Rohit Bisht named general manager at Kensington Hideaway hotel

Rohit Bisht has been appointed general manager at the Kensington Hideaway in London, which is reopening this month following a multi-million-pound refurbishment.

He joins the former Seraphine Kensington hotel from the Dixon in London’s Tower Bridge, part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection. He was based there for four years, having started out as operations manager before progressing into hotel manager.

In his new role, the hotelier will lead the property out of its pre-opening phase and oversee staff, operations and guest experience.

Kenny Russell, general manager at JMK Group, which has overseen the revamp of the 59-room hotel after buying it and a sister Hammersmith property with a £15m loan in 2022, said: “Rohit’s proactive approach and people-first leadership style reflect the qualities we value and take pride in. As we move through this exciting pre-launch phase, we look forward to seeing Rohit in action once we open our doors to guests.”

Bisht added: “Hospitality is about people for me – creating a distinctive experience for every guest while supporting a team that is driven to deliver service that’s second to none. I’m excited to bring my expertise to such a unique place, helping take the boutique experience up another notch.”

The Kensington Hideaway is a literary-themed boutique hotel taking inspiration from authors such as Agatha Christie, TS Eliot, PL Travers and William Makepeace Thackeray.

The property is due to open at the end of this month.

JMK Group’s portfolio includes four hotels in Ireland and three in London, including the Hampton by Hilton London Ealing and the Seraphine Hammersmith.

Last year, the group secured a £16.6m loan from OakNorth bank to develop a Grade II-listed office block in the City of London into a 185-room hotel, subject to planning permission.