IN September 2021, Jasminder Singh opened The Londoner, on the south west corner of the iconic Leicester Square, as the world’s first super boutique hotel, redefining English cosmopolitan hospitality.
For Singh, the chairman and chief executive of Edwardian Hotels London, the flagship hotel heralds a new era in his journey from an accountant to one of the most successful hoteliers in the UK.
Launched after six years of development, delayed by the Convid-19 pandemic, the 16-storey hotel stands 30 metres tall and 32 metres below street level in the heart of the capital, featuring a staggering 350 bedrooms and suites, six concept restaurants and bars, two private screening rooms, inspiring event spaces and a stunning ballroom for up to 850 guests.
A collaboration between global architecture firm Woods Bagot and Edwardian Hotels’ creative director Rob Steul, the project was sensitively integrated into the historic urban fabric of Leicester Square. It has earned a rating of excellent from BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method), the world's leading science-based suite of validation and certification systems for sustainable built environment, after securing an industry-first £175 million Green Loan from HSBC UK.
“Today, as the global climate crisis continues to mount pressure on the world to act, it is more vital than ever that businesses inspire and lead by example. The Londoner was our opportunity to take this further and construct a sustainable building for London’s luxury hospitality market,” Singh has commented.
“Since its inception we have always had bold ambitions for The Londoner to write itself into the very fabric of the city. Not only in the way of experience, but also in becoming part of its history – creating a milestone, future-proof hotel on the capital’s most famous square. There was absolutely no question that The Londoner had to be a ground-breaking sustainable build that would stand the test of time,” he added.
The Londoner is a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts’ Legend Collection, the ultimate portfolio of exceptional properties in the world’s most remarkable destinations.
And, the 5-star urban resort is already being recognised as one of the best hotels in the world. They took home three awards including the coveted Hotel of the Year, along with the best event spaces and hotel newbuild awards, at the Europe regional awards of AHEAD, which recognises properties for their hospitality experience and design, in November last year, and then went on to win the three categories in the Global awards this January.
Singh’s Edwardian Hotels London is one of the largest privately owned hotel groups in the UK, which owns and runs a number of four and five-star hotels and restaurants, including 10 Radisson Blu Edwardian hotels and The May Fair, besides The Londoner, in London, and The Edwardian Manchester.
A qualified accountant, Singh began his career within the hospitality industry in 1977, with the purchase of his first hotel, The Vanderbilt, in South Kensington. He has expanded steadily in the next two decades, building his portfolio of hotels. In 2003, he first turned heads with the acquisition of The May Fair, the legendary luxury hotel with a glamorous past, from InterContinental.
Inaugurated in 1927 by King George V and Queen Mary, The May Fair was the first new hotel to open in the British capital in over 20 years and quickly became a playground for London's high society. Today, the 400-bedroom hotel has transformed into a contemporary boutique getaway, known for its timeless elegance and charm, while remaining the favourite of the high-fliers from the world of cinema and fashion.
It is one of the venues for London Fashion Week and also hosts London Film Festival events with many directors and some actors put up there during festival time traditionally in October.
The hotel group has placed great emphasis on technology and has reaped the benefits – it has several apps of its own and is among the front-runners in the industry for its ‘virtual’ host, Edward – which can be easily accessed through a mobile phone and is helpfully on call 24/7 and doesn’t get tired or irritated.
Singh explained: “Today’s guests expect to be connected at all times and they want a seamless experience they can trust.”
Born in a Sikh family in Dar-es-Salaam in modern-day Tanzania, Singh reached the UK in 1968, aged 17, for higher education. He has done his schooling in Kenya, where he stayed with his maternal uncles. His father Bal Mohinder Singh worked for the railways but took early retirement since Tanzania got independence. He then moved to Kenya, starting a small business, but the family would join Jasminder in 1973. The initially ran a post office in Stamford Hill, north London.
Singh qualified as an accountant with Hacker Young and made his first move into the hotel market in the mid-1970s and he considers himself “very lucky” to have got a break in that industry from his uncle. He found the hotel industry fascinating as it never felt like work for him and he later commented that the industry in its entirety gave him a sense of fulfilment.
Unsurprisingly, in the last four and a half decades, he has been a driving force within the hospitality sector, with his outstanding contribution to the industry being recognised with an OBE in 2007. He was awarded an honourary doctorate by the University of Stirling in 2008.
The rise of Singh with his Edwardian Hotels London has been phenomenal. The achiever in Singh, however, doesn’t believe in doing all by himself. He is known for motivating his employees by setting up an environment which has a shared mission and values. There is a sense of a unified culture in his company boosted by family ethos and collective responsibility where the employees are encouraged about the difference they can bring to the business.
“We react to new trends, but also remain confident that the essence of Edwardian Hotels London is upheld. It is important that visitors trust in the quality of the experience we provide. For more than 40 years, we have updated the products we offer to guests, developing a reputation of surprising and delighting them,” Singh previously told the GG2 Power List.
Singh is married to Amrit, an interior decorator, and they have four children – son Inderneel who is the managing director of The May Fair, and daughters Siraj, Krishma and Ushira.
