Andy Townsend
Chief Executive Officer and Founding Director.

A former divisional Director of Macdonald Hotels & Resorts, Barratt International Resorts, Hilton UK and Stakis Hotels, Andy brings over 25 years of operational hotel experience, internationally and within the UK at both group and on property 3, 4 and 5 star hotel level.

Having delivered operationally ‘on property’, Andy was appointed as Director of Food and Beverage in 1998 for Stakis Hotels throughout the UK and Ireland.

Ultimately, upon the sale of Stakis Hotels to Hilton Group, Andy was appointed over the wider group reporting directly to the Chief Executive as  Director of Food and Beverage Concepts for the then Hilton Group, UK & Ireland, which expanded the role to 3 to 5 star hotels, casino’s, Ladbroke betting shops and the creation of a completely stand alone, retail restaurant and bar concept in the centre of Birmingham’s financial district of Colmore Row at a retail shopping development - City Plaza.

Jim Gordon
Managing Director and Founding Director

A Chartered Accountant with 20 years post qualification experience.
Prior to joining the hotel industry in 2001, Jim occupied a number of senior positions in construction and manufacturing including two stints working in turnaround situations for 3i investments in the printing industry.

Jim joined Macdonald Hotels in 2001 as Contracts and Cost Control Director and subsequently assumed responsibility for the procurement function in March 2002.  With the backing of the Macdonald Board, Jim delivered an outsourced procurement solution for Macdonald Hotels that delivered incremental savings of £3.2m per annum by the end of 2003.  In 2003, Jim was appointed Finance Director of the hotels’ division and took an equity stake in Macdonald Hotels as part of the MBO transaction.
In 2004, Jim was promoted to the Macdonald Hotels Board as Commercial Director and co-founded Legacy Hotels and Resorts Limited in 2005 with Andy Townsend.

David Biesok
Commercial Director

A qualified Accountant with a wealth of experience within the hotel industry.  David was previously employed by Hanover International Hotels plc, as Group Financial Controller.  His experience also encompasses acquisitions, disposals, project work, and the development/ implementation of new accounting systems.  Other senior finance positions held within the hotel and leisure sector, include operators Regal Hotels, Queens Moat Houses and Sheraton International.

Helen Parrett
Director of Human Resource and Development

Helen has 15 years commercial experience in human resources encompassing both hotel, leisure and retail experience at a senior level.  Helen's particular areas of expertise include performance management, employee resourcing, TUPE consultation, training and development and employee relations developed with organisations such as Littlewoods Stores, Esslemont & Macintosh, Stakis Hotels, Hilton Hotels and Debenhams Stores.

John Robertson
Group Property Director and Founding Director

A seasoned operator with a background in Countrytown Hotels, Macdonald Hotels, Thistle Management and Cunard, John manages all of the companies fire and life safety, Health & Safety, licensing and compliance policies interfacing with local authorities, as appropriate.  With the support of a Group Property Manager, his function delivers property management, energy conservation and efficiency initiatives.  John also has board level responsibility for our

Kevin Skeet
Group Operations Director

A proven operator, Kevin leads the General Managers within the business with over 30 years of management experience in both branded and non-branded hotels including Town & City Bar’s & Restaurants.
Formerly with Trust House Forte, Hortons’ Estate Group, including West Midland Taverns and Macdonald Hotels & Resorts, Kevin also spent 4 years running his own bar and restaurant in the Midlands.
Whilst working for Horton’s Estate, Kevin worked with West Midland Taverns, a division of the group responsible for 22 city centre bars and restaurants such as Bacchus Bar & Epernay in Birmingham city centre.
Kevin then managed the 2 year £11 million redevelopment of what was the Midland Hotel on Birmingham New Street which became The Burlington Hotel, and successfully launched Berlioz Restaurant & Bar into the highly competitive city centre market place.
As an ‘Old Boy’ of the Champagne Academy  and as it’s Midland’s Chairman, Kevin is very active within the Champagne world.

Melanie Tweddle
Regional Operations Director

A seasoned hotel and leisure operator, most recently Group Operations Director of Warner Holidays, Melanie’s experience includes DeVere Hotels where she managed a number of the properties across the UK, most notably becoming the General Manager of The Royal Bath Hotel, Bournemouth and taking the property to 5 star AA rating.
Whilst as a Cluster General Manager for Andy at Macdonald Hotels & Resorts, Melanie ran 3 key assets in Stratford-upon-Avon taking The Shakespeare Hotel to 4 star AA rating, achieving 2 AA Rosettes for the hotels main restaurant alongside the successful creation and launch of a second, high street bar and restaurant concept ‘Othello’s’, which continues to operate well locally in the town some 8 years since its launch.

Rob Preston
Director of Food & Beverage

Rob is a highly experienced retail food and beverage operator with a proven track record of successfully creating, launching and running a variety of restaurants, bars and clubs across the UK.
Originally with 7 years managerial experience in food and beverage at Center Parcs, Rob became Operations Director for Living Ventures - The Living Room in 2000.  Opening and operating the hugely successful Living Room in Liverpool, Rob also created the basement club in the City of Liverpool - ‘Mosquito & The Vampire Suite’ before taking on responsibility for the group’s flagship site on Deansgate, Manchester.
Ultimately running 13 sites across the UK with a food and beverage turnover of approximately
£29 million, he went on to open sites that included Leeds, York, Oxford, central London and Newcastle.
In early 2007, Rob joined PAX Leisure as Operations Director developing and running at Board level and as a Shareholder, Portico Cantina, The Noble House and Alma-de-Cuba all within the city of Liverpool. Alma-de-Cuba was voted Liverpool’s best bar and best restaurant in 2 consecutive years and is considered an iconic venue in Liverpool.
Rob sold his shareholding in PAX Leisure in the early summer of 2011 and is now engaging with Legacy Hotels & Resorts to head up the drive and development of the hotel portfolio’s food and beverage offerings.