RBH adds Yotel to its brand portfolio
UK-based hotel operator RBH Hospitality Management has announced its appointment by Legal & General to manage Yotel London City, a 212-room property in the British capital.
The appointment marks RBH’s first collaboration with the Yotel brand and represents the third new brand added to its portfolio in 2026.
The property offers an urban hospitality concept built around space optimisation, integrated technology and flexible communal areas.
Its ground-floor restaurant and bar, Revolve, combines dining, informal workspaces and social interaction.
Yotel London City also becomes the second London property added to RBH’s portfolio this year.
The new agreement follows RBH’s appointment to manage Cameron House, a five-star hotel on the shores of Loch Lomond in Scotland.
For David Hart, CEO of RBH Hospitality Management, the addition of Yotel enables the group to extend its expertise to a hospitality concept distinguished by its design, technological integration and approach to the guest experience.
Legal & General, RBH, Yotel and Hilton: four distinct roles
The operating structure of Yotel London City is of particular interest.
The property is owned by Legal & General, while its operations are now entrusted to RBH Hospitality Management.
Yotel retains its brand identity and hospitality concept as the brand joins Select by Hilton.
This commercial affiliation is intended to give Yotel access to Hilton’s distribution capabilities and loyalty programme while preserving its distinctive positioning.
The arrangement therefore brings together four complementary functions: real estate ownership, operational management, brand identity and international distribution.
It illustrates the increasing diversity of partnership models involving institutional investors, independent hotel operators and international hotel groups.
The financial terms and duration of RBH’s management contract have not been disclosed.
A strengthened leadership team to support growth
Alongside the expansion of its portfolio, RBH Hospitality Management announced several appointments and promotions within its senior leadership team in September 2026.
These changes cover four key functions: operational finance, operations, sales and revenue management.
Stuart Houston appointed Chief Operational Finance Officer
Stuart Houston, who has been with RBH for eleven years, has been promoted to the Executive Committee as Chief Operational Finance Officer.
Previously involved in overseeing operational finance functions, he has contributed to several internal transformation projects.
His work has focused on developing technology tools, data analysis and process automation.
According to RBH, these initiatives have helped improve the group’s forecasting and reporting systems.
The promotion reflects the growing importance of financial information quality and data utilisation in managing a multibrand hotel portfolio.
Kim Pedlar takes charge of group sales
Within the commercial leadership team, Kim Pedlar has been promoted to Group Director of Sales.
She previously held the position of Director of Independent Hotel Sales Performance.
Her promotion forms part of RBH’s efforts to strengthen group-wide commercial functions across a portfolio comprising both internationally branded properties and independent hotels.
Lesley Divers appointed Group Director of Revenue Management
Lesley Divers joins the leadership team as Group Director of Revenue Management.
She brings more than ten years of experience in the hospitality industry.
Her appointment strengthens a particularly strategic function for a third-party operator: revenue optimisation, distribution channel management and the adaptation of pricing strategies to the characteristics of each property.
Claire Barrowclough promoted to Operations Director
Claire Barrowclough, who joined RBH in 2018, has been promoted to Operations Director.
She has previously held several positions across hotels within the portfolio, working with different brands and property categories.
Her appointment is intended to apply this operational experience across a broader remit.
As the portfolio grows, this role is critical to maintaining consistent operating standards and supporting hotel teams.
A diversifying portfolio spanning international brands and independent hotels
These management changes accompany a series of new agreements secured by RBH in 2026.
The group has announced the addition of two Staybridge Suites properties, in Liverpool and Newcastle, the Radisson Hotel Liverpool and Hyatt Place London City East, the first Hyatt-branded hotel entrusted to RBH.
The addition of Cameron House, a five-star Scottish property, has also strengthened its positioning in the luxury segment.
Yotel London City further diversifies the portfolio by introducing a technology-led urban hospitality concept.
RBH therefore works with owners and brand partners whose expectations vary across several market segments.
This diversity requires an organisation capable of adapting its management practices to the characteristics of each asset while maintaining consistent financial and commercial discipline.
David Hart highlights workforce stability
In its announcement of the leadership appointments, David Hart emphasises the need to strengthen the group’s key functions to meet the expectations of owners and brand partners.
RBH also highlights employee loyalty.
According to the group, average employee tenure stands at eight years across the business and almost seventeen years within its Executive Committee.
These figures are presented as evidence of a policy favouring internal development and management continuity.
The promotions of Stuart Houston, Claire Barrowclough and Kim Pedlar illustrate this commitment to developing existing employees within the organisation.
LTH Analysis | Growth among third-party hotel operators demands stronger management structures
The combination of RBH’s leadership changes and its new hotel management agreements highlights a central challenge facing third-party hotel operators.
Unlike hotel groups operating primarily through their own brands, third-party managers must be capable of operating properties with different market positions, distribution systems and contractual requirements.
This diversity creates commercial opportunities but also increases operational complexity.
Portfolio growth therefore cannot be separated from an operator’s ability to strengthen its central functions.
Stuart Houston’s promotion is particularly indicative of this evolution. The combination of operational finance, technology tools and data analysis underlines the importance of performance management across a multibrand portfolio.
Strengthening sales and revenue management functions addresses another requirement: optimising the performance of each asset while taking account of owners’ strategies, brand-specific characteristics and different distribution channels.
The addition of Yotel London City introduces another dimension to this structure.
Legal & General retains ownership, RBH manages operations, Yotel provides the brand and Hilton supports distribution.
For the owner, investment performance will depend on effective coordination between these different parties.
For RBH, the ability to manage this structure efficiently could provide a compelling proposition to other institutional investors seeking to outsource the operation of their hotel assets.
Finally, the average employee tenure reported by RBH indicates management continuity that may facilitate the integration of new properties. However, tenure alone is not an indicator of operational performance.
RBH’s strategy therefore rests on two complementary drivers: securing new hotel management contracts and strengthening its organisation to operate them effectively.
At a Glance
New management contract: RBH Hospitality Management has been appointed by Legal & General to manage the 212-room Yotel London City.
Brand partnership: Yotel is joining Select by Hilton, providing access to Hilton’s distribution and loyalty ecosystem.
Executive promotion: Stuart Houston becomes Chief Operational Finance Officer and joins RBH’s Executive Committee.
Operations: Claire Barrowclough is promoted to Operations Director.
Commercial leadership: Kim Pedlar becomes Group Director of Sales, while Lesley Divers is appointed Group Director of Revenue Management.
Portfolio growth: Recent signings include Staybridge Suites, Radisson, Hyatt Place and Cameron House, reflecting RBH’s multibrand development strategy.
Sources: RBH Hospitality Management, announcements concerning the management of Yotel London City and the strengthening of its senior leadership team.
