UK Hotel Real Estate Summit 2026

William Riordan is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Oberland, an investment platform focused on acquiring and repositioning underutilised heritage real estate into design-led, community-driven hotels and experiential destinations across Europe. Founded in 2022, Oberland combines real estate investment, development and operations to create modern hospitality assets, with a growing portfolio spanning the UK and Europe and an active pipeline of adaptive reuse projects in major gateway cities. Alongside his role at Oberland, he serves as Executive Director and Board Member at Swiss Finance & Property UK, an affiliate of one of Switzerland’s leading independent real estate managers, overseeing c. CHF 15 billion in assets. William also holds non-executive and advisory positions, including Chair of the St John’s Trading Company, supporting the commercial sustainability of St John’s Foundation, one of the world’s oldest continuously operating charities, and previously contributed to industry leadership through the Urban Land Institute, serving on the European Executive Committee and as Chair of its Young Leaders in Europe. Before founding Oberland, he spent over a decade at Value Retail’s The Bicester Collection, one of the world's leading asset backed retail developers and operators, and was a senior advisor to S.D. Malkin Properties, contributing to landmark developments such as UBS Arena in New York.

With over 35 years in the hospitality industry Franck Arnold brings a wealth of experience from working for well- known luxury brands and independent hotels in North America and Europe. He joined The Savoy in September 2020 with a clear vision: to navigate the hotel through the global pandemic, remaining true to its heritage as the home of luxurious innovation in the UK. Born in France, Franck began his journey into hospitality attending the Hotel School of Strasbourg (France), earning a diploma in culinary arts followed by a Restaurant and Hotel Management degree. He later completed a Masters in Hotel Administration from IMHI Cornell-ESSEC (Paris) and his M.B.A from Henley Management College / Brunel University (UK). Franck’s entrance to the industry began with InterContinental Hotel’s Corporate Management Training Program, progressing through roles such as Assistant Restaurant Manager, Rooms Division Manager Trainee, Assistant Director and Director of Food and Beverage, Executive Assistant Manager, Hotel Manager, and General Manager. During his thirteen years with IHG, these leadership positions had Franck moving from Paris, to London, to Athens, to Brussels and on to Madrid, all prior to moving to North America where he served as Hotel Manager at the Barclay Intercontinental in New York. Franck then on went to join The Four Seasons Chicago as Hotel Manager before taking the role of Managing Director of the exquisite Jefferson hotel in Washington, DC. He then moved his family back across the Atlantic to Edinburgh, Scotland where he was General Manager of The Balmoral, a five-star iconic Rocco Forte Hotel, for five years. During this time he became a Master Innholder and was awarded the Freedom of The City of London. In 2016, Franck took on the role of General Manager at The Ritz-Carlton, Toronto, where he was awarded the Forbes Five-Star every year from 2016, and received the Humanitarian Award from the Hotel Association of Canada in 2018. Since 2020, the Savoy has retained its Forbes 5 stars, earning a place among the 50 Best Hotels in the World, receiving 3 Michelin Keys in 2025 and 2024 and being named one of the top 10 Hotels in the World by La Liste. Franck was instrumental in extending the restaurant partnership at The Savoy with Gordon Ramsay (Savoy Grill, River Restaurant) including 1890 (named after Auguste Escoffier’s starting year at The Savoy) which earned its first Michelin star in 2024. Franck was also instrumental in securing the lease of Simpson’s in the Strand with Jeremy King: reopening in March 2026. Franck was recently awarded The Caterer’s Hotelier of the Year 2025. He was also honoured with the Historic Hotels Worldwide Hotelier of the Year in 2024, as well as Hotelier of the Year by Hotelier Magazine and Industry Titan by Boutique Hotelier in 2025. When he is not working, Franck is an avid golf player, cyclist and runner. He still enjoys cooking for his family and friends. He lives in the UK with his wife Salima, daughter Céleste and son Cesar and mini Schnauzer Jules. His eldest son Arthur lives and works in Australia.

Tony joined travelodge in 1998 and has been UK Development Director since 2007. Since then, Travelodge has more than doubled in size opening over 350 hotels taking Travelodge past 600 locations in the UK, Northern Ireland and Spain.

Mark specialises in delivering innovative engineering solutions in the hospitality sector, blending heritage preservation with modern functionality. Currently, he leads the prestigious refurbishment of a world-leading 5* hotel in London, balancing historic integrity with cutting-edge engineering on one of the city’s most complex sites. His expertise is in early-stage strategic guidance and complex sequencing on landmark developments.

Guillermo is a visionary leader at Evolution Sustainability Group transforming European commercial real estate to become efficient and cost savvy. He orchestrates the company’s European Union operations with a blend of expertise and passion for sustainability. With over a decade of experience in renewable energy integration, energy efficiency, and sustainable development. His impressive career includes spearheading transformative projects for both the private and public sectors, such as the development of impact studies for the European Environment Agency (EEA). These studies have played a crucial role in shaping the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD). Guillermo’s in-depth knowledge of European sustainability standards and regulations ensures that his initiatives not only meet but exceed legislative expectations. Guillermo's knack for market expansion is well-documented, supported by his extensive network and strategic partnerships with influential sustainability organizations like the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the Science Based Targets Network (SBTN). His efforts are pivotal in fostering collaboration and driving business growth for Evolution Sustainability Group across Europe.