The long-running corporate tussles behind one of the world’s most prestigious hospitality groups would appear to have finally concluded, signalling a stable era, consistency for luxury advisors and a re-focusing on the expansion of the group. 

Under a new agreement, the two prominent Qatari power centres behind Maybourne have now cleanly divided the multi-billion-pound portfolio. Regis Maybourne (UK) Ltd takes total sole ownership of the Maybourne operating brand and will manage all the hotels, as well as owning the physical real estate of Claridge’s in London, The Maybourne Riviera in France, and The Maybourne Beverly Hills in the US. 

Meanwhile, under Constellation Hotels, the other side of the ownership – Qatar’s state sovereign wealth fund – assumes full real estate ownership of the brick-and-mortar buildings for the other three London properties, The Connaught, The Berkeley, and The Emory, as well as the upcoming Saint Germain hotel in Paris and a development in Marrakech. 

The agreement took effect on 9 July, dissolving a long-standing co-ownership framework, but details have only recently hit the headlines. While the financial division may read like a typical corporate split, the outcome for luxury travel advisors is positive – the same attention to providing luxury service is assured, backed by a stable, highly-invested ownership structure. This restructure also marks a 'full steam ahead' unlock for global growth, rather than any form of downsizing or sell-off of assets. 

Day-to-day management continues under the leadership of Maybourne CEO Marc Socker, meaning the legendary service and guest experience will smoothly continue. For any advisor booking high-net-worth clients, Maybourne HQ confirms that daily operations across all properties remain completely seamless and unaffected, and that it remains “committed to preserving the remarkable heritage, exceptional standards of service and extraordinary guest experiences for which these iconic hotels are renowned”. 

“For many years under dual ownership, Maybourne has operated a remarkable portfolio of hotels; properties that set the standard for ultra-luxury hospitality around the world,” said Socker. “Although we are no longer co-owners, we remain partners, and I want to be clear to our staff, guests, suppliers and industry colleagues that nothing changes in how these hotels are run or experienced, nor in Maybourne's commitment to excellence.”

Regis Maybourne will continue to run Constellation’s properties under long-term management agreements. So a VIP client checking into a suite at The Connaught or ordering a drink at the Berkeley Bar will experience the exact same gold-standard hospitality they always have. The primary benefit of this deal could be seen as being the insulation of the hotels from years of boardroom friction, freeing management to focus entirely on running great hotels, and accelerating its development pipeline. 

With that in mind, Maybourne also recently announced José Silva as Chairman: luxury hotel experts will know he is a very safe and experienced pair of hands with a CV that includes many years with Four Seasons and Jumeirah. 

And for luxury advisors, the most significant takeaway is the aggressive new roadmap. Operating under a highly efficient, nimble corporate structure, the brand is accelerating its goal to nearly triple its global presence to 15 or 17 properties by 2035. Rather than tying up liquidity by purchasing expensive real estate, Maybourne's shift to an asset-light strategy sees them focus heavily on winning prized management contracts to run ultra-luxury properties owned by third-party investors.

So now with the legacy boardroom battles firmly resolved, travel advisors can expect to hear more about the wave of fresh, top-tier inventory in the world’s most lucrative wealth and travel hubs. 

This includes Paris, with The Maybourne Saint-Germain, planned to feature 101 rooms and 23 ultra-exclusive private branded residences in the heart of the Left Bank.

In New York, active flagship development is in progress, and Miami, Dubai, Hampshire and Asian gateway cities have also all been mooted as future Maybourne locations.