Starboard Hotels names GM for new Gatwick Airport hotel

Starboard Hotels has announced Simon Fordham as the new general manager of Ibis Styles Gatwick ahead of its reopening.

Fordham, a well known hospitality industry figure with almost 30 years’ experience, is leading the re-opening of Starboard’s Ibis Styles Gatwick hotel, which closed three years ago for a full refurbishment and rebranding.

Starboard is an independent hotel owner and operator, with 21 hotels spread across the country, including Accor, IHG properties, Best Western, Hampton by Hilton, Wyndham and independent hotels, The Windermere Manor in the Lake District, and The Cliffden Hotel in Teignmouth, Devon.

Ibis Styles Gatwick, close to Gatwick Airport, has undergone a full refurbishment and will now provide 182-rooms and a 130-cover restaurant, catering for hotel guests and the local community.

Fordham said: “I am delighted to be leading this fantastic project for Starboard Hotels. Even though there was a hotel here before, we’re seeing ourselves as the newest player in the Gatwick market, and we’re set on becoming a runaway success. For our guests who are heading to the airport, I like to think that their journey, be it for holiday or business, starts with us.”

He has been overseeing the final stages of the refurbishment project at the hotel, which has been closed since 2021.

Kerian Barnes, Starboard Hotels Group Operations director, said: “We are thrilled to have Simon at the helm of this huge project for Starboard Hotels.

“Simon’s leadership skills and industry expertise, coupled with his experience of the local market, will give the hotel a welcome boost in developing the business and reconnecting with all our previous guests, who we look forward to welcoming back.”

Ibis Styles Gatwick Airport is set to open in April and is also set to introduce new “innovative initiatives aimed at enhancing guest satisfaction, while streamlining operations and implementing eco-friendly practices”.