About Untold - some of hospitality's incredible tales from around the globe.
Ashmore: Leadership lessons from a life in hotels.
This episode of untold traces the extraordinary four decades of Mr. Andrew Ashmore’s career.
Andrew started selling insurance on the streets of London after leaving school in 80/81, and then set up a 'bucket shop last minute airline ticket agency' , but upon asking his banking father in Bahrain for investment, he offered Andrew to come over to Bahrain and get a job there, back in 1983/4.
Andrew's first role at the Gulf hotel was modest, but it laid the foundation for everything else that followed a move to Dubai and the Hyatt Regency proved pivotal. Andrew's talent was recognized and led to formative training in London with the legendary carbon tower concierge, Mr. Andre Demonte, whose exacting standards deeply influenced Andrew's leadership style.
Shifting into sales, Andrew excelled, discipline routines, relentless follow up and client engagement across Hyatts, iconic hotels, postings in Jordan, Jeddah and Jakarta further broadened his experience as he navigated cultural complexity, major accounts and periods of economic crisis. More latterly, his roles in Zurich and London expanded his leadership skills regional scope, and cemented his reputation as somebody that could fill hotels and most importantly, as HYATT”S TRUSTED FIXER.
Today, Andrew and his wife Clare run the Mayfair hotel in Weymouth on England's south coast, and are extremely well known and respected in the hotel and Bed and Breakfast scene have been featured on Channel four's four in a bed (Channel 4 – Series 6 episode 25)
Enjoy untold with Mr. Andrew Ashmore, The fixer!
Untold with Andrew Ashmore - The Fixer - Al-Mudabbir
Ashmore: Leadership lessons from a life in hotels.
This episode covers the incredible career of Mr. Andrew Ashmore, shaped profoundly by his multi-decade association with Hyatt.
Andrew started selling insurance and airline tickets but upon asking his finance head father for investment capital was instead presented with the opportunity of heading to the middle East, specifically Bahrain to kick off a monumental career in hotels.
His first role at The Gulf hotel was modest with basic digs, long hours and demanding guests but following his move to Dubai, specifically the Hyatt Regency, Andrew’s talent was spotted and nurtured and he was sent off to London for a few weeks to learn from Andre Devonte, the legendary Carlton Tower Head concierge. This experience with exacting standards influenced Ashmore’s leadership style throughout his career and lasted far longer than the Hyatt Regency plan for a concierge desk, which got kai-boshed due to a lack of attractions in this early pre-Emirates era.
Recognized for his energy, enthusiasm and ethic, Hyatt moved Andrew into hotel sales and he never looked back. Andrew learned from the old school early adopters and busied himself with 5 sales calls a day, detailed call sheets with date flags, relentless follow-up and entertainment lunches and dinners at Hyatt Regency’s many storied restaurants.
Hyatt postings to Jeddah and Jakarta followed, where Andrew navigated cultural complexity, managed major corporate accounts and managed the overbooking strategy, assisting the front office with occasional book outs. Following the Indonesian coup and Asia Financial Crisis, Andrew moved back to the Middle East with a sales leadership role with a far wider remit, managing multicultural teams, supporting new openings, helping with feasibility studies and adding value to corporate turnarounds.
Andrew’s later roles with Hyatt in London and Zurich expanded his region to include Europe, Africa and The Middle East and India and within Hyatt earned him the reputation as the main man to call in, to “fix” struggling hotels and stabilize fragile owner relations.
Andrew and his wife Claire now run expertly the Mayfair in Weymouth, which they own – and their professionalism and operational nous was self-evident when they featured in UK show 4 in a bed which is still aired regularly on Channel 4.
Enjoy Untold with Andrew Ashmore.
24 May 2025
Untold with Ted Teng - The Leading Man !
In this engaging episode, we sit down with Ted Tang, one of the most respected and visionary leaders in global hospitality. From an unexpected pivot at Cornell to steering iconic brands like Sheraton, Westin, Starwood, Wyndham, and The Leading Hotels of the World, Ted shares authentic stories, deft insights, and compelling lessons of leadership sharpened over decades.
Listeners will hear candid, behind-the-scenes accounts of navigating diverse hotel ownership models, leading in Asia-Pacific with a unique cultural edge, and transforming The Leading Hotels of the World into a true cooperative with a 95% retention rate. Ted reflects on the power of relationships, the evolving definition of luxury, and why culture drives service excellence.
Full of warmth, humor, and memorable anecdotes—like the legendary New York Peking Duck Dinner—this episode offers a rare, global perspective on hospitality’s past, present, and future.
14 May 2025
From Persia to The Palm (via Purley) with Anthony Liddiard
This episode features hotel industry legend Mr Anthony Liddiard—a man whose career reads like a travelogue of iconic names and bold ventures. From The Savoy Group, Hilton, Southern Sun to InterContinental and RMAL Hospitality, Anthony has worked with the biggest players—and brought global brands like Trader Vic’s, Wagamama, Frankie’s, and Marco Pierre White’s restaurants to life across the Middle East region.
Educated at the same British boarding school as Sir Rocco Forte, Anthony trained at Westminster College before cutting his teeth in London. But it was in the Middle East and Africa that Anthony truly made his mark—excelling in sales and marketing before realising his career ambition by becoming a General Manager, subsequently turning around the fortunes of the InterContinental Muscat and Crowne Plaza Dubai, prior to becoming the Operations Vice President for the UAE and Qatar.
So impressed were Anthony's Abu Dhabi owners, they asked him to build a hospitality empire from scratch. He answered the call, leading RMAL Hospitality as Chief Executive Officer for over eight years.
In this conversation, Anthony reflects on the mentors who shaped him, the mentees he guided, and the lessons that fuelled his journey. From a pivotal dinner conversation that set his course, to winning over skeptical parents with a career—and a lifestyle—most only dream of, Anthony Liddiard shares a story full of insight, impact, and inspiration.
Whilst now semi-retired in Thailand, hospitality runs in Anthony’s veins, and he maintains an equity interest in two hospitality businesses and is in high demand for consultancies where his schedule allows.
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