UK: Sir Nicholas Soames has been named as The Beaumont’s chairman and Duncan Palmer as managing director, joining the hotel ahead of its reopening this summer.
Soames has been on the board of The Beaumont since April 2020 and will transition to his role of chairman on 21 April. He will oversee the hotel’s reopening following a refurbishment during lockdown.
Previous roles Soames has held include a member of Parliament for over 25 years, representing Mid Sussex and Crawley as junior minister at the ministry of agriculture, fisheries and food, and then minister of state for the armed forces. Soames later served in the shadow cabinet as shadow Secretary of State for defence
Commenting on his new role, Soames said: “I am delighted to be taking on the role of chairman of The Beaumont, and am very much looking forward to helping the team achieve the huge potential that we see for this outstanding hotel.”
Palmer will also join the team from 21 April, replacing general manager Jannes Soerensen who will be leaving after more than five years at The Beaumont. Palmer recently served as managing director at The Murray in Hong Kong.
Other roles Palmer has held include regional vice president of Europe, regional director of operations in Indonesia, and vice president of design at Langham Hospitality Group. He’s also served as general manager at The Sukhothai in Bangkok, The Connaught and The Savoy in London, and the Mandarin Oriental in Jakarta.
Speaking about his appointment, Palmer said: “I have been a big admirer of The Beaumont’s unique style and impeccable service since it opened in 2014, and am delighted to be joining at this exciting moment in its short but distinguished history. I have already been hugely impressed with the vision and ambition for the hotel, and with the obvious quality of its team. I cannot wait to get started.”
Soames added: “We are also absolutely thrilled to have someone of Duncan’s experience and calibre joining The Beaumont in the role of managing director. He is a renowned figure in the luxury hotel world, and has an extraordinary track record of achieving fantastic results for some of the best-known brands and properties in the industry. He is the ideal person to steer The Beaumont into an exciting new chapter as it prepares to welcome guests back this summer. On behalf of entire team, I would also like to thank Jannes for his outstanding professionalism, dedication and loyalty to The Beaumont, and to wish him all the very best for the future.”
When The Beaumont reopens, it will showcase an updated ground floor area and spa including a brand new bar, Le Magritte, and a new all-day-dining Library and al fresco dining terrace. Designer the Office of Thierry Despont and architects Reardon Smith have led the refurbishment, which also includes a new two-bedroom Mayfair Suite on the first floor.
