One of the World's Most Exclusive Hotel Companies Just Split Its Portfolio in Half

The ownership behind Maybourne, one of the world's most exclusive hotel companies, has split into two entities. Regis Maybourne (UK) Ltd is now the sole owner of Maybourne, retaining Claridge's, The Maybourne Riviera in the South of France, and The Maybourne Beverly Hills. A new company, Constellation Hotels, takes ownership of The Connaught, The Berkeley, and The Emory, plus an upcoming Saint Germain property in Paris and a development in Marrakech.

The agreement took effect on July 9, 2026. Marc Socker stays on as CEO of Maybourne, while Gianluca Muzzi, previously Maybourne's co-CEO, moves over to lead Constellation Hotels. For now, little changes on the ground: Maybourne will continue managing the Constellation-owned hotels for an agreed transition period, and staff, service standards, and day-to-day operations at all five London hotels remain the same.

Why it matters

The split formalizes something that was already true in practice — Claridge's and The Connaught, despite sharing an owner and a reputation, have always run as distinct addresses with their own identities. Untangling the ownership structure gives each company room to raise capital, expand, and make decisions independently, a pattern showing up elsewhere in ultra-luxury hospitality as owners look to scale single-brand platforms rather than diversified portfolios. For guests, the practical effect should be minimal in the short term, though it's worth watching whether the two companies start to diverge in strategy — particularly as Constellation begins building out its own footprint in Paris and Marrakech.