Following a year of impressive growth – including the opening of Another Place, The Machrie, the opening of The Brackenrigg Inn in Ullswater and the launch of sector-setting lifestyle aparthotel SeaSpace – Watergate Bay is excited to announce the addition of a new senior leader to carry its evolution forward into 2025.
Simon Mahon joins the team as Chief Operating Officer across Watergate Bay Hotel, Another Place, SeaSpace and Beach Retreats, bringing with him over 30 year’s experience as a passionate, motivated hotelier with a flair for implementing change.
A Master Innholder, St Julian Scholar and Fellow of the Institute of Hospitality, Simon comes to Watergate Bay from the award-winning The Grand, York, and will be drawing on his decades’ of experience running multi-asset international brands in his new role.
Responsible for operations across all four businesses, he’ll be working with the hotel directors, general managers and all teams to enhance guest experience, operational standards, team culture and commercial performance.
For Simon, it’s people that matter most. A deep-seated belief in true hospitality has led him to shape businesses that put care first, looking after teams and guests equally. He drives sustainable growth by bringing brands to life for everyone that interacts with them, from the smallest daily detail to the big business-wide plans.
Says Simon Mahon: “Ultimately with the best hotel businesses it’s all about people, care and a sense of place. I look for companies that have deep, authentic bonds with their location, people and community, building on those bonds to create memorable moments for guests. In Watergate Bay, I see a set of businesses that understand sense of place through and through, are genuinely values-driven and have true hospitality at their core. I can’t wait to get started.”
Says Ben Harper, CEO: “In a landscape full of flux, 2024 has seen us double the size of our business and we have ambitious plans for further growth of all of our brands. We now want to take our operational delivery to the next level. Given his track record, Simon will do just that by providing inspirational leadership, new ways of thinking and experience that will really take us places in 2025 and beyond.”
Simon Mahon will step into his role as Chief Operating Officer for Watergate Bay and businesses from 4 November. One of his first undertakings will be recruiting for a new general manager at Watergate Bay Hotel.
