Building the Executive Leadership Team for a £1 Billion UK Hotel Platform

HPG Advisory Services partnered with a private equity-backed hotel investor to build the executive leadership team for a newly established UK hotel operating platform, enabling the business to transition seamlessly from acquisition to operation and create the foundations for long-term growth.

At a Glance

Client
Private Equity-backed Hotel Investment Platform

Sector
Hotels & Hospitality

Geography
United Kingdom

Transaction
Approx. £1 Billion Hotel Portfolio Acquisition

Assignment
Executive Leadership Team Build

Key Appointments

Group Managing Director, Regional COO, Group Sales & Marketing Director, Group Pricing & Revenue Director

Strategic Challenge

Our client, a newly established hotel investment and operating company backed by a leading private equity firm, was preparing to complete the acquisition of a significant UK hotel portfolio valued at approximately £1 billion.

The transaction created a new multi-brand hotel operating platform comprising a substantial portfolio of franchised hotels operating under internationally recognised brands. While the acquisition represented a major strategic milestone, success would ultimately depend on assembling an experienced leadership team capable of integrating the portfolio, establishing governance and delivering commercial performance from day one.

Before the transaction completed, the board needed to recruit senior executives who could:

• Launch a new hotel operating platform.
• Lead the integration of a complex multi-brand portfolio.
• Establish governance, operating structures and commercial disciplines.
• Drive performance across a nationally distributed hotel estate.
• Create a scalable platform capable of supporting future acquisition-led growth.

Given the pace of the transaction and the strategic importance of the appointments, the client required an executive search partner with deep hospitality sector expertise and experience supporting investors through transformational growth.

Our Advisory Role

HPG Advisory Services worked alongside the board throughout the transaction, providing strategic advice on organisational design as well as delivering multiple retained executive searches.

Our role included:

• Advising on the executive structure required to launch a new operating platform.
• Defining leadership responsibilities and reporting lines.
• Mapping senior executives from leading hotel operators, franchise businesses and hospitality management companies.
• Running multiple executive search assignments simultaneously to meet demanding transaction timelines.
• Assessing candidates for operational expertise, commercial capability, leadership style and cultural alignment.

By combining strategic advisory with executive search, we enabled the client to establish a leadership team before the platform became operational.

Executive Leadership Appointed

Following a series of retained executive searches, HPG Advisory Services successfully appointed the core leadership team responsible for launching the new business, including:

• Group Managing Director
• Regional Chief Operating Officer
• Group Sales & Marketing Director
• Group Pricing & Revenue Director

Collectively, these executives brought extensive experience leading multi-brand hotel businesses, driving operational performance and managing complex stakeholder environments.

Commercial Outcome

The appointments provided the leadership capability required to transition immediately from acquisition to operation.

With an experienced executive team in place, the client was able to:

• Launch a new hotel operating platform immediately following completion.
• Integrate a large multi-brand franchised hotel portfolio.
• Establish governance, operational processes and commercial leadership.
• Create a scalable organisational structure capable of supporting future acquisitions.
• Build a strong operational platform positioned for long-term value creation.

By completing the leadership team ahead of the transaction, the business was able to accelerate integration and begin executing its growth strategy from day one.

Why This Engagement Matters

Building a successful hotel operating platform requires far more than acquiring assets. It demands experienced leadership capable of integrating portfolios, establishing governance, aligning commercial strategy and creating an organisation that can scale.

This engagement demonstrates HPG Advisory Services' ability to partner with private equity firms and hotel investors during complex acquisitions, advising on organisational design while delivering critical executive appointments under demanding timelines. For investors, assembling the right leadership team before completion can significantly reduce execution risk and accelerate value creation.

Related Expertise

This assignment reflects HPG Advisory Services' expertise across:

• Private Equity & Hospitality Investment
• Executive Leadership Search
• Hotel Operating Platforms
• Multi-Site Hotel Operations
• Commercial & Revenue Leadership
• Hotel Investment & Asset Management
• Board & C-Suite Appointments