In 1994, Ken McCulloch’s Malmaison property became
the first new hotel brand in the UK for 30 years. Now he’s
done it again with the launch of a business brand,
Dakota
Ken McCulloch, a Glaswegian born and bred, exudes openness, a
quality that’s stood him in good stead during each of his
ventures over the past two decades.
Whatever the size of the venture – from his initial
eight-room boutique hotel, One Devonshire Gardens in Glasgow, to
the successful Malmaison chain that he sold in 1998, or the new
Dakota hotel in Nottingham – his ethos has always been to
provide quality without stuffiness.
“It’s about creating spaces where people feel at ease,”
McCulloch said. “I want people to step into the lobby and think:
‘I feel great,’ without even realising why they feel
great.”
Avoiding stuffiness does not mean a slack approach to service,
however.
Indeed, McCulloch’s early training came from British
Transport Hotels, where tradition ruled and where he learnt the
importance of good service.
In his early 20s, McCulloch made the decision to go it alone,
but it wasn’t the hotel industry that initially attracted
him. His time in some of the best kitchens in Britain had given him
a passion for food and, for 12 years, he concentrated on
establishing and selling on a number of restaurant businesses,
finally raising enough capital to buy his first hotel, One
Devonshire Gardens in Glasgow.
In 1986, One Devonshire Gardens, a Victorian terrace house with
just eight rooms, was a boutique hotel before the term had become
fashionable.
“I wanted to offer something that contradicted the misguided
perception a lot of business travellers had of Glasgow,” said
McCulloch. By the time he sold the site three years ago, it had
expanded to 27 rooms.
His next venture was Malmaison in 1994, the first new hotel
brand in the UK for 30 years. “My initial idea with Malmaison was
to offer upmarket hotels like Devonshire Gardens in major cities,
creating special addresses across the UK. But this was the early
1990s at the peak of the recession and finding finance for a
project like this was impossible. I realised what was needed was a
product that offered the same kind of luxury as Devonshire Gardens,
but at a more affordable price. The aim became to find
‘difficult’ buildings and make them stylish.”
McCulloch opened two Malmaison sites within a month of each
other, a 25-bedroom hotel in Edinburgh and a 24-bedroom unit in
Glasgow. After this initial burst of activity, development slowed
down. With hindsight, this is something he regrets.
“I don’t like the toe-in-the-water approach. You should
know what you’re doing and go with it,” he said.
His latest venture, Dakota, counts Formula One driver David
Coultard among its investors.
The first Dakota property opened outside Nottingham in June,
based in the Sherwood Business Park, eight miles from the city
centre. The quiet location is key, said McCulloch.
“Business estates are quiet, while city centres can be noisy.
People on business aren’t usually looking for noise.”
Dakota is McCulloch’s first new-build venture. The
property has 92 rooms, an 80-seater grill and a 50-seater bar,
meeting rooms and a gym, all designed to appeal to the modern
business traveller.
“Business travellers are not that well looked after at the
moment,” said McCulloch. “Dakota is for people who want to travel
business class but pay economy. I’m tired of hearing other
hoteliers say: ‘Well, if they only pay £80 per night
they can’t expect great service.’ Paying clients have a
right to expect great service.”
The three-year plan for Dakota involves between 20 and 25 hotels
across the UK, with up to five of these established before the end
of this year.
- Agents can make bookings on tel: 0870 442 2727 or via
dakotahotels.co.uk.
