A businessman is being sued by a five-star hotel next to London’s Hyde Park over an alleged £740,000 unpaid bill.
Jason Blain, 51, booked a £4,275-a-night penthouse at the Mandarin Oriental for six days – but stayed for eight months.
He is accused of still owing £731,500 of a £1.25million bill, alongside other fees such as £55,000 in service costs, £30,100 for valet parking and £25,497 for room service.
Mr Blain, who worked as BBC Worldwide’s business development chief in the 2000s, is said to have emailed the luxury hotel in June last year saying: ‘The bill is of course my debt and this will be reversed at a future point.’
The businessman, whose defence is not yet known, is currently the director of 27 companies, according to Companies House.
His so-called chief of staff used the hotel’s suite for six nights in October 2020, according to documents filed at London’s High Court.
An ex-BBC executive is being sued by a five-star hotel next to London ‘s Hyde Park over an alleged £740,000 unpaid bill
Jason Blain (left, with producer Deborah Schindler in Toronto in 2009), 51, booked a £4,275-a-night penthouse at the Mandarin Oriental for six days – but stayed for eight months
Throughout its history, the Hong-Kong owned hotel (location above) has been a regular haunt of the Royal family, with Queen Mary attending several balls there, along with Edward VIII
Mr Blain, who lives in Perthshire, Scotland, was taken to court in November by seasoned hotelier Torsten van Dullemen, the Mandarin’s general manager.
They claim he paid back £508,500 of the bill, with the most recent coming on June 9 for £25,000.
The claimant said he emailed area director of finance Allan Collier to admit to owing the money and said he would pay it ‘at a future point’.
But the Mandarin has now taken him to the High Court to seek the repayment for £740,832.01.
Throughout its history, the Hong-Kong owned hotel has been a regular haunt of the Royal family, with Queen Mary attending several balls there, along with Edward VIII.
Queen Elizabeth II and her sister Princess Margaret first learned to dance at the hotel, while Prince Philip used the venue to host cocktail parties.
The great ballroom was the venue for Margaret Thatcher’s 80th birthday.
The hotel was originally built as a Gentleman’s Club in 1889, however, the top three floors of the building was destroyed in a fire that same year.
Mr Blain, who lives in Perthshire, Scotland, was taken to court in November by seasoned hotelier Torsten van Dullemen (pictured), the Mandarin’s general manager
Mr Blain’s so-called chief of staff used the hotel’s suite for six nights in October 2020, according to the newspaper quoting documents filed at London’s High Court (file photo of hotel’s interior above)
Mr Blain, who worked as BBC Worldwide’s business development chief, is said to have emailed the luxury hotel last June, saying: ‘The bill is of course my debt and this will be reversed at a future point’. Pictured: A mock up of the bill
A large blaze broke out at the hotel again in June 2018, with singer Robbie Williams being among the hundreds of guests who were evacuated.
The fire came shortly after the property finished its most extensive and costly refurbishment in its 115-year history.
Meanwhile, its New York City branch was recently scooped up by Asia’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani, for over £72million ($98million), reports CNN.
The 64-year-old business mogul, who has a net worth of around nearly £68billion ($93billion), took a controlling stake of 73 per cent in the venue.
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