its strategy to build a £1bn hotel business.
Benjamin joins from Ability Group where for three-and-a-half-years he headed its hotel and leisure division. Prior to that he was Senior Director of Asset Integration at Hilton Worldwide where he was involved in the sale of 13 Hilton hotels including a European portfolio. Benjamin was awarded an Honorary Professorship of Hospitality and Tourism at the University of West London in 2006, and has also been Director of Operations at The Savoy and the Hilton London Metropole.
Menzies Hotels acquired in December
In December Topland, which is led by Sol Zakay and is one of the largest privately owned international investment groups, acquired the parent company of Menzies Hotels from administration for close to £85m.
The acquisition which saved 1,200 jobs saw Topland acquire 12 hotels which are predominantly four-star, and spread from Aberdeen to Bournemouth. At the same time it announced the deal was part of an ambitious plan to build a £1bn hotel business.
Topland now owns 21 hotels including Bath’s Royal Crescent Hotel, the Brighton Metropole, the Glasgow Hilton and a portfolio of Thistle Hotels, six in central London and one in Edinburgh.
Mandate to seek out quality hotels
Topland Chief Executive Zakay said: “We have highlighted our strategy of increasing the diversification of the Topland Group. Our hotels business is a key element of that strategy. Lionel has a mandate to seek out hotels of a similar ilk in luxury and quality to Royal Crescent which we will own outright and operate. The primary focus will be in the UK but we will also look at single assets or portfolios in continental Europe or further abroad.”
Benjamin said: “I was particularly attracted to the entrepreneurial flair of the Topland Group and its quick decision making structure. The opportunity to join such a financial powerhouse and develop such an exciting hotel business was too good an opportunity to turn down.”
Topland’s lending business which has a loan book which is in excess of £300m will also capitalise on Benjamin’s expertise and expects to see a rise in funding deals for the hotel sector.
