UK: Jane Bental, former Bourne Leisure executive, is set to join privately owned and operated hotel group, Resident Hotels, as chair.
Bental spent more than 20 years at Bourne Leisure group, before the company’s 2021 sale to Blackstone. During this time, her roles included group finance director and managing director of Haven.
She also currently holds non-executive positions at Safestore plc, Oakman Inns & Restaurants plc, and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust.
Speaking about her new role at Resident, Bental said: “I am looking forward to joining the board and working with David and the team to continue to deliver outstanding guest experience, in the right markets, with well-paced expansion.
Resident Hotels has that same generational ethos I enjoyed when working with the entrepreneurial families at Bourne Leisure. When owners take a long-term view, the decisions they make around how they treat people, whether it’s team members or guests, really matter. When I came into this company and started talking to the team, I knew this was a family business with the right culture.”
Bental continued: “For me, the most important detail is to remember that you are there to deliver on the needs of guests. And if you are really clear on what they are looking for, and what they will value, then delivering against that expectation is the absolute key. The focus of running a hotel should not be about making profit but delivering on guest expectations; profit will be a consequence of providing a brilliant experience through brilliant people.”
David Orr, CEO, Resident Hotels, said: “Its fantastic Jane is joining us. The strength of culture within Resident Hotels resonates within the teams at HQ, the hotels and with the ownership. Jane’s stellar business career is testament to the vision with which she has led. We share her belief in creating a business which brings out the best experience for both our teams and our guests because that also delivers commercial success.”
William Laxton, CEO of Mactaggart Family & Partners, majority owner of the Resident brand, added: “Jane has invaluable experience in helping companies flourish, with an eye for operational detail and great clarity of vision. Jane has taken the reigns from Robert Peto who has been a fantastic guide as chair and the shareholders and the whole team are delighted that he is staying on as a non-executive.”
Last year, Resident refinanced a number of hotels with NatWest, including a £22 million development loan for its upcoming hotel in Edinburgh. The property is expected to open in early 2024.
