James ClarkeThe Splendid Hospitality Group has appointed James Clarke as General Manager for the new Hilton London Bankside hotel which is set to open this summer. James brings with him over 20 years of experience within the hospitality industry and joins from the London Hilton on Park Lane where he was Director of Operations. James studied in both the UK and USA and one of his prestigious early jobs included working at the Waldorf Astoria in New York as Director of Room Service and Hospitality Operations. Always striving for the best throughout his career, James has been recognised with two Hotel Cateys while at the Grosvenor House Hotel; the UK Conference and Banqueting Department of the Year 2009 and Food & Beverage Manager of the Year in 2010. More recently James was acknowledged for his work at Hilton scooping both Hotel of the Year Award and Director of Operations of the Year in 2013. Last year he was awarded a scholarship by the Master Innholders to complete a General Manager Programme at Cornell University in the USA. When not running the hotel James can be found tucked away in one of the City's many museums or reading about history. He is a passionate foodie and enjoys sampling the latest restaurants and spotting the latest gastronomic trends. James loves to burn off any remaining energy with a good game of rugby.