Industry-leading management company, Valor Hospitality, is celebrating a decade of continuous growth and award-winning hospitality, as it marks its 10-year anniversary of operating in the UK.
Established by global co-founders Euan McGlashan and Steve Cesinger, Valor initially launched onto the UK hospitality scene by taking on an underperforming portfolio of IHG branded hotels. Brian McCarthy joined them to lead the UK team and together, they successfully transformed the hotels before continuing to expand the UK portfolio.
Backed by their extensive industry expertise and their core principles of engaging their team members, delivering for their customers and wrapping everything in best-in-class commercial expertise, it is their vision has driven Valor’s growth, taking the UK portfolio from 11 hotels to 40 over the past decade.
The team has gone on to manage multi-million-pound renovations, upgrades and rebranding exercises across numerous IHG, Hilton and Marriott properties across the UK. The portfolio growth includes two new luxury golf resorts, Dunluce Lodge at Royal Portrush and Seaton House at St Andrews. Additionally, Valor will open IHG’s first-ever net zero carbon hotel, voco Zeal Exeter Science Park, all scheduled to open in early 2025.
Renowned for its approach to team engagement, Valor has frequently been recognised as an industry leading employer. Most recently, the company was included in the top 10 of the prestigious Sunday Times Best Place to Work 2024 list and has been named in The Caterer’s top six ‘Best Places to Work’ in hospitality several times over the past decade. These awards are no mean feat, especially under the backdrop of growing the team from 1,259 in 2014, to the 3,218 strong team that operates across the length and breadth of the UK today.
Commenting on the milestone, Brian McCarthy, president, Valor Hospitality UK & Europe, said: "Ten years ago we set out to create a business underpinned by high levels of team engagement, authenticity and genuine excellence. We have stayed true to our principles, achieved a lot and look forward to the next ten years of further success. As a team we appreciate all the hard work that many have put in."
As well as growing the property portfolio, Valor has also further developed its food and beverage offering, with the recent launch of Savor, a highly specialised F&B arm of the business led by world-renowned chefs. This will form a critical part of Valor’s point of difference within the sector in the years to come, as the team brings more one-of-a-kind dining experiences to its hotels.
Euan McGlashan, global co-founder and CEO of Valor Hospitality Partners added: "It’s a wonderfully inspiring time for Valor at the moment, especially in the UK where we’re working on some unique projects, as well as managing a portfolio that is going from strength to strength.
"Globally, Valor has also continued to grow at a controlled pace, now operating in some 65 cities and 16 countries around the world. I am so proud of all the UK team has achieved in a relatively short space of time, especially when you take into account the two horrific years of lockdowns. With so many new and exciting projects looming, a very special anniversary such as this one is an opportunity to celebrate the past, the current and the future. This is a thrilling journey to be on and well worth the hard yards we have all put in!"
In addition to its 40 hotels in the UK, Valor manages almost 100 hospitality projects in its international portfolio across the USA, Africa and Middle East.
