‘New chapter’ for Britannia Hotels as ‘worst hotel chain’ appoints new directors and plans investment

Four board members have years of experience at company that celebrates 50th anniversary this year

Britannia Hotels Group has appointed a new board of directors – and they have vowed a “new phase of development” and investment at the chain that has been voted Britain’s worst for years in a row.

In November, Britannia was ranked bottom in the annual Which? Survey of UK hotel groups for the 12th year in a row. The Altrincham company has also hit the headlines for winning contracts to use some of its rooms and hotels to house asylum seekers.

Now the group has appointed four directors, all of whom held senior roles in the group, to its board. In a statement, it called the appointments “a new chapter in the company’s evolution” and said the directors would be focusing on “enhancing guest experience, investing in the UK-wide portfolio and strengthening team performance”.

Britannia added: “The new board will honour the group’s 50-year legacy while evolving the business to meet changing guest and employee expectations, spearheading a number of improvements across the portfolio. These include a multi-million pound property refurbishment programme, investment in new systems and technology for hotel teams, the introduction of a new entertainment breaks programme at five hotels across the country and a visual refresh of the Britannia Hotels brand identity.”

The new board members are:

• Simon Powell, who has 30+ years’ operational and managerial experience, including 18 with Britannia
• Helen Rees, who has 25+ years’ of managerial hospitality experience and joined Britannia in 2023
• Prakash Sivarajan, who had 25+ years’ experience in hospitality for a number of leading brands, and joined Britannia in 2020
• Paul Streets, who has 10+ years of experience as a solicitor in a variety of legal roles, including three as general counsel for Britannia Hotels

Mr Streets said: “Britannia Hotels has a proud heritage and unique place in the UK hospitality landscape. As we approach our 50th anniversary, the new Board represents an important moment for the business – one that allows us to respect what has been built over many years, while bringing greater focus, clarity and ambition to how we operate going forward.

“Our priority is to invest in our hotels and our people and deliver consistent and great value experiences for our guests. We are excited about the opportunity ahead and confident in the long-term future of Britannia Hotels Group.”

Britannia was founded in 1976 by Alex Langsam and today owns 65 properties with more than 10,000 bedrooms. Its best-known hotels include the Adelphi Hotel in Liverpool, the Britannia Hotel in Manchester, the Royal Bath Hotel in Bournemouth, and the Grand Hotels in Scarborough, Blackpool and Llandudno.

It also owns the Pontin’s chain of holiday camps. The Southport site has been closed since 2024.

Mr Langsam has been called the “asylum king” after his company became well-known for housing asylum seekers in some of its hotels, including Britannia’s International Hotel in Canary Wharf, through contracts with the Home Office. In April the Government announced it was closing 11 more asylum hotels, including the Britannia Hotel in Wolverhampton which had seen protests last year.