Langham boss vows group will ‘keep improving’ to stay ‘relevant’

Langham Hospitality Group will “keep changing and improving” to offer “great amenities” for guests, according to the company’s chief executive.

Speaking to Aspire, Bob van den Oord said the group’s flagship London property has “suffered a little bit” in 2025 as “there’s so much new supply” in the city.

He said The Langham, London (pictured), which opened in 1865, will “take a little bit longer” to recover, but vowed to introduce “a lot of great new initiatives”.

“We’ve got a great reputation here, but legacy should be about the future and not the past,” van den Oord said. “We’ve introduced this pub [The Wigmore] to make sure we’re relevant, we’re new and we’re fresh. We also put in a cooking school upstairs and, in February, there’s a new restaurant concept coming in – Sale e Pepe, an Italian seafood restaurant out of Knightsbridge.”

He also said the group will “keep changing and improving” to stand out among competition.

As well as new facilities, van den Oord hopes the group’s “unpretentious, authentic and unscripted service” will help set it apart.

“I want our teams around the world to be able to tell their story and to be themselves as they are engaging with our guests,” he said.

“I think that’s something very different, and I think that’s what going to make us stand out, and that’s kind of culture that we’re trying to export around the world.”

The rest of the group’s portfolio has experienced “a relatively good year”, with US destinations such as New York and Boston proving to be “very popular” with UK travellers.

Picture credit: Shutterstock/William Barton