Amanda Hyndman to replace Gerard Sintes as GM of Mandarin Oriental

Amanda Hyndman is to replace Gerard Sintes as general manager of the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park London.

British-born Hyndman joined the 181-bedroom, five-red-AA-star hotel last Monday, just two days before a fire at the property which saw the building closed and evacuated, and only one week after the hotel unveiled its multimillion-pound refurbishment.

It has not yet been confirmed when the hotel is due to reopen but the fire is believed to have started when the by-product of welding work landed on the felt lining of a planted wall.

French-born Sintes will return to Spain at the end of the month following a handover, having managed the London property since 2014. He was previously general manager of the Mandarin Oriental Barcelona for four years and is leaving to become general manager of Hotel Ritz Madrid, to oversee its €99m (£87m) renovation and rebranding to a Mandarin Oriental. As area vice president operations, he will also oversee the group's Barcelona property.

Hyndman will also take up the mantle of area vice president operations with responsibility for the Mandarin Oriental properties in Munich and Prague, as well as London.

She has spent the past year on a career break with her family having previously been general manager of the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok for the five years. Other roles during her 10 years with the group include general manager of the Excelsior Hong Kong and Mandarin Oriental Washington DC.

Hyndman's arrival at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park London marks her return to Knightsbridge having previously worked nearby as general manager of the Millennium Knightsbridge for two years from 1999.

She told The Caterer that she was delighted to return to the capital and was now committed to ensure that the hotel will once again be returned to its "original glory and splendour" with "a glittering reopening".

"It is at times like this that you discover the great pride and loyalty the staff have in the hotel," she explained. "There has been a real can do spirit amongst everyone. The London Fire Brigade has been amazing and we have had tremendous support from our neighbours with hampers arriving from Harrods and hotels such as the Berkeley, Bulgari and Jumeirah being so incredibly generous."

A Very British Hotel: Gérard Sintès, Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park London >>

Brits abroad: Amanda Hyndman >>

Welding work at Mandarin Oriental believed to have set fire to planted wall >>

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