Having gained a wealth of experience working in hospitality at major venues across Hampshire, Paul Playford has recently been announced as the General Manager of the Queens Hotel, Portsmouth.
A former City of Portsmouth Boys School pupil, Paul began his career with major hotel brands Marriott and Hilton, where he learned the ropes and worked his way up in the kitchen, becoming Sous Chef at the Solent Hotel in Whiteley and from 2006 he was Head Chef at the Royal Beach Hotel.
Managing Director Farid Yeganeh, said: ” I have known Paul for many years and welcome his hands-on experience, attention to detail and ability to lead a team.
“He joins the Queens Hotel as we open our re-designed garden and continue our refurbishment programme.”
Looking ahead Paul said he was keen to ensure a consistent standard of service for guests and visitors to enjoy.
“My aim is to take the Queens Hotel to the next stage of her journey, to ensure she is a vibrant hotel delivering a good quality service. A happy team means guests will receive the best service and enjoy a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere.
“We have a unique offering. We are an independently owned hotel in a beautiful, characterful building and we want to be recognised as offering a really good, four-star experience,” he said.
The Queens was one of the first hotels to be built in Southsea and she has been the place families have chosen to celebrate for more than 150 years.
Since 2017 £5.2m has been invested in the hotel and it is an on-going project with future plans including the creation of a spa.
Seen as being at the Heart of Southsea, this summer the Queens Hotel will be the sponsor for the massively popular Southsea Food Festival and we will also be announcing a new partnership with Portsmouth Pride.
We were delighted to be the recipients of the Freedom of the City in recognition of the work we did to support our community during the first lockdown when we cooked hundreds of meals for vulnerable people.