Clermont Hotel Group appoints five internal GMs

Clermont Hotel Group has announced the appointment of Natasha Ludlow, Michael Hedges, Parik Zala, Dries Gadeyne and Akhilesh Gupta as internal general managers across its 14-hotel portfolio. 

News of the appointments follow a reported 140% increase to 48,000 training hours for staff last year at the group’s learning centre, The Academy. 

The group also recently announced a company sponsored membership of the Institute of Hospitality. 

Ludlow, who is the former general manager of The Clermont Victoria, will lead The Royal Horseguards Hotel having spent seven years in her previous role before the move. 

Hedges likewise transferred from The Clermont Charing Cross to become general manager at The Clermont Victoria, while Zala has moved from a cluster general manager role to lead the Charing Cross site.

Meanwhile, Gadeyne and Gupta have been promoted from hotel managers to general managers. Gadeyne will oversee Thistle Holborn and Thistle Bloomsbury Park, with Gupta set to manage Thistle London Heathrow Terminal 5 and Thistle Express Luton. 

Paul Knightley, chief operating officer at Clermont Hotel Group, said: “We operate within a people-first industry, and our people are at the heart of our business. Ensuring our teams feel supported, empowered and valued forms the core of everything we do.

“At CHG, we have so many talented colleagues and it’s crucial for our people to continue to develop and take on new challenges across our diverse portfolio. Natasha, Michael, Parik, Dries and Akhilesh all demonstrate on a daily basis what it means to lead a CHG property, and they are all playing a key role in helping us in our journey to becoming the leading hotel operator in London.” 

He added: “I look forward to seeing what’s next for our general managers and the hotels they manage as each property enters its new chapter.”