The Great Northern hotel in London’s King’s Cross has been rebranded to the Kaya Great Northern hotel following its sale to the Turkish group of the same name last year.
Kaya Tourism Group, which operates 13 hotels in Turkey and Northern Cyprus, acquired the 88-room hotel as its first UK property in July 2024.
It is looking to use the hotel as a starting point for its expansion in the UK and said it was planning to grow its presence in London.
Kaya Tourism Group has managed operations at the hotel since December 2024 and the transition process completed on 5 September, with guests now able to join the group’s loyalty programme.
The Great Northern hotel occupies a Grade II-listed building and is believed to be London’s oldest railway hotel, dating back to 1854.
It was designed by architect Lewis Cubitt, who was also behind King’s Cross station and London Bridge station.
A spokesperson for Kaya Hotels & Resorts said: “With this hotel, we aim to showcase the finest examples of Turkish hospitality and increase the number of foreign tourists visiting our hotels in Türkiye.
“Additionally, we are proud to be the first Turkish tourism company to make such a significant hotel investment in the UK. We believe this investment will strengthen mutual tourism relations between Türkiye and the UK. We’re excited to build on its strengths to create even more memorable experiences for our guests.”
The Great Northern Hotel completed a £40m renovation in 2013. Mark Sargeant was appointed chef-director the same year, a role he stayed in until August 2019.
In 2015, it became the first property to join Starwood’s Tribute portfolio, which was subsequently integrated into Marriott following a successful merger in 2016.
In 2021, the Great Northern hotel became the first UK management contract for Marugal Distinctive Hotel Management, which managed eight hotels in Spain and France at the time.