UK: Rob Cahn has joined Lamington Group in a newly created role, head of group operations, effective immediately.
Cahn will be responsible for implementing new systems and procedures, along with co-ordinating operational and HR activities across the group’s portfolio. His immediate focus will be on the launch of room2 in Chiswick this November.
The appointment comes as Lamington Group targets 5,000 rooms across the UK by 2030.
Bringing 10 years of experience to the role, Cahn joins the group from Locke Hotels where he spent over two years as general manager. During this time, he oversaw the launch of Locke at Broken Wharf and the day-to-day management of the property.
Prior to this, Cahn was owner and general manager of the Witch Alm Bar & Restaurant in Innsbruck, Austria.
Speaking about his appointment, Cahn said: “The entrepreneurial flair, company ambition and growth plans that Lamington Group has demonstrated was a major factor in my decision to join the business. The room2 proposition in particular offers a unique angle within the expanding aparthotel sector and I look forward to working with the whole team to deliver on the vision of 5,000 keys across the UK by 2030.”
Robert Godwin, managing director at Lamington Group and room2, added: “This is an incredibly exciting time for both the hometel sector and room2, as a boom in staycationing and changing working habits favourably positions our highly flexible and experience-led product for a mix of corporate and leisure guests. Rob’s experience at Locke Hotels, in overseeing its transformation into a highly regarded, innovative aparthotel brand, will be a huge asset for the business, and attracting someone of his calibre shows the extent of our growth ambitions as the world’s first hometel brand.”
Under the room2 brand there are currently two properties open, in Southampton and Hammersmith. Earlier this year, room2 completed a sale and leaseback transaction of its Southampton site to a fund managed by Aberdeen Standard Investments.
