The Goring serves Afternoon Tea at The Veranda .
H
aving his name above the door is genuinely terrifying for Jeremy Goring , CEO of The Goring , one of London ’ s most luxurious and iconic hotels . It is the only downside to having what he calls the best job in the world . “ If any of my four children ever get involved in the business , I would advise them to change their name ,” he teasingly said .
Goring , 57 , spent his earlier career with the luxury likes of Four Seasons , Rosewood Hotels & Resorts and Orient Express
Hotels . He is the fourth generation of his family to run the 69-room hotel , a five-starrated property that is a long-time favorite of the British royal family .
He is more passionate today about the hotel than when he took over the reins from his father , George , in 2005 , and loves running what he describes as “ a nice , fun business ,” and creating special moments for loyal guests . But the fact that the buck stops with him weighs heavy on his shoulders .
Founded in 1910 , The Goring is the only hotel in London that is still owned and operated by the family that built it . When George Goring joined the hotel in 1961 , around half of the hotels in London were family-owned . Since then , almost all of the hotels at the same elevated level as The Goring have been sold on , some several times over , and most to international conglomerates .
ON ITS OWN Being able to stand out from the crowd as a privately owned hotel has its advantages ; most importantly , it allows The Goring to be dynamic in its decision making . “ If we
decide one morning that we want to have a pond in the garden that kids can paddle in during the day and that turns into a hot tub at night , we can sign it off by the end of the day and start building next month . We ’ re never fearful to try new things ,” Goring said . On the flip side , Goring points out that the hotel does not benefit from the support that a large organization could provide . “ Can we send a team member around the world for work experience ? No , not that easily ,” he said .
The Goring has always been renowned for being innovative , with the founder of the hotel Otto Richard Goring ( better known as OR ) leading the way by having the vision to develop what was to be the last grand hotel of the Edwardian era on a plot of land adjacent to Buckingham Palace . When it welcomed its first guests in 1910 , it was believed to be the world ’ s first hotel with a bathroom and central heating for every bedroom . A fresh flower continues to be placed in the buttonhole of a statue of OR in the foyer of the hotel , 365 days a year .
OG ( Otto Gustave ) Goring , OR ’ s son , was appointed managing director in 1926
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