Johnny Sandelson

Johnny Sandelson was born into a Jewish family, the son of Victor Lightman Sandelson (1928-2017) and Bernice Sandelson.[2][3] He has a brother Robert Sandelson, and two sisters, Antonia and Jo.[2][4] His father was an art collector and arts journalist, and his mother was an artist.[2] His uncle (Victor's older brother) was the Labour Party MP Neville Sandelson (1923-2002), who was a co-founder of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).[3]

In 2003, Sandelson founded GuestInvest with Sir Mark Weinberg, and the company bought hotels and sought to sell 999-year leases on individual rooms for £300,000 to £1 million as investments.[5] GuestInvest went into administration in 2008, with investors "concerned that they may not get their money back", as it was not regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA).[6] In 2008, GuestInvest owned six hotels including Blakes Hotel, Nest and The Jones, both near Hyde Park, and the Chiswell Street Hotel, all in London.[6]

Sandelson is one of the principals behind the recent acquisition of large parts of the Queensway district of West London.[7][8] He was said to have masterminded the acquisition of Whiteleys and is continuing in partnership with Meyer Bergman on the development of a number of buildings within the Queensway Estate.

Sandelson's previous projects include the Carlyon Bay redevelopment project in St Austell, Cornwall; the acquisition and redevelopment of Somerset Place in Bath[9] where, over 5 years, he oversaw the restoration and redevelopment of a Georgian crescent of houses and apartments, all Grade 1 listed properties; and the HBOS-backed hotel investment brand GuestInvest which was a high profile casualty of the downturn in the UK commercial property market in 2007.

In 2015, also in partnership with Meyer Bergman and advised by Savills, Sandelson completed the £250m Project Soya portfolio of sites in Tolworth, Woolwich and Kensington which was recognised as Deal of the Year in the 2016 RESI awards.[10] Sandelson achieved planning consent for the Jericho Wharf site on the Oxford Canal. Also in 2015, Sandelson acquired for £80m the Mayfair building of Thomas Goode & Co., which continued to occupy the building as a tenant.[11]

In May 2016, Sandelson co-founded (with Karen Mulville) a high-end care home business, Auriens, with its first development in Chelsea, London due to open in 2019.[12][13][14]

In February 2018, together with his brother Robert Sandelson, he acquired the British Art Fair, formerly known as the 20/21 British Art Fair. The Fair has been running for 30 years, and will have a new home at the Saatchi Gallery as part of a major investment by its new owners.[2]