Minor Hotels is bringing its new premium soft brand to the British capital with The WestDill Mayfair Hotel London, Colbert Collection, a five-star property on Piccadilly due to open in Q4 2026 and the first Colbert Collection signing in the United Kingdom.
The property is housed in the corner building at Piccadilly and Albemarle Street, formerly occupied by NatWest bank and offices, and is currently being converted to a hotel. Originally designed in 1922-23 by Sir William Curtis Green, the structure is Grade II listed. The conversion represents one of the more significant adaptive-reuse hospitality projects to come to central London in recent years.
The five-star property will offer 50 guest rooms and suites across six floors, in addition to a restaurant and bar.
Colbert Collection: a brand built on culinary identity
Colbert Collection is Minor Hotels’ new global soft brand in the premium segment, bringing together independent hotels united by the philosophy that the most unforgettable travel experiences are felt rather than explained. The brand draws inspiration from the convivial atmosphere of Parisian boulevard cafés and the cultural vibrancy of the original Colbert bistro in London, part of The Wolseley Hospitality Group, owned by Minor International.
The brand is guided by three pillars: the art of gathering, the art of place, and the art of taste, each designed to shape meaningful guest experiences. Each property in the collection retains its individual identity while accessing Minor Hotels’ global commercial infrastructure, including sales, distribution, revenue management and loyalty programmes.
The Colbert Collection debuted in Italy in spring 2026, with the London announcement marking its first confirmed UK signing. Further expansion is planned across culturally rich destinations including Spain, Austria and the UAE.
A gateway city entry long in the making
For Minor Hotels, the WestDill Mayfair is more than an individual signing. The Bangkok-headquartered group already has a meaningful UK footprint through The Wolseley Hospitality Group, whose dining portfolio includes The Wolseley, The Delaunay, Colbert and Zedel, alongside nhow London as its sole UK hotel. The Mayfair property substantially upgrades that hotel presence, placing the group at the precise address where luxury hospitality, heritage architecture and London’s most densely internationalist visitor base converge.
Dillip Rajakarier, CEO of Minor Hotels and Group CEO of parent company Minor International, said the signing ‘unlocks new avenues to partner with distinctive, character-led properties’ and described the location as ‘an exceptional city centre opportunity.’
He added that the project represents ‘a meaningful contribution to the continued renaissance of Mayfair and the wider West End, reactivating a distinguished heritage building on Piccadilly while introducing a thoughtfully curated hospitality experience that will enhance the character, energy and global appeal of the precinct.’
The owner: Royal Group’s European debut
The owning company, Royal Group of Companies Singapore, is an international investor and developer with more than 70 years of expertise in the hotel and property segment, with a portfolio spanning properties in Asia and the Pacific region including hotels, shopping malls, offices and residential developments. The WestDill Mayfair will be the group’s first venture into Europe.
Bobby Hiranandani, co-chairman of Royal Group of Companies, described the building as ‘an asset of exceptional architectural pedigree’ and said the group’s ambition had been to reinstate its ‘inherent grandeur while sensitively reinterpreting it for a contemporary hospitality context’, with a focus on conservation, craftsmanship and long-term relevance.
Brand strategy and the soft brand opportunity
Colbert Collection aligns with Minor Hotels’ global ‘asset-right’ strategy, a flexible model combining ownership, leasing, management and franchise agreements. While the group retains its asset-heavy foundations, future expansion will prioritise asset-light growth through management and franchise contracts, offering greater scalability and profitability.
The soft brand model is well-timed. Senior operators across the global hospitality industry have increasingly recognised that independent hoteliers are willing to affiliate with a brand umbrella if it delivers commercial firepower without demanding standardisation. For Minor Hotels, Colbert Collection provides a scalable vehicle to grow in premium urban markets where full-brand conversions are operationally and architecturally impractical.
The WestDill Mayfair’s location provides access to Green Park Underground station, with direct links to Heathrow Airport, and is close to Victoria Station, in addition to Hyde Park, Buckingham Palace, Bond Street and Piccadilly Circus.
For workforce leaders: the people dimension
Opening a converted Grade II listed building in one of London’s most competitive labour markets presents distinct people challenges. Hospitality operators in prime central London face persistent recruitment pressure, particularly in food and beverage leadership, where the Mayfair and St James’s corridor competes intensely for culinary talent.
The Colbert Collection’s explicit culinary identity means the quality of its dining offer will be central to the property’s positioning from day one. Minor Hotels’ existing relationships through The Wolseley Hospitality Group give it a credible pipeline into London’s restaurant-quality talent base, a structural advantage that most international operators entering the UK market cannot replicate.
Minor Hotels operates a global portfolio of more than 640 hotels, resorts and branded residences across 59 countries, giving potential London hires access to international career mobility at scale.
