Minor Hotels has signed a management agreement for Dukes London, the 1908 St. James's hotel that will reopen in the second quarter of 2027 as the first U.K. property in the company's Minor Reserve Collection.
The 85-room hotel at 35 St. James's Place is in the middle of a multi-year renovation by Russell Sage Studio. Guest rooms and suites are being redesigned, and the new inventory will include 13 executive suites and five signature suites themed around the neighborhood's history and notable residents.
Dukes Bar has stayed open through the work and continues to serve its frozen martinis tableside. The bar is often credited as a shaken-not-stirred influence on Ian Fleming's version of the iconic James Bond martini. A second venue, The Delany Drawing Room, is already operating as a lounge with 160 whiskies and will add afternoon tea and private events once the hotel reopens. A new restaurant is also planned with The Wolseley Hospitality Group, which Minor owns.
“Bringing Minor Reserve Collection to the UK through Dukes London is a defining moment for the brand,” said William E. Heinecke, chairman and founder of Minor International, parent company of Minor Hotels. “Few hotels capture the character and heritage of London quite like Dukes.”
The hotel's owner is Seven Tides, a holding company active in Dubai and London that already works with Minor on several hotels in the United Arab Emirates. Dukes is the pair's first hotel project together in Europe.
“This strategic appointment builds on Minor Hotels' successful management of our Dubai hospitality portfolio and creates greater synergy across the Group,” said Ghanim Bin Sulayem, group CEO and managing director of Seven Tides.
Minor Hotels, a unit of Thailand-listed Minor International, has more than 640 hotels, resorts, and branded residences in 59 countries. Its flags include Anantara, Tivoli, NH Collection, Avani, and Oaks. The company signed 40 new contracts in 2025 and has been shifting toward management and franchise deals, with 87% of its pipeline now asset-light.
Minor Reserve Collection launched in 2025 as a soft brand for independent luxury hotels. Dukes joins Hotel Palace Portorož in Slovenia, which relaunches in the first quarter of 2027, and Aventora Resort Baía Formosa in Brazil, which is due in 2028.
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