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Johan Tham, Hotelier Who Revived Cliveden House, Dies at 81

Obituaries recall his restoration of Cliveden House, a legacy that defined his work with Blakeney Hotels.

Overview

  • Reports published December 22 confirm he died on November 17 following a battle with cancer.
  • Born in Nyköping, Sweden, in 1944, he moved to England in childhood, studied law, and shifted into property and business.
  • He co-founded Blakeney Hotels with John Lewis in 1978 and oversaw the conversion of Bath’s Royal Crescent with architect William Bertram.
  • Through Blakeney, he took on Cliveden in the 1980s and, as managing director, led its transformation into a luxury hotel in partnership with the National Trust.
  • He met actress Jenny Agutter at the Bath Literary Arts Festival in 1989, married her in August 1990 at Cliveden, and their son Jonathan was born that December.