Grand Metropolitan Hotels
1934 M.R.M.A. was incorporated as a private company to run the Mount Royal Hotel in London[1]
1957 Max Joseph purchased the Mount Royal Hotel at Marble Arch, London for £1 million. Formed Grand Hotels (Mayfair) Ltd with associates.
1959 Name of the Mount Royal was changed to Mount Royal Ltd
1961 Public company incorporated
1962 Acquired Grand Hotels (Mayfair) Ltd. Name of the group was changed to Grand Metropolitan Hotels Ltd when chairman Maxwell Joseph decided the group had much wider interests and there was scope for further expansion[2].
1967 it moved into the industrial catering business with Bateman Catering
1969 Acquired Express Dairies
1970 Acquired Berni Inns
1972 Acquired Watney Mann
Mid 70s: the group had become so diverse it was known as Grand Metropolitan
See Also
Sources of Information
- [1] Competition Commission