Behind The Hotel Brand: Talking With Sally Beck, Deputy Managing Director of The Landmark Collection / By LLM Reporters / Publisher Luxurylifestylemag

Sally Beck is one of London’s best known hoteliers who has worked at The Landmark Collection since 2001, first as the director of sales and marketing at The Landmark London before switching it up to general manager at Royal Lancaster London in 2013.

Having recently been appointed deputy managing director of The Landmark Collection and managing director of The Landmark London, Sally will work alongside managing director Brian Hladnik in leading The Landmark Collection, while taking direct responsibility for The Landmark London, the group’s five-star hotel in Marylebone.

Sally has received numerous accolades during her career, including Hotelier of the Year in 2019, a Master Innholder since 2018 and being named General Manager of the Year at the 2025 BEAM Awards. She is also the founder of The Hoteliers’ Charter, established in 2021 to champion positive workplace culture across the hospitality industry.

We caught up with Sally to find out more about her career progression, some of the highlights she can look back on and how no two days are the same.

Can you tell us a little about yourself and how you first found your way into the hospitality industry?

Hospitality is very much in my blood. I come from a long line of publicans and hoteliers, so I grew up surrounded by the industry and the wonderful mix of people that comes with it. I didn’t actually live in a house until I was 15, so hotels and pubs really were home to me!

I went on to study hotel management at Grimsby Tech and then a two-year trainee management role in Bournemouth before beginning my career in sales and marketing, which gave me a fantastic grounding in understanding guests, building relationships and, importantly, understanding the commercial side of a hotel. From there, I moved into hotel management and ultimately became general manager of Royal Lancaster London.

I still absolutely love the industry. No two days are the same and, ultimately, hospitality is all about people, which is what makes it so special.

Can you talk us through your career journey and how it led you to Royal Lancaster London?

I started my career in sales and marketing and was fortunate to work in some wonderful five-star independent London hotels. I spent many years as a director of sales and marketing, first at The Royal Garden Hotel before 12 years at The Landmark London, Royal Lancaster London’s sister hotel, before moving across to Royal Lancaster London as hotel manager.

Not long afterwards, the opportunity arose to step into the general manager role. I put myself forward and have been at the helm since 2013. It has been an extraordinary journey. One of the biggest projects was overseeing the transformation of the hotel from a four-star property into the five-star Royal Lancaster London you see today, following an £85 million refurbishment.

But for me, the greatest transformation has always been about the people and culture. Creating a hotel where our team genuinely enjoys coming to work and feels supported to build a career is something I’m incredibly proud of.

What does your role as general manager of Royal Lancaster London involve, and what does a typical day look like for you?

There really is no such thing as a typical day, and that is one of the reasons I love the job. Royal Lancaster London has 411 bedrooms, restaurants and bars and extensive event spaces, so there is always something happening.

My role touches every part of the hotel, from our guests and team to the commercial performance and future direction of the business. I like to be visible and spend time walking around the hotel, speaking to our team and guests and understanding what is happening on the floor.

For me, a general manager shouldn’t sit behind a desk. My job is to support the people who are looking after our guests. If our team feels happy, respected and empowered, that translates directly into the experience we give our guests.

How would you describe your management and leadership style?

I’m a great believer in people-first leadership. I work with an inverted hierarchy, where I sit at the bottom of the triangle. Our frontline team members are the most important people in the hotel because they are the ones creating those special moments for our guests. My job, and that of the senior leadership team, is to give them everything they need to do that brilliantly.

I believe in listening, being approachable and creating an environment where people feel comfortable contributing ideas and challenging things. There should be no shouting and no blame culture. People perform at their best when they feel respected, engaged, appreciated and empowered.

Our ambition has long been to be the happiest hotel in London. Happiness to us isn’t about everyone walking around smiling all day. It’s about people feeling valued, developed and part of something.

What do you think makes Royal Lancaster London particularly special and sets it apart from other luxury hotels in the capital?

There are so many wonderful luxury hotels in London, but I think Royal Lancaster London has a very distinctive personality. First, our location is extraordinary. We overlook Hyde Park and the Italian Gardens, so you have this incredible sense of greenery and space, yet you’re right in the heart of London.

We are also proudly independent, which gives us the freedom to be ourselves and to make decisions that are right for our guests and our team.

Most importantly, though, it’s our people. Beautiful bedrooms, wonderful restaurants and impressive spaces are important, but ultimately guests remember how you made them feel. We want luxury here to feel warm, personal and genuine rather than overly formal. Our philosophy is very simple: we always care.

Sally says the greatest transformation within a hotel has always been about the people and culture

What do you think today’s luxury traveller is looking for from a five-star hotel, and how has this changed during your career?

Luxury has become much more personal. Guests still expect beautiful surroundings, exceptional food and impeccable service, of course, but increasingly they want authenticity, flexibility and genuine human connection.

I think there has been a move away from luxury being defined by formality. The modern luxury traveller wants to feel recognised and understood without feeling that the service is intrusive.

People also care much more about the values behind the businesses they choose. They want to know how you treat your team, what you’re doing for your local community and how seriously you take sustainability. Luxury today is as much about thoughtfulness, space to be and experience, as it is about the physical product.

Royal Lancaster London is known for its warm approach to hospitality. How important is the team in creating that experience for guests?

They are everything. You can have the most beautiful hotel in the world, but without a brilliant, engaged team you don’t have great hospitality.

I’ve always believed that happy teams create happy guests, and happy guests ultimately create happy owners. That’s why we’ve put so much emphasis on career development, training, apprenticeships and wellbeing.

It’s also one of the reasons I founded the Hoteliers’ Charter. I want people to see hospitality as a fantastic career rather than simply a job. There are extraordinary opportunities in this industry, and as hoteliers we have a responsibility to develop people, look after them and give them the opportunity to progress.

The Royal Suite offers panoramic views over Hyde Park and London

What is your favourite room or suite at Royal Lancaster London, and why?

My favourite would have to be one of our Lancaster Suites. They really capture what is so special about the hotel, with incredible views across Hyde Park and the London skyline. There is something quite magical about waking up and seeing so much greenery in the heart of the city. Plus they have been designed to evoke our sixties heritage, which is something I love.

The suites are beautifully spacious and contemporary, but still feel warm and comfortable. For me, they offer the best of Royal Lancaster London, that wonderful combination of a five-star London experience with Hyde Park quite literally on the doorstep.

What are your personal favourite places to eat, drink and visit in London when you’re not at the hotel?

I’m very lucky because I think London is the greatest city in the world, and there is always something new to discover. Hyde Park is obviously very close to my heart, and having it quite literally on our doorstep is something I never take for granted.

I love the fact that from Royal Lancaster London you can walk through the park towards Kensington, explore Notting Hill or head into the West End. London has this wonderful ability to reinvent itself constantly while still retaining its history and traditions.

I know I am biased but I can’t go past Nipa Thai, the most authentic Thai restaurant outside of Bangkok where the team are 100 per cent Thai, always fabulous and a must go to for our family. I always love Seashells, the best fish and chip shop in London, just behind our sister hotel, The Landmark London, where you get fresh fish and chips with a chilled bottle of Chablis – what could be nicer. My husband and my other favourite is chez Bruce, we go for a romantic dinner whenever we can!

What are you most proud of achieving during your time at Royal Lancaster London, and what are you most excited about for the hotel’s future?