Britannia Hotel Canary Wharf: Owner, Closure & News

Alex Langsam fled Nazi persecution with his Jewish family on the last train out of Vienna in 1938. Decades later, the hotel empire he built profits more than £100,000 every day from the very government tasked with housing the refugees who now arrive on British shores. The Britannia Hotel Canary Wharf, now shuttered, became the flashpoint of that contradiction—and the controversy shows no sign of fading.

Owner: Alex Langsam via Britannia Hotels · Net Worth Claim: £401 million · Location: Canary Wharf, London · Status: Closed · Key Incident: Woman guilty of affray

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts

Owned by Alex Langsam’s Britannia Hotels (Evening Standard)
86 years old, born June 1938 in Austria (UnHerd)
Sunday Times Rich List 2025: £401 million wealth (Wikipedia)

2What’s unclear

Exact closure date of Canary Wharf property
Specific Home Office contract values
Future plans for the building
Current asylum seeker numbers post-2023

3Timeline signal

1938: Family flees Nazi Austria (UnHerd)
1976: Britannia Hotels founded (UnHerd)
2020s: Asylum contracts begin (UnHerd)
June 2023: 17 Britannia hotels house asylum seekers (UnHerd)

4What’s next

Ongoing closures of Britannia asylum hotels
Continued protests at properties near housing plans
Questions about Langsam’s successor and company future

Six Britania hotels, three distinct facts patterns emerge across ownership, financial gain, and quality concerns.

Label	Value
Owner	Britannia Hotels (Alex Langsam)
Location	Canary Wharf, London
Status	Closed
Key Event	Affray incident at asylum seeker hotel
Alex Langsam Age	86
Alex Langsam Wealth (2025)	£401 million
Britannia Hotels Founded	1976
Total Establishments	63

Who owns the Britannia Hotel Canary Wharf now?

Alex Langsam, now 86 years old, owns the Britannia Hotel Canary Wharf through his Britannia Hotels chain. Born in Austria in June 1938, Langsam fled Nazi annexation with his Jewish family on the last train out of Vienna (UnHerd). His family was interned in an Isle of Man camp during WWII before rebuilding in Hove, Sussex. He founded Britannia Hotels in 1976 by purchasing the derelict Country House Hotel in Didsbury, Manchester.

By the 2020s, Langsam had entered government contracts to house asylum seekers, earning the nickname “Asylum King” (Wikipedia). By June 2023, Britannia was accommodating a tenth of the UK’s asylum seekers across 17 government-block-booked hotels. The Evening Standard reports that Langsam’s wealth was estimated at £400 million by the Sunday Times Rich List, while the 2025 edition puts the figure at £401 million. Three Britannia group companies show net assets over £400 million, with a Jersey parent and trust obscuring full value.

The paradox

Langsam’s own family narrowly escaped the gas chambers thanks to Britain’s welcome—now his hotels profit from housing the very refugees whose ancestors Britain once helped.

Alex Langsam connection

Langsam is unmarried, childless, and lives alone in a former hotel turned 10-bedroom mansion in Cheshire valued at over £3 million (Hotel Report). UnHerd reports he has been described as a “large personality” used to dominating, per a High Court judgement. The government approached Britannia for asylum contracts due to an accommodation shortage, and Langsam knows what it is to be a refugee.

Britannia Hotels overview

Britannia Hotels operates 63 establishments, with nights as low as £27—half to two-thirds the cost of rival budget hotels. Which? has rated Britannia the worst hotel chain in the UK for 11 consecutive years. The company now employs over 2,000 people and serves more migrants than holiday guests.

Annual profits at Britannia’s largest company rose 18% to £39.4 million in the most recent reporting year, and the chain now profits over £100,000 daily from asylum contracts (UnHerd).

Why is the Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf closed?

The Britannia Hotel Canary Wharf is closed and was previously designated to house asylum seekers. The Hotel Report notes that the property was positioned to house small boat arrivals, with rooms normally starting at over £100 per night. Security measures implemented around the hotel included what sources describe as a “ring of steel” due to asylum housing plans and protests.

The catch

Local opposition to the Canary Wharf plans intensified the controversy, but the closure pattern extends beyond London: the Adelphi Hotel in Liverpool and Airport Inn near Gatwick have also closed, with the latter now private despite earlier asylum use.

Closure timeline

While an exact closure date remains unclear, UnHerd reports that recent closures include properties previously used for asylum housing. Britannia has signed numerous government contracts over a decade to house asylum seekers.

Asylum housing role

Langsam’s hotels house one in ten UK asylum seekers. The Home Office contracted Britannia properties due to accommodation shortages. Britannia has 17 hotels block-booked by the government as of June 2023, though some have since closed or been phased out of the programme.

The government’s reliance on Britannia for asylum accommodation creates a bind: cheaper contracts come with documented quality failures and fire safety concerns that critics say cost more in the long run.

What happened at the Britannia Hotel?

BBC News reported that a woman was found guilty of affray at the Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf, which was being used to house asylum seekers. This incident highlighted the tensions surrounding the use of hotels for asylum accommodation in residential areas.

Safety concerns

Fires have occurred at multiple Britannia properties: Aberdeen (2016), Torquay and Manchester (2022), and Royal Albion Brighton (summer 2023). Which? has raised concerns over fire safety at Britannia hotels, and the company has faced scrutiny over compliance.

Affray incident

The affray conviction at the Canary Wharf property underscores the challenges of housing vulnerable populations in environments not designed for extended residential use. Security measures, including the “ring of steel” described by Hotel Report, were put in place to manage protests but could not prevent all incidents.

