Our passions & our purpose
President and founder Beatrice Tollman built Red Carnation Hotels with a vision for service excellence and a passion for generous hospitality. Today the collection proudly stands at 20 exceptional properties around the world, each unique and special, whilst sharing the founding values that define our family-owned and run business.
The hotel collection is lovingly named after the signature flower Mrs Tollman’s husband always wears, and this symbol of hospitality is also worn by every member of the team.
The power of passion
At the heart of The Red Carnation Collection is our people and their passion and commitment to creating memorable guest experiences.
The guest experience is always at the heart of Red Carnation, where talented teams exceed expectations with warm and caring service, delicious cuisine and thoughtful touches. We also connect guests with the local destination through authentic and meaningful experiences, beautiful and restorative design, and curated art collections. These hotels are truly the art of hospitality.
In 2020 we celebrated 100 years of hospitality, as one of the 40 family-owned and run TTC travel brands. Red Carnation’s history began when Solomon Tollman opened a small hotel in Paternoster (a small fishing village in South Africa) 100 years ago and we were proud to celebrate this milestone in 2020.
A family of brands
For 100 years, our parent company, The Travel Corporation, has been perfecting the art of hospitality...
A love story
The Red Carnation Hotels story began when a beautiful young woman called Bea caught the eye of a distinguished young hotelier named Stanley, who was known for wearing a red carnation in his lapel. Almost 35 years later, Beatrice and Stanley Tollman purchased The Chesterfield Hotel in Mayfair. Driven by Beatrice's lifelong affair with the world of hospitality, and celebrating her husband's signature flower, The Red Carnation Hotel Collection came to life.
