Iconic Luxury Hotels has relaunched as Iconic Hotels & Resorts and appointed a new chief operating officer.
It comes after global investment firm London and Regional, owner and operator of Iconic Luxury Hotels, collapsed its four verticals – hotels, commercial real estate, private credit and ventures – into a single brand, L+R.
L+R has committed over £200m in capital towards the 14-strong Iconic Hotels & Resorts portfolio, which spans five countries.
Properties include Cliveden House in Taplow, the Chelsea Townhouse in London, as well as Hotel Excelsior Venice Lido and Palm House in Florida.
Press materials stated the owner’s intention to partner with other third-party owners and capital partners to accelerate growth.
As part of its expansion plans, L+R has appointed Shan Kanagasingham as chief operating officer of Iconic Hotels & Resorts.
She brings nearly 30 years’ experience in international luxury and lifestyle hospitality to the role, having most recently served as SVP operations, openings and transitions at Auberge Collection, which is due to launch its first UK property in London’s Mayfair this year.
Over the course of her career, she has also worked at international brands including the Ritz-Carlton, Raffles, Mandarin Oriental, Viceroy and Starwood Hotels.
Andrew Stembridge, executive director of Iconic Luxury Hotels, will continue to support during the transition period and remains involved in the business to focus on the group’s UK expansion plans.
Kanagasingham, COO of Iconic Hotels & Resorts, said: “I’m thrilled to join Iconic Hotels & Resorts at such a pivotal moment in the group’s history. This extraordinary portfolio combines historic landmarks and urban addresses under a single, elevated standard and platform, without compromising what makes each hotel iconic.
“Our unique ownership-backing and new, unified operating platform provide us with an incredible opportunity to further globally position the group as an industry-leading B2B, B2C, and employer brand while delivering memorable guest experiences across an eclectic mix of properties in world-class destinations.”
Cody Bradshaw, chief executive – hotels at L+R, added: “The launch of Iconic Hotels & Resorts alongside the appointment of renowned industry leader Shan Kanagasingham as COO brings clarity to our strategic vision and unlocks immediate opportunities to leverage our existing scale and support our growth as a leading international owner operator within the hospitality sector.
“One unified brand and platform, underpinned by a best-in-class team and entrepreneurial culture, allowing each property’s individuality to shine while delivering exceptional experiences for our guests, stakeholder value and meaningful professional growth for our associates.”
Iconic Luxury Hotels was founded in 2016 and has since grown into a collection of hotels across the UK, Europe and the US.
L+R owns a real estate portfolio valued at over £10b comprising 115 hotels across nine countries.
In late 2024, it appointed two former members of senior leadership at Starwood Capital Group into C-suite positions: Cody Bradshaw as group chief executive, and Joe Pettigrew as group chief commercial officer.
Atlas Hotels, L+R’s select service platform and largest Holiday Inn Express franchisee in Europe, will continue to be operated on a stand-alone basis by a 75-person strong team led by chief executive Sean Lowe.
