Sonja Vodusek leaves managing director role at the Peninsula London

Sonja Vodusek has left her role as managing director of the Peninsula London, six months after the launch of the hotel.

She had also held the role of pre-opening managing director at the Peninsula London from February 2020, where she oversaw the £1.3b build, led the hiring of 650 staff, and the introduction of the Peninsula brand into the UK.

Vodusek first joined the Peninsula in 2010 as the hotel manager of the group’s New York property, and has been with the company for the past 14 years.

Prior to joining Peninsula Hotels, Vodusek spent 16 years with Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, working in the US, Japan, Ireland, Australia and the Czech Republic.

Rolf Buehlmann, who was most recently general manager of the Peninsula New York, announced he will be taking on the role of managing director of the Peninsula London on LinkedIn earlier this week.

He has almost 30 years’ experience in the industry, having started out at the Hyatt Regency Xian in China and progressed into directorial positions at JW Marriot Hotel Shanghai.

He first joined the Peninsula in 2010 as executive assistant manager of the Hong Kong Club then moved onto roles at Hong Kong and Shanghai hotels, before returning to the Peninsula in 2019 as vice president, rooms operations and quality.

The 190-bedroom Peninsula London, which had been three decades in the making, opened in September 2023.

Its flagship restaurant, Brooklands by Claude Bosi, shot straight to two Michelin stars in the Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland 2024 this February.

A spokesperson for the Peninsula London told The Caterer: "After more than four years at the helm of the Peninsula London project, Sonja Vodusek has returned to Australia, where her family resides.

"Mr Buehlmann, who has been with the Peninsula since 2010, is looking forward to his new role here in London."