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The St. Regis London has appointed Robert Aikens as executive head chef ahead of the hotel’s planned opening in mid-2026.
Aikens will lead the culinary operation at the Mayfair property, including a yet-to-be-announced restaurant, as the luxury hotel brand prepares to open its first London site. The hotel will be led by general manager Marco Novella.
Aikens has built an international career spanning the UK, the US and Mexico. He trained in London with the Roux brothers, including at three Michelin-starred Le Gavroche, before moving to the US in the early 1990s to work at properties including The Point and Lake Placid Lodge.
He later served as private chef to Sanford Weill, the former chief executive of Citigroup.
After returning to London in 2002, Aikens worked alongside his twin brother, chef Tom Aikens, on the launch of Tom Aikens Restaurant and Tom’s Kitchen.
He subsequently returned to the US, joining the Starr Restaurant Group and later overseeing the Rainbow Room at Rockefeller Centre in New York as executive culinary director.
More recently, his work has included roles at Pujol in Mexico City and its sister restaurant Criollo in Oaxaca, as well as leading the reopening of Pastis in New York and heading Veronika on Park Avenue South. During the pandemic, he launched Ghostburger, a delivery-focused concept in Washington.
The St. Regis London is being developed on the corner of Conduit Street and New Bond Street, following the redevelopment of the former Westbury Mayfair hotel.
The property will include 195 rooms, of which 66 will be suites, alongside an all-day restaurant, a jazz bar and private dining spaces.
The redevelopment, designed by Richmond International, includes the addition of two new floors, expanded public areas and a new façade.
The hotel will also introduce St. Regis butler service and other brand traditions adapted for the London market.
St. Regis Hotels and Resorts operates more than 61 hotels worldwide. The London opening will be the brand’s latest addition since the launch of the original St. Regis New York in 1904.
Novella said: “I am honoured to welcome Robert to join the finest team at The St. Regis London as we bring this iconic brand to life in one of the world’s most dynamic cities,” said Novella. “We aim to create a destination that captures the spirit of Mayfair while celebrating the timeless elegance for which St. Regis is renowned.”
