Langham Hospitality Group concluded year-long celebrations marking 160 years since The Langham, London opened as Europe’s first grand hotel, with a gala event in Hong Kong attended by owners, business leaders and cultural figures.
The November event at The Langham, Hong Kong featured performances by Grammy Award-winning violinist Joshua Bell and Chinese musical theatre producer Ayanga, both designated Langham Luminaries under the brand’s Your Story Our Legacy campaign. Young musicians from the Great Eagle Music Children Ensemble also performed.
The 160th anniversary commemorates the 10 June 1865 opening of The Langham, London, which introduced innovations including electric lights, hydraulic lifts and air conditioning. The property became the first hotel to serve afternoon tea publicly and pioneered celebrity chef-led kitchens.
Throughout 2025, the group implemented global anniversary programming across its 18 destinations spanning four continents. Initiatives included The Langham Pink Run charitable events, culinary offerings and experiential packages designed to honour heritage whilst appealing to contemporary travellers.
The Pink Run initiative attracted approximately 1,600 participants globally through guided walks, fun runs and art-inspired movement experiences. Each property customised programming to support local causes in health, education and sustainability, reflecting community priorities.
Food and beverage activations included The Langham Royale Punch, served complimentary during Golden Hour across all properties from 10-30 June, and a reimagined Battenberg Cake offering modern interpretation of the traditional British teatime staple.
The group’s expansion trajectory includes landmark projects combining heritage conservation with new construction. The Langham, Custom House, Bangkok is scheduled to open in 2026, occupying a historic riverside property in the Bang Rak district along the Chao Phraya River.
The Langham Venice, opening in 2027, represents the brand’s first European property since the London flagship. The 133-room hotel will occupy a 16th-century former glass factory on Murano island’s southern tip, facing the main Venetian lagoon across Rio dei Vetrai canal.
Additional pipeline projects include The Langham, Kuala Lumpur and The Langham, Diriyah, scheduled for 2029 in Saudi Arabia’s UNESCO World Heritage site adjacent to Riyadh. Van den Oord described the Diriyah development as visionary, positioned on a boulevard designed to rival Paris’s Champs-Élysées.
The group is also implementing comprehensive renovations at existing properties, including The Langham, Pasadena and planned refurbishments for Shanghai and Melbourne locations. These investments aim to maintain competitive positioning whilst preserving brand standards.
Langham Hospitality Group operates more than 30 properties globally under four brands: The Langham Hotels and Resorts, Cordis Hotels and Resorts, Eaton Workshop and Ying’nFlo. The organisation targets expansion to 100 properties by 2040.
Van den Oord, who assumed the chief executive role in September 2023, has articulated a strategic shift toward management agreements rather than ownership. The group currently owns 65% of Langham-branded properties through parent company Great Eagle Holdings.
The chief executive indicated that whilst ownership provides credibility when securing management contracts, achieving required returns on investment limits viable development locations. The management agreement model enables growth without corresponding capital requirements.
China represents a priority market, comprising half the current portfolio and eight of 12 hotels in development. The group targets strategic cities across tier classifications with strong economic growth and rising affluence driving premium hospitality demand.
The Cordis brand focuses on upscale properties ranging from 300-500 rooms in city centres, airports and resort destinations. Positioning emphasises localised experiences including night-market tours, cultural exploration and culinary programmes that connect guests with destination character.
Eaton Workshop targets socially conscious younger travellers through purpose-driven hospitality emphasising cultural programming, media, wellness and community impact. The brand transforms hotel spaces into multifaceted gathering places connecting guests with local communities.
Ying’nFlo, launched in 2022 and entering mainland China in 2025, represents the group’s select-service offering. The brand emphasises flexible, convenient services creating a “travel-living” experience balancing practicality with design for guests seeking extended-stay flexibility.
The anniversary celebrations reinforced The Langham’s positioning as a cultural institution beyond transactional hospitality. Historical associations with literary figures including Charles Dickens, Winston Churchill, Oscar Wilde and Mark Twain established precedent for the Langham Luminaries programme spotlighting contemporary cultural contributors.
This heritage-forward positioning differentiates The Langham in increasingly competitive luxury segments where experiential authenticity and cultural credibility influence booking decisions alongside traditional service metrics.
The group’s expansion occurs amid broader luxury hospitality sector growth driven by high-net-worth traveller demand, particularly from Asia-Pacific markets. However, van den Oord acknowledged geopolitical tensions, trade conflicts and cost pressures create headwinds requiring careful market selection and operational discipline.
