Turkish hotel group scoops Great Northern hotel in King’s Cross

Turkish hotel group Kaya Tourism Group has acquired its first London property, the Great Northern hotel in King’s Cross.

The 88-bedroom Great Northern hotel resides in a Grade II-listed building and is believed to be London’s oldest railway hotel, dating back to 1854.

It was designed by architect Lewis Cubitt, who also devised King’s Cross station and London Bridge station.

Great Northern Hotel completed its £40m renovation in 2013 and opened with numerous F&B outlets.

In 2015, the Great Northern hotel became the first property to join Starwood’s Tribute portfolio, which was subsequently integrated into Marriott following a successful merger in 2016.

Jeremy Robson stepped down as a director of the hotel in 2019 and management company Kew Green was appointed to run it after Tyler Mingst and Simon Finn, directors of Intriva Capital Advisors, assumed significant control of the hotel’s operating company Aries GNH (Operations) in June the same year.

Chef-restaurateur Mark Sargeant, who was appointed as chef-director in 2013, also left the hotel in August 2019.

In 2021, the Great Northern hotel became the first UK management contract for Marugal Distinctive Hotel Management, which managed eight hotels in Spain and France at the time.

Kaya Tourism Group is part of Kaya Holding, which owns and operates 13 hotels in Turkey and Cyprus across its Kaya Palazzo Hotels & Resorts and Kaya Hotels & Resorts brands.

The group revealed it is “actively considering” options for further expansion into Europe.

It added it will “strengthen the existing F&B offering”, which includes modern European restaurant Rails restaurant and Little Bar.

Burak Kaya, chairman of the board at Kaya Holding, said: “We are delighted to have made our first international hotel investment in London. Great Northern Hotel is located in one of the capital’s most successful regeneration developments and is right next to St Pancras station, the only railway connection from the UK to Europe.

"We are proud to be the first Turkish tourism company to make such a significant hotel investment in the UK and believe this investment will strengthen mutual tourism relations between Turkey and the UK.”