Macdonald Hotels takes first steps into London

Macdonald Hotels & Resorts is taking its first step into central London after forming a strategic partnership with the prestigious 5 star Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington, which is currently undergoing a multi-million redevelopment programme of its upper three floors.

The move builds on a strong synergy between both companies in terms of investment and focus on brand, high quality and consistent customer service, facilities, training and food provenance and sourcing within its restaurants. Crucially, like Macdonald Hotels, the Royal Garden is a privately owned business run by dedicated and passionate hoteliers.

As an associate hotel, the Royal Garden will secure a range of support services from Macdonald Hotels, which was recently awarded the title AA Hotel Group of the Year and operates over 40 four and five star properties across the UK. This includes online and offline marketing, sales driven through Macdonald's central reservation system and online booking engine, and insertion into the twice-yearly Quality Breaks publication.

Ruaridh Macdonald, Marketing Director at Macdonald Hotels & Resorts said,

"We have made no secret of our wish to develop or acquire a hotel in London, however, the economic climate and rising property prices has not made this a viable option to date.

“This partnership will give us the foothold into the London market we are looking for and will both compliment and enhance our UK portfolio. We are all looking forward to working with the Royal Garden Hotel team in what we believe will be a long and mutually beneficial relationship."

Established in 1965, the Royal Garden is one of London's most prestigious venues offering contemporary accommodation, combined with excellent conference, banqueting and health club facilities.

Its location makes it very popular for business travellers, diplomatic and government agencies, and leisure guests, who particularly enjoy the proximity to attractions such as Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens and the Victoria and Albert Museum as well as stores including Harrods and Harvey Nichols. The hotel, which will unveil its new Min Jiang restaurant on the 10th floor in July 2008, recently secured a Hotel Catey Award for the 'Conference and Banqueting team of the Year'.

Mark Anderson, Director of Sales at the Royal Garden Hotel said, "We are very excited about the association with Macdonald hotels, both organisations share the same beliefs and are passionate about offering quality service to our guests. The Royal Garden fits well within the portfolio and we are looking forward to offering Macdonald guests the same warm welcome they would experience elsewhere in the UK."

For more information, visit Macdonald-hotels.co.uk.