Mock Beefeaters with wooden halberds. Boris on a Bike. Patriotic cakes. Red carpet – and all this in a part of town once described by the Evening Standard as ‘Indian Territory’, suggesting coming south of the river in a wagon train with protection. South Bank University on a rag? No – just another example of the demand for hotel beds aiding the rehabilitation of previously neglected areas of London. Boris Johnson, our esteemed mayor, must have been delighted that the company from his old constituency chose this hotel to celebrate as their 400th opening. From the original 1985 Travel Inns next to the A38 Burton-under-Needwood the chain has continued to grow quickly under Grant Hearns leadership (and don’t believe all that stuff about teamwork – teams only work well when given real leadership) to the 400 hotels and £45million profit of today.
The idea grew under the ownership the Forte family, came close to being broken by the gamblers of Granada and is now owned by Dubai Capital, major investors in the London hotel market.
