Tim Hadcock-Mackay

Who was Tim Hadcock-Mackay?

Timothy Hadcock-Mackay was an English hotelier and television presenter.

Born to Margaret and George Hadcock, who subsequently divorced, he was educated at boarding schools in Staffordshire and Shropshire. Considering a career in the British Army, after a careers lecture by a hotelier, he went to studied hotel and catering administration at Brighton College.

During his time in Brighton, he worked at the Grand Hotel, and on graduation in 1985 became night manager and then sales manager at the Stafford Hotel, St James, London. There he worked for Terry Holmes, who became his mentor. He then worked for Dukes hotels, Small Luxury Hotels of the World, and at the Ritz Hotel, London. In 1994 his mother married Major-General Eric Mackay, decorated for bravery during the Battle of Arnhem, and 31 year old Tim so admired his new step-father that he took his name, and became Hadcock-Mackay.

After meeting William Burruss, he was offered $50,000 to found the European branch of Grand Heritage Hotels, Inns and Resorts. Established with partner David Owen, the first member, Hoar Cross Hall in Hoar Cross, Staffordshire, joined in 1993. Hadcock-Mackay inspected all potential Grand Heritage hotel members properties himself, before they were approved. In 2004 he was appointed chairman of Distinguished Hotels, that went into liquidation with debts of more than £1m in April 2006.