Hand Picked Hotels, the UK’s leading independent group of country house hotels and spa resorts, has today announced a restructure of its management team in Jersey with a regional manager and two hotel management appointments.

In a newly-created role, Simon Miller has taken on the position of General Manager, Jersey, with overall responsibility for the groups’ two hotels on the island, the 5-star Grand Jersey Hotel & Spa and 4 AA Red Star L’Horizon Beach Hotel & Spa.  

Simon has a background in health club management having worked with Esporta Health & Fitness Clubs prior to joining Hand Picked Hotels over ten years ago.  Since then, Simon has managed both Brandshatch Place in Kent and New Hall in Birmingham and has spent the last three years in Jersey further establishing L’Horizon as the island’s premier destination for beach-side leisure breaks, weddings and corporate events.   

Shaun McGachan has joined the L’Horizon team as Hotel Manager overseeing the day-to-day operations and running of the 106-bedroom hotel. Shaun joins the hotel after four years as Deputy General Manager and most recently Interim General Manager at Hand Picked Hotels’ St Pierre Park Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort in Guernsey.  Shaun’s experience prior to Hand Picked includes operations management with Q Hotels in Leeds, Casa Hotels in Chesterfield and in luxury resort hotels in California where he spent nearly ten years during his early hospitality career.

New to Hand Picked Hotels is Thusitha Sumanasekera who has joined the 123-room Grand Jersey Hotel & Spa as Hotel Manager.  Thusitha joins after four years with Best Western Dover Marina Hotel & Spa in Kent in his most recent position as General Manager.  Thusitha began his career in Dubai at the Marine Beach Resort before relocating to the UK to join Ramada and subsequently Holiday Inn, in Food & Beverage and Operations Management. 

Douglas Waddell, Hand Picked Hotels’ Operations Director, commented, “I am delighted to welcome Shaun McGachan and Thusitha Sumanasekera to Jersey and formalise a new management structure with Simon Miller at the helm.  Both hotels offer guests a true destination experience and are busy operations serving a strong footfall of loyal leisure and business guests. With this new management team in place to further build upon the great success of our two Jersey hotels, we can now pool our strengths and expertise to deliver an ever better and more rewarding guest experience.”  

Simon commented, “I am thrilled to have this opportunity to lead the business in Jersey, a region that drives significant revenue and offers huge opportunity for further growth. We have a fantastic team at L’Horizon and the Grand Jersey and I look forward to working with them to leverage each hotel’s unique point of difference whilst aligning activity to further establish Hand Picked Hotels’ as offering the island’s most comprehensive year-round resort experience.”

Hand Picked Hotels offer some of the most comprehensive facilities for business and leisure on Jersey, with stylish bedrooms, award-wining restaurants, outside bars and terraces, modern spa and health clubs and flexible function suites at both hotels.  L’Horizon Beach Hotel & Spa is situated directly on St Brelade’s Bay just five minutes from the airport and Grand Jersey Hotel & Spa overlooks St Aubin’s Bay in vibrant St Helier.

For media information, please contact:

Julia Gosling
Hand Picked Hotels
01732 471036
[email protected] 

Notes to editors 

Hand Picked Hotels, created by former lawyer turned hotelier Julia Hands, is the leading collection of architecturally stunning country house hotels - built for pleasure and continuing a centuries-old tradition of offering guests an indulgent yet attainable country house experience, with a contemporary twist. 

The award-winning collection is renowned for exquisite food, fine wines and bespoke service by Hand Picked people in stylish, relaxing surroundings. There are a total of 17 classically British hotels in beautiful settings across England and Scotland and 3 Channel Island resorts, with locations ranging from the New Forest and Jersey to Yorkshire and Edinburgh. 

Hand Picked Hotels has won an impressive number of awards, with 15 hotels awarded two AA rosette status and Grand Jersey holding three rosettes. Ten hotels have achieved red star status which means they stand out as the very best in the British Isles. There are also ten hotels with spas offering the latest therapies and treatments to promote wellbeing and relaxation.