Three of London’s most sought-after addresses are changing their banner without changing their location. Constellation Hotels has entrusted Neil Jacobs, who headed Six Senses for more than thirteen years, with the creation of a hotel management company and a global brand built around The Connaught, The Berkeley and The Emory. This is the logical next step following the split of the Maybourne group, which came into effect on 9 July 2026 and separated the assets between two owners. The name of the new brand will be unveiled by the end of the year, with Paris as its first opening.
- 🏛️ The foundation · The Connaught (Mayfair), The Berkeley (Knightsbridge) and The Emory (Hyde Park Corner), three London grand hotels now owned by Constellation Hotels
- 👤 The man · Neil Jacobs, managing director of the new management company, former head of Six Senses and founder of the consulting collective Wild Origins
- 📅 The timeline · Maybourne split effective 9 July 2026, appointment announced in early September 2026, brand name expected before the end of the year
- 🌍 The expansion · A hotel in Saint-Germain in Paris, a project in Marrakech and the English estate of Hackwood Park, in Hampshire
- 🤝 What is not changing · Maybourne continues to operate the three hotels for an agreed period: nothing changes for guests in the short term
→ The Maybourne Saint-Germain hotel to open in 2027 in the former Ministry of the Armed Forces headquarters
→ Six Senses Lisbon to open in late 2026, spearheading a Portugal focused on the shoulder season
The mission entrusted to Neil Jacobs
This is not about managing three hotels, but turning them into a brand. Constellation Hotels, the Qatari owner, is creating an autonomous hotel management company and has appointed Neil Jacobs as CEO. He will work alongside Gianluca Muzzi, managing director of Constellation Hotels and former co-head of Maybourne. “We are in the rare position of forming a new international collection with The Connaught, The Berkeley and The Emory as our foundations,” explains Neil Jacobs. He states that he wants to “rethink what an exceptional hotel environment can be” and aim, beyond rooms and service, for “places whose energy you feel the moment you step inside.”
This statement deserves to be taken seriously, because it is precisely what he has achieved elsewhere. Starting with a foundation of three already established properties is also a constraint: a common identity must be built without erasing what makes each one valuable. This is the most delicate exercise in luxury hospitality, and the reason why many collections end up standardising what they set out to celebrate.
Who is Neil Jacobs
Neil Jacobs led Six Senses for more than thirteen years, turning it into a uniquely identifiable brand built on wellness, sustainability and a strong local anchor. The group was acquired by IHG in 2019, a move that validated its model among major operators. He stepped away from operational hospitality in 2025 to found Wild Origins, a creative consulting collective, before this return to lead an operator once again. His appointment signals the future brand’s direction: holistic health, longevity and integrative medicine, transposed this time no longer into tropical retreats but into century-old urban grand hotels.
The Connaught, the flagship of the future brand
In Mayfair, The Connaught has cultivated a clientele of regulars and private-club discretion for over a century. The house is home to the Connaught Bar, regularly ranked among the best bars in the world, Hélène Darroze’s three-Michelin-starred restaurant, a dining room by Jean-Georges Vongerichten and one of London’s rare Aman Spas. This is the address that gives the future collection its legitimacy and service standards, and the one against which the new management will be judged first.
The Berkeley, the contemporary choice
In Knightsbridge, The Berkeley plays a more modern tune, a stone’s throw from Hyde Park and the major department stores. Its rooftop pool, which opens to the London skies, is one of the very few in the city, and its fashion-inspired afternoon tea is a local ritual. In recent years, the hotel has undertaken a thorough renovation of its rooms and public areas. In the future brand, it will bring what The Connaught cannot offer: an address turned towards the outside world, younger and more open to the city.
The Emory, the longevity laboratory
Opened in 2024 at Hyde Park Corner, The Emory is the newest and most radical of the three. It is London’s first all-suite hotel, designed by Richard Rogers’ architectural practice, with one floor per designer and a penthouse crowned by a terrace overlooking Hyde Park. In the basement, the Surrenne club brings together a pool, spa and longevity programmes in a membership-only venue. This is precisely Neil Jacobs’ playground, and the best indicator of what the new brand will be: an urban luxury where wellness is not an ancillary service but the backbone of the stay.
Paris, Marrakech and an English estate
The portfolio does not stop in London. Constellation also owns the Saint-Germain hotel project on the Left Bank in Paris, a development in Marrakech and Hackwood Park, a country estate in Hampshire. The Paris case is the most interesting to follow: the address had been announced under the name The Maybourne Saint-Germain, yet the Maybourne brand remained with Regis Maybourne during the split. It is therefore expected to open under another banner, presumably the one Neil Jacobs is set to unveil before the end of the year, which would make Paris the first opening conceived entirely under the new brand. Discover UK hotel news on La Revue des Hôtels.
Reminder: who got what
The split on 9 July 2026 divided the portfolio in two. Regis Maybourne retains the Maybourne brand as well as Claridge’s, The Maybourne Riviera and The Maybourne Beverly Hills, under the management of Marc Socker. Constellation Hotels takes The Connaught, The Berkeley, The Emory and the projects in development. The least discussed effect of this separation is nevertheless the most concrete: Claridge’s and The Connaught, long managed as two facets of the same house, are becoming direct competitors in the same London market.
What changes for guests
In the short term, nothing. Existing management agreements remain in place and Maybourne continues to operate the three hotels for an agreed period, while the new company is being established. Bookings, loyalty programmes and the existing teams are unaffected. The real change will happen at the time of the banner switchover, when the new brand takes over the guest experience. We will be keeping a close eye on two points in particular: the fate of Surrenne club memberships, and how the future identity will apply to a house as personal as The Connaught.
Our perspective
Creating a luxury brand from three properties that did not need one is a risky exercise. The Connaught and The Berkeley owe their standing primarily to their uniqueness, and the history of hospitality is full of collections that diluted what they claimed to celebrate. The choice of Neil Jacobs is nevertheless the best possible signal: he is one of the few leaders to have built a strong brand without standardising the properties that comprise it. The full-scale test will be Paris, the first opening conceived from the outset for the new banner. Until then, the opening of the Saint-Germain booking ledger will be worth more than any statements of intent.
Practical information
- The Connaught · Carlos Place, Mayfair, London W1K 2AL
- The Berkeley · Wilton Place, Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7RL
- The Emory · Old Barrack Yard, London SW1X 7NP
- To follow · The name of the new brand, announced by the end of 2026
