Hotel management group Valor Hospitality is celebrating a decade of operations in the UK market. Today, the company has expanded its UK portfolio to 40 operating hotels, as well as expanding its operations internationally across the US, Africa and the Middle East.
Co-founders Euan McGlashan and Steve Cesinger launched the business by taking hold of a portfolio of 11 underperforming hotels in the UK, which were trading under IHG Hotels & Resorts brands. Brian McCarthy soon joined them to lead the UK operation, with their first task being to turn around the results of the properties.
Building with the brands
Growth has seen the team take on a variety of projects for owners. These have included substantial renovations, repositioning of assets and rebranding sites, with hotels operating under IHG, Hilton and Marriott brands. The portfolio has expanded to include luxury golf resorts, Dunluce Lodge at Royal Portrush and Seaton House at St Andrews. Pipeline signings include the new build Voco Zeal hotel in Exeter, IHG’s first zero carbon hotel that will meet the highest environmental standards in operation from opening in early 2025.
Current projects include a GBP16.4m upgrade of six Hilton branded properties around the UK. Refurbishments at DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Piccadilly, DoubleTree by Hilton Leeds, DoubleTree by Hilton Chester, Hilton Garden Inn Birmingham, Hilton Garden Inn Glasgow, and Hilton Garden Inn Bristol are all due to be completed by late 2024. Working with designers at ABDA Design, the focus has been on bringing local design themes into the hotel rooms, doing away with traditional desks to make a more flexible space for guests.
Internationally, Valor has grown to a presence in 16 countries, managing hotels in 65 cities and building a portfolio of almost 100 hotels around the globe.
Recent additions to the group’s Africa portfolio include the TUI Blue Watamu Hotel near Mombasa in Kenya, a 124 room new build which will see Valor oversee development, management and operations. And in Zanzibar, Valor has signed to manage the upcoming Canopy by Hilton Zanzibar – The Burj. A trailblazing 28 storey hybrid timber tower, the property will have 162 rooms and construction will start in late 2024.
In the USA, 2024 has already seen Valor launch its second resort property in the country, Cloudland at McLemore Resort in North Georgia, which operates under Hilton’s Curio brand. And in Huntsville, Alabama Valor now manages the DoubleTree Suites, adding to its footprint in the south east where it now has five properties under management in Alabama state alone.
Developing food and beverage
Valor has also gathered its culinary expertise together under a new offering, Savor. The move acknowledges Valor’s ability to create food and beverage concepts for clients across a broad range of hotels. The group bought into the Ondine seafood restaurant in Edinburgh, backing chef Roy Brett and the relationship has developed, enabling Valor to deploy his expertise across its international hotel portfolio, benefitting clients by creating restaurants and menus that guests keep coming back to.
