Cateys 2024: Hotel of the Year - Group: The Langham, London

Almost 150 years since it first opened at the top of Regent Street, the Langham, London has maintained its place among the top five-star hotels of the capital. With its innovative approach to restaurants and bars and focus on employees, our judges said the 380-bedroom hotel was “an enduring favourite for guests and employees”. 

 

This has been driven by its varied and diverse culinary offering. Over the past year the Palm Court has hosted the Good Front Room, a Caribbean pop-up led by chef Dom Taylor, the winner of Channel 4’s Five Star Kitchen. The cooking competition saw chefs compete for a chance to run their own restaurant at the hotel and was judged by the Langham, London’s culinary director Michel Roux.

 

This creativity has extended to the team at the hotel’s Artesian cocktail bar, which launched a list of 16 cocktails titled Ingredients of the Future, with drinks made from unusual items such as pandan, insects and soil. The list won award recognition and is designed to elevate mixology to the level of Michelin-starred kitchens.

 

A focus on social media has significantly boosted the hotel’s social media following over the past year, using influencers to drive a successful festive marketing campaign that helped its Instagram followers surpass 100,000.

In 2023 the Langham, London focused on strengthening its staff recruitment and retention with the aim of developing a strong employer brand through its #Our People, Our Pride advertising campaign, showcasing the hotel’s culture and opportunities for development. The hotel also diversified its presence on job boards and ran a recommend-a-friend programme that had 46 referrals, of which 26 were hired. This saw 14 former employees return to the business, showcasing the hotel’s positive work environment, and saw its vacancies hit a lowest ever level of just 3%.

 

The Langham, London also has a strong focus on learning and development – 15 staff are enrolled in apprenticeship programmes and team members will be trained as mental health first-aiders for the first time in 2024. As well as offering flexible working hours, the Langham, London is one of the few hotels in London with a formal homeworking policy. It’s no surprise one of our judges said its emphases on people was “to be applauded”.

 

What the judges said

 

“The Langham continues to remain highly relevant with commendable emphasis on F&B that makes it an enduring favourite for guests and employees.” Gareth Banner

 

“For many years the Langham has showcased exciting food and beverage, and last year was no exception. The emphasis on its people is to be applauded.” Anne Golden 

 

“A worthy winner. It continues to push F&B innovation along with the superb Wigmore pub and Dom Taylor’s Good Front Room pop-up.” David Taylor 

 

The shortlist

 

The Dorchester The Dorchester Collection

 

Fowey Hall Luxury Family Hotels

 

Hilton Birmingham Metropole

 

The Langham, London

 

The judges

 

Gareth Banner The Ned

 

Anne Golden Pan Pacific London

 

David Taylor Lore Group

 

Knut Wylde The Berkeley