The most prestigious hotel in Sussex has lost its second manager in less than two years.

Andrew Coggings joined the five-star De Vere Grand, in Kings Road, Brighton, in May 2004 but resigned last Thursday to pursue a mysterious "opportunity" of his own in Brighton.

He was unwilling to reveal what he would be doing but said: "I've got an offer in for something at the moment.

"Having relocated to Brighton nearly two years ago, the kids have settled and I like Brighton.

"I'm 42 and it's about time I did something for myself. I've been with the company for eight years and an opportunity came up.

"It's very easy to stay put but I decided to be brave."

He is heading off on holiday with his family today to Dubai, where he once lived.

A spokeswoman for De Vere Hotels and Resorts said: "He has decided to resign in order to pursue a long-held personal ambition.

"Andrew has made a significant contribution to De Vere. We would like to thank Andrew and wish him and his family all the very best for the future."

Managing The Grand is one of the most sought-after roles in the industry with the hotel commanding a reputation for its location and standard of service.

Ex-business manager of The Grand Kevin Berry, now general manager of the Old Ship Hotel, said: "It was a surprise.

"He didn't say anything last week but he sent a note out to all the major hotels.

"He's looking to stay in the area so you haven't seen the last of him."

Richard Baker, who used to run the Grand and is now in charge of the Holiday Inn in Birmingham, said: "I was aware last week. It's a big shock.

"It's a fast-moving business and lots of managers come and go.

"The hotel is a big animal and has a very complex business plan.

"It's the most important one in the group by far, in terms of profile and profit."

Mr Coggings' resignation follows a year of bad publicity for The Grand.

Last month The Argus reported that thousands of guests had been put at risk of identity fraud after staff dumped their credit card details in a skip.

In October last year it was alleged that the Labour Party Conference had been disrupted by an outbreak of bed bugs.

De Vere has been planning for years to "bring the hotel into the 21st century" by spending £1 million updating its flagship hotel but plans have not progressed beyond designs.

Having decided that updating the restaurant was not ambitious enough, more extensive plans to refit bedrooms were planned but remain in the pipeline.

Mr Coggings said: "Things don't always move as quickly as you want but there were a lot of things we wanted to know about the future development of Brighton and the Brighton Centre.

"We needed clarity from everybody. We have taken the hotel forward considerably with service standards."

Mr Coggings has has a successful run with the company, doubling profits at his last hotel in Northumbria and previously working at the Beverly Hills Sun Intercontinental in Durban, South Africa, the five-star Andaman Hotel in Malaysia and the exclusive Brown's in London.

The Grand recently received the third prize for Best British Hotel 2005 in The Daily Telegraph Travel Awards.

Thursday, February 9, 2006