Heckfield Place appoints new GM and cites 2018 opening

Heckfield Place has appointed a new general manager and announced an opening in late 2018, nearly five years after it was expected to launch.

Olivia Richli will become the hotel's third general manager, despite the property yet to be operational.

The luxury country house hotel near Hook in Hampshire, owned by billionaire Gerald Chan, was originally expected to open in April 2012, but has been delayed by continual changes to the original plans. Set within a 400-acre country estate with a farm practising biodynamic principles, it will now launch with 46 bedrooms, a reduction from the 70 bedrooms that were announced in 2010.

Richli most recently launched the luxury Soneva Jani resort in the Maldives, and will join Heckfield Place in January 2018. She previously spent 18 years working at Aman properties around the world, and managed the launch of both Aman Venice in Italy and Amangalla in Sri Lanka.

British-born Richli said: "I have been privileged to work in many beautiful corners of the world, and am so excited to be finally returning home to join the exceptional Heckfield Place."

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Heckfield Place still has no opening date following loss of joint GMs >>

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