Hand Picked Hotels Strengthens Hospitality Leadership of the Recently Opened London Office With New Appointments of Eugenio Pirri and David Spooner

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Subhankar Chakraborty

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July 23, 2026 8:53 AM

Hand Picked Hotels has strengthened its London Hospitality leadership structure with the appointment of Eugenio Pirri as Chief Culture Officer and David Spooner as Chief Commercial Officer. The luxury hotel group has announced that the leadership changes have been introduced to support its next phase of transformation and long-term growth.

The appointments represent a significant development for Hand Picked Hotels as the privately owned hotel collection continues to enhance its executive capabilities. Both Eugenio Pirri and David Spooner have been selected based on their extensive international experience across leading luxury Hospitality brands.

Eugenio Pirri officially joined Hand Picked Hotels on 20 July 2026, while David Spooner is scheduled to join the organisation on 7 September 2026. Both executives will be based at the group’s recently opened London office while continuing to spend significant time across the hotel portfolio.

With more than three decades of international leadership experience, Pirri and Spooner are expected to bring extensive expertise in culture development, commercial strategy, brand growth and guest experience management to Hand Picked Hotels.

The appointments have been positioned as part of the company’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its Executive Leadership Team while maintaining the heritage, individuality and service standards associated with its hotel collection.

Eugenio Pirri to Lead Culture and People Strategy at Hand Picked Hotels

Eugenio Pirri has been appointed Chief Culture Officer at Hand Picked Hotels following a distinguished career in global luxury Hospitality. His previous leadership experience includes senior culture, people and operational roles with internationally recognised brands such as Dorchester Collection, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts and Starwood Hotels & Resorts.

Pirri spent 13 years with Dorchester Collection, where he served as Chief People and Culture Officer for ten years before progressing to the position of Joint Chief Executive Officer. His background in organisational culture and people leadership has supported his appointment at Hand Picked Hotels.

In his new role, Pirri will oversee the group’s culture and people agenda. His responsibilities will include working with colleagues throughout the business to develop a positive, high-performing culture that supports the continued transformation of Hand Picked Hotels.

The transition into the new role will also involve collaboration with Deborah Seymour, who has contributed to the company for 26 years and most recently served as Chief People Officer. Hand Picked Hotels stated that Pirri and Seymour will manage a considered transition of responsibilities over the coming months before Seymour’s departure later in the year.

The appointment highlights the increasing importance of workplace culture within modern Hospitality operations, where employee engagement and service excellence remain central to delivering memorable guest experiences.

David Spooner to Drive Commercial Growth From New London Office

David Spooner has been appointed Chief Commercial Officer at Hand Picked Hotels after building a global career across luxury Hospitality and travel organisations. His professional background includes senior roles with Six Senses, part of IHG, Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, One&Only Resorts and Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts.

Most recently, Spooner served as Vice President, Global Brand at Six Senses, where he gained experience in brand development, commercial strategy and digital transformation.

At Hand Picked Hotels, Spooner will lead the group’s integrated commercial strategy. His responsibilities will cover sales, marketing, revenue management, digital initiatives and group reservations, while supporting top-line growth and strengthening the overall guest proposition.

The appointment has been made during an important stage of development for Hand Picked Hotels, with the company seeking to enhance its commercial performance while preserving the distinctive identity of its individual country house hotels.

Julia Hands MBE, Chair of Hand Picked Hotels, stated that Pirri and Spooner would strengthen the Executive Leadership Team through their complementary expertise and international Hospitality experience. She highlighted that a strong culture and a clear commercial strategy were essential elements of the group’s long-term success.

Hands added that the appointments would help support the ambitions of Hand Picked Hotels while ensuring the company remained committed to its heritage, individuality and exceptional experiences for both guests and colleagues.

Pirri said that he was attracted to Hand Picked Hotels because of its commitment to colleagues and its belief that strong culture was fundamental to achieving exceptional guest experiences and commercial success. He also expressed his intention to work closely with teams across the business to understand what makes the company distinctive and build upon its existing culture.

Spooner said that Hand Picked Hotels represented a remarkable collection of individual country house hotels with a rich heritage and strong future opportunities. He noted that he was looking forward to collaborating with the Executive Leadership Team and colleagues across the hotels and central teams to strengthen commercial performance, enhance guest experiences and deliver sustainable long-term growth.

Through the appointments of Eugenio Pirri and David Spooner, Hand Picked Hotels has reinforced its leadership capabilities from its London office while preparing for the next chapter of its Hospitality journey.