Eton aims for top in European boutique hotels
Luxury hotel operator the Eton Collection, which owns Threadneedles in London and the Glasshouse in Edinburgh, plans to expand outside Europe after its £70m takeover by JJW Luxury Collection last week.
Eton Collection managing director Peter Tyrie said that the new group, which has eight properties in the UK and others on mainland Europe, had aspirations to become one of the biggest boutique hotel operators and may double the size of its portfolio in the next few years.
Tyrie said: "We don't intend to take on the big multinationals, but there's no reason why we couldn't have 30 or so hotels, all individually designed but operating under a single umbrella."
The Eton Collection, which was founded by Tyrie in 1999, currently has five properties in the UK, but JJW's UK properties, including the Scotsman and Berners hotels, will be part of it by the end of the year.
JJW plans to sell its remaining two- and three-star hotels so that it can concentrate its efforts on the luxury end of the market, making use of the established Eton Collection brand.
The process is expected to be completed within a year.
In return, Tyrie said that Eton would benefit enormously from the increased marketing and sales power the deal had provided, as well as the boost to the new group's public recognition.
To support the planned growth, Tyrie is seeking to recruit individuals in senior operations and sales roles, as well as junior managers.
JJW is part of global business group MBI International.