Charles Oak returns to Edwardian to oversee the Londoner

Charles Oak has been appointed hotel director of the Londoner on Leicester Square, marking a return to Edwardian Hotels London (EHL) for the hotelier.

Prior to joining the £300m, 350-bedroom "super-boutique" hotel, scheduled to open in spring 2020, Oak was general manager of EHL's May Fair Hotel in London, the Carnegie Club at Skibo Castle near Dornoch in Sutherland, and Ackergill Tower near Wick in Caithness. He was also the first general manager appointed to oversee Heckfield Place in Hampshire.

Oak will be responsible for curating the tone and character of the luxury property. The Londoner will have three panoramic tower penthouses, six restaurants, a rooftop bar serving Japanese-inspired small plates, event and meeting spaces, including a ballroom accommodating up to 864 guests, a spa and wellness centre, a swimming pool, and two Odeon cinemas available for private hire.

Edwardian said the hotel was the "first of its kind" of a ‘new' super boutique category as it is "boutique and intimate nature in feeling yet staggering in scale".

"The coming together of exquisite service expected from a small boutique yet on a grand scale is what defines the nature of a super boutique," the group said.

Oak said: "The Londoner is an exciting, ambitious development in the heart of the capital. Completely unlike any other hotel in the city and in a category of one, it is set to transform the hospitality scene. It will embrace the drama and heritage of the West End and I feel privileged to be creating a world-class landmark for our guests and employees."

Jasminder Singh, chairman of Edwardian Hotels London, added: "Charles is passionate and determined. He is the perfect leader for the Londoner and will be leading and developing a team of up to 600 talented people as we prepare to open this incredible development."

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