Méridiens in new hands

Two key London hotels have new managers, it has been announced. The 498-bedroom Grosvenor House Hotel in London's Park Lane is to be run by Marriott International. And the 303-bedroom Waldorf is to go to the Hilton Group.

Both hotels are owned by the Royal Bank of Scotland and are one of the 11 bought by the bank in a sale-and-leaseback deal with Le Méridien in July 2001.

The new management contracts are due to start on January 31 with Méridien continuing to run the hotels in the meantime.

Marriott has also signed a lease to take on the 276-bedroom Shelbourne in Dublin.