The Principal London announces key leadership team appointment

Principal London
1000 621 Daniel Fountain
  • 1

Paul Walters, General Manager, joins PRINCIPAL from InterContinental Hotels, where he was GM at the five-star InterContinental Sydney from 2015.

Prior to that, Paul spent eight years with the Langham Hospitality Group, including three and a half years as General Manager of The Langham in London, and his CV also includes time with W Hotels and a number of General Manager roles for GHM.

Paula McColgan, Director of Sales & Marketing, was previously at The Lanesborough and was a member of the senior team involved in the refurbishment of the hotel and its repositioning within the new Oetker Collection. Her previous experience includes St Regis and Mandarin Oriental. Jutta Asta, Executive Housekeeper, brings her experience from The Dorchester Collection, The Bulgari Hotel, Claridge’s and Hotel Adlon in Berlin.

The senior team also includes Roger Olsson (Executive Chef, ex-Dorchester Hotel); Richard Stockton (Finance Director, ex-Lanesborough); Melanie Price (People Development Director, ex-Dorchester Collection); Claire O’Reilly (Hotel Manager, ex-Doyle Collection and Soho House New York); and Jeff Hyatt (Director of Engineering, ex-Bulgari).

David Taylor, COO at PRINCIPAL, said: ‘I am thrilled that Paul and the executive team have joined us to open The Principal London. They bring bags of talent and experience with them, and their appointments bear testament to the scale and ambition we have for The Principal London.’

Paul Walters added, ‘The Principal London is one of the last classic grande dame hotels to be brought magnificently back to life, just as Bloomsbury is one of the forgotten neighbourhoods of London. I am sure the multi-million pound refurbishment will put the hotel and the neighbourhod firmly back on the map.’

In addition to the 334 bedrooms and suites, The Principal London will boast a ballroom and eight additional meeting spaces, a Palm Court, destination cocktail bar, neighbourhood restaurant, and Burr & Co. – a coffeehouse by day and wine bar by night. Tara Bernerd Partners are looking after the design of the hotel guest rooms, suites and public areas, whilst Russell Sage Studios are designing the restaurants and bars, with both teams under the creative direction of Kemper Hyers and the PRINCIPAL design studio.

Daniel Fountain / 30.03.2017

Editor, Hotel Designs

Share

  • 1

You might also like

Fun fact: I’m usually the person friends rely on to organise trips, schedules, and group plans.

Workhighlights: Successfully coordinating events from planning through to delivery and seeing everything come together on the day.

Fun fact: xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Work highlights: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Fun fact: People tell Sienna she gives off Bridget Jones vibes, and she loves to bake, always making sure there are shortbreads floating around the office

Work highlights: Sienna joined Forum Events & Media Group while studying Communications and Media, starting in the sales team where she managed and helped launch the first the PA Life Leading Venues of London SHOWCASE, where she built relationships with luxury venues across the capital. Drawn to the stories behind these spaces, she naturally transitioned into the editorial team, creating social media and editorial content. Upon graduating in June 2026, she is excited to be joining as Assistant Editor for Hotel Designs and SPACE.

Fun fact: When not working, Jess can usually be found tending to her kitchen garden in the Sussex countryside or foraging for herbs in the nearby woods. A keen grower, she recently studied a RHS Level 2 Diploma in the Principles of Horticulture during her spare time.

Work highlights: Jess joined SPACE magazine in 2022 and has since progressed from Assistant Editor to Editor. During this time, she has worked across many aspects of the publication – from shaping editorial strategy and overseeing operations to contributing to art direction and representing the brand on stage at industry events including Surface Design Show and WOW!house.

Alongside her role at SPACE, Jess has built a creative career spanning the arts, culture, design and travel sectors. Prior to joining the magazine, she spent more than a decade in the commercial art industry, in artist liaison, gallery management, and curating collections for the hospitality sector across hotels and cruise ships. During this time, she also worked on freelance projects as a writer, photographer, and creative content producer.
 
Jess studied photojournalism at London College of Communication and the Danish School of Media and Journalism and holds a first-class BA (Hons) in Culture, Criticism and Curation from Central Saint Martins.

Fun fact: Katy has spent years perfecting all kinds of accents and loves a good impersonation!

Work highlights: Katy has been with Hotel Designs since the beginning, way back in 2015 when Forum Events & Media Group acquired the brand.

During this time, she has fostered many meaningful relationships with clients from across the hospitality spectrum, as well as playing a pivotal role in the launch of The Brit List Awards, Hotel Designs MEET UPs, client-led roundtables and panel talks, brand and website redesigns, HD Wellness Sets, DESIGN POD podcast, Hotel Designs LIVE panel talk series, Accessible Design Talks and more. Katy is always on the lookout for the next opportunity to help grow the Hotel Designs brand even further.
 
Most recently Katy has stepped in to the role of Publisher atSPACE magazine, the printed bi-monthly publication focused on hotel design, architecture, and development.
Together these platforms offer a comprehensive 360-degree service encompassing digital media, print publishing, and live events – providing unparalleled value to advertisers, partners, and readers alike.