A former Pride of Britain boss has shared plans for her new luxury hotel collection after more than two decades championing the sector across the UK.

Jontje Cunliffe-Lister founded ‘Highly Recommended Hotels’ (HRH) in March 2023, a group representing high-end properties that want to grow revenues from the corporate travel sector, MICE industry and the private luxury leisure market.

She officially debuted the collective of 12 four and five-star hotels earlier this month, and already, has been flooded by applicants from interested owners. 

Cunliffe-Lister’s recommendation comes with a capital R; the Northerner spent over 20 years as business development manager at PoB Hotels, which boasts 54 of the country’s finest establishments, including Glenapp Castle and Seaham Hall. Prior to this, she worked for the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire’s collection, as well as The George at Stamford, The Old Bridge at Huntingdon & Haycock Manor at Wansford. 

Cunliffe-Lister’s in-depth knowledge of the industry translates to high standards for HRH members, all of which must be “privately owned” and share her passion for warm hospitality.

“I’m looking for vibrant city boltholes or lavish country retreats,” she tells TTG Luxury. “They don’t need to be similar, but they must all have impeccable service.” 

Cunliffe-Lister’s first recruit was Storrs Hall Hotel in Cumbria, while her most recent addition is the brand new No. 124 Brighton by GuestHouse. There is just one property in London, Athenaeum Hotel & Residences - the rest are mostly dotted around England. The most northerly hotel is the Matfen Hall Hotel Golf and Spa, a lavish estate in the heart of historic Northumberland, while Plas Dinas, formerly the home of the Armstrong-Jones family, marks its only Welsh member. 

There are no HRH hotels in Scotland yet, but Cunliffe-Lister insists this won’t be the case for long: “Scotland is very much on the cards. I’m speaking with a couple of properties there at the moment, but I have to get it right. Ireland is also on my radar.” 

Cunliffe-Lister plans to grow the collection in the next five years to 40 hotels, which she believes will be a manageable number that allows her to maintain the brand’s exclusivity. “I don’t want to keep adding and adding,” she says. “I want to keep it niche, set a cap, and stick with it.” 

She also hints that HRH may welcome properties in Europe in the future, but for the time being, will focus on the UK and Ireland. 

As for the collection’s target demographic, the US market has always been important for members. To ensure this continues, Cunliffe-Lister has appointed Sally Everton, who has worked in the industry for 18 years, to represent HRH across the Atlantic. “She has already done a North American sales trip and we’re doing two more sales missions in February and March.” 

HRH offers a wide range of benefits for members, including strong sales strategies and exclusive access to trade leads. 

“We give our members a fully optimised private coded GDS which gets them in front of 500,000 agents worldwide,” Cunliffe-Lister says. “80% of the business that comes to us is via agents, whether that’s luxury leisure or corporate. All our members pay commissions, and the hotels have to be happy to work with agents.” 

As for her immediate business plans, Cunliffe-Lister insists that she is “in no great rush” to expand the collection. Once a hotel is accepted, it belongs to the group for two years - which is why the industry veteran is determined to prioritise quality over quantity. 

“I want to get to know my hoteliers,” she says. “I love talking and building relationships - after all, I’m a Yorkshire Gemini!”