Woman guilty BBC report

The BBC reported conviction demonstrates that criminal incidents have occurred at Britannia properties used for asylum housing. This adds to the reputational and regulatory challenges facing the chain as government contracts continue.

The affray case is not isolated—multiple Britannia properties have seen fires and safety incidents, raising questions about whether the chain’s accommodation meets standards appropriate for long-term residential use.

How many stars is Britannia Hotel Canary Wharf?

Precise star ratings for the Britannia Hotel Canary Wharf are unclear from available sources. What is established is that Britannia Hotels as a chain has been rated the worst hotel chain in the UK by Which? for 11 years running. The Evening Standard notes that the Canary Wharf property was a Britannia International Hotel, positioned as a more upscale option within the chain, with rooms typically priced at over £100 per night.

What this means

The contrast between premium positioning and chain-wide quality failures suggests a gap between marketing and actual service delivery—a pattern that may help explain why the chain won government asylum contracts at lower price points.

Star rating details

Official star ratings for Britannia properties vary, but consumer research from Which? places the chain at the bottom of UK hotel rankings despite competitive pricing. The UnHerd investigation notes that Britannia operates at roughly half to two-thirds the cost of rival budget hotels.

Comparison to luxury hotels

Britannia properties in prime locations like Canary Wharf were priced comparably to mid-range hotels, but the chain’s overall reputation suggests quality does not match positioning. For travellers seeking luxury accommodations in Canary Wharf, alternative options remain available.

What are reviews like for Britannia Hotel Canary Wharf?

Britannia Hotels as a chain holds the lowest consumer rating from Which? for 11 consecutive years, a record no other UK chain matches. Tripadvisor and other review platforms show consistent complaints about cleanliness, maintenance, and service across Britannia properties.

The trade-off

Britannia hotels operate at £27 per night in some locations—half to two-thirds rival prices—but Which? data suggests that bargain comes with documented quality trade-offs that may matter more in residential asylum use than for short-stay tourists.

Tripadvisor insights

Review platforms show Britannia properties receiving below-average scores, with particular concerns about older facilities and inconsistent maintenance. The closure of properties like Canary Wharf limits current availability for independent guest feedback.

Guest feedback summary

Guest reviews frequently mention parking availability and location convenience for Britannia properties that remain open. The Canary Wharf location’s proximity to financial district transport links was a draw for business travellers before the property’s closure.

Timeline signal

Date	Event
June 1938	Alex Langsam born; family flees Nazi Austria (UnHerd)
1976	Britannia Hotels founded
1982	Acquires British Transport Hotels assets
February 2011	Buys Pontins for £20 million
2016	Fire at Aberdeen Britannia hotel (UnHerd)
2020s	Asylum contracts begin
2022	Fires at Torquay and Manchester properties
June 2023	17 Britannia hotels house asylum seekers
Summer 2023	Royal Albion Brighton fire
Current	Closure of Britannia Hotel Canary Wharf

Confirmed facts

Ownership by Britannia Hotels (Alex Langsam)
86-year-old founder born June 1938 in Austria
£401 million wealth estimate (Sunday Times Rich List 2025)
Affray conviction at Canary Wharf asylum hotel (BBC)
Worst-rated chain by Which? for 11 years
63 total establishments
17 hotels block-booked by government (June 2023)
Profits over £100,000 daily from asylum contracts

What remains unclear

Exact closure date of Canary Wharf property
Precise star rating
Alex Langsam’s full net worth verification
Specific Home Office contract values
Current asylum seeker numbers post-2023
Langsam’s successor or estate plans

What people are saying

My family would “probably have gone to the gas chambers” had they not been welcomed in the UK.

— Alex Langsam, Britannia Hotels founder (Guardian interview via Evening Standard)

Britain saved his life and gave him a living and he instilled that in me. I am grateful for what this country has given me.

— Alex Langsam, Britannia Hotels founder (UnHerd)

Alex Langsam knows what it is to be a refugee.

— Robert Watts, UnHerd journalist

The pattern reveals a businessman who escaped persecution only to profit from it decades later, with a wealth now exceeding £400 million while the UK’s asylum system strains under pressure. For the Home Office, the trade-off is clear: cheaper accommodation at the cost of documented quality failures and fire safety concerns. For local residents near Britannia properties, protests against asylum housing plans reflect genuine anxieties about the transformation of their neighbourhoods.

Related reading: Prove Your Immigration Status · TV Licence UK Cost

Frequently asked questions

Was Britannia Hotel Canary Wharf used for asylum seekers?

Yes. The property was designated to house asylum seekers and small boat arrivals before its closure. Britannia Hotels as a chain houses approximately one in ten of the UK’s asylum seekers across 17 properties.

Why was Britannia Hotel Canary Wharf used for migrants?

The UK government contracted Britannia Hotels due to an accommodation shortage for asylum seekers. By June 2023, Britannia was housing one in ten of the UK’s asylum seekers across 17 government-block-booked hotels, including the Canary Wharf property before its closure.

Does Britannia Hotel Canary Wharf have parking?

The property has closed, making parking information irrelevant. Other Britannia properties have varying parking availability, though reviews frequently mention this as a consideration for guests.

How much is Alex Langsam worth?

The Sunday Times Rich List 2025 estimates Langsam’s wealth at £401 million. Three Britannia group companies show net assets over £400 million, with a Jersey parent and trust structure obscuring the full value.

What incidents occurred at Britannia Hotel Canary Wharf?

A woman was found guilty of affray at the hotel, which was being used to house asylum seekers. Multiple fires have also occurred at Britannia properties across the UK, raising safety concerns from Which?