Bespoke Hotels appoints Richard Grove as COO

Bespoke Hotels has appointed Richard Grove as its new chief operating officer. Grove is an experienced hotelier and previous general manager of The Chester Grosvenor, a luxury five-star hotel that is part of the Bespoke collection. He has been with Bespoke Hotels since 2015, and prior to this, was a senior general manager for Principal Hayley at Cranage Hall and the 275-bedroom Palace Hotel in Manchester. According to Bespoke, Grove has an “impressive” hospitality career that has also seen him manage Marriott Victoria and Albert Hotel, Manchester, while recently, he has been combining his position at The Chester Grosvenor with a regional role at Mill Hotel and Spa, Oddfellows Chester and Oddfellows Cheadle. Within his new role, Grove will be responsible for driving the financial performance of the existing hotel portfolio, as well as seeking to secure new management opportunities for the group. Beyond this, he will also provide leadership to the regional operations, sales and marketing, revenue and distribution, and human resources teams. The Chester Grosvenor will now be led by its newly appointed general manager, Steve Ogden, another experienced hotelier who has fronted an “impressive” roster of luxury UK hotels throughout his career. Ogden will be tasked with overseeing Chester’s only five-star hotel, which has “not only forged a reputation for providing a luxury stay within a historic city — but also for its outstanding food and beverage offering”, spearheaded by the recently refurbished Arkle restaurant and fronted by Elliot Hill. Thomas Greenall, CEO of Bespoke Hotels, said: “We are delighted to welcome Richard into his new role as COO and with his impressive knowledge of the industry and proven ability to lead, we have no doubt his new placement will be a real success. “This is a very promising time for Bespoke Hotels, with the portfolio continuing to grow across the UK and overseas, as well as our existing properties continuing to thrive following the hardships of the pandemic.” He added: “As our name suggests, Bespoke hotels prides itself on providing a ‘bespoke’ service, with a recognition that guests want to be treated like an individual, not a room number. As we continue to showcase this approach across the portfolio, I am confident Richard will be a crucial ingredient for both its longevity and growth.”. Grove said: “This is a really exciting step in my career and after many years managing luxury hotels across the country, I am looking forward to putting this knowledge to good use by supporting other budding hoteliers within one of the most reputable brands in the industry. “Bespoke Hotels has been a big part of my recent career and I now intend on throwing myself wholeheartedly into this new challenge — sound in the knowledge that The Chester Grosvenor is under the watchful eye of Steve Ogden. This represents a new chapter for me, and I hope my extensive experience and natural affinity to leading others will prove a useful string to Bespoke’s bow going forwards.” Ogden added: “The Chester Grosvenor is a renowned property in the northwest, and I’m delighted to be able to oversee it. With the hotel having a long-established reputation for excellence, I’ll be seeking to build on that going forward as we look to maintain the highest of standards, continuing to provide delicious cuisine and superb hospitality for our guests.”