Kerten Hospitality aims to operate 5,000-7,000 keys in India over the next five years: CEO

New Delhi: Irish lifestyle hospitality brand Kerten Hospitality, that announced an India entry earlier this year, aims to operate around 5000-7000 keys in India over the next five years, CEO Marloes Knippenberg told ET. Kerten Hospitality has launched its first hotel in India under the Cloud 7 brand in Shimla. The chain develops and operates projects across segments such as hotels, branded residences, workspaces and dining experiences across 12 countries in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

“We are in conversations with owners in India and looking at the opportunities here, the signing potential is 5-6 times our initial objective,” said Knippenberg.

"The country offers significant potential for experience-led, lifestyle hospitality concepts, and we are committed to building a meaningful long-term presence through all our business models that include branded residences as well," she added.


Launched ten years ago, Kerten Hospitality has signed short of 3000 keys this year.

“The signings this year are an incredible multiplier against what we would normally sign in a year,” said Knippenberg.

“When we started, we envisioned the lifestyle segment to outperform traditional hospitality. When you look at the growth numbers, that’s happening at the moment. We are seeing a double digit growth in topline and management fee levels,” she added.

The chain operates under three lodging brands: hosme, Cloud 7, and The House Hotel, spanning models such as branded residences, and serviced apartments.

“Owners have way more experience today with building and developing hotel properties, and we see a greater demand in diversification of different asset classes,” said Knippenberg.

“Consumers and suppliers are always looking for their next apartment or villa. People like to be identified with something. When we look at an asset, we look at the location and the target audience. We are not defined by stringent brand standards like traditional hotel chains, but by our own guidelines,” she added.

Knippenberg said the company is taking the India market ‘very seriously’ considering the number of domestic tourists and increasing outbound Indian travellers.

“Unless you operate locally in the market and invest in building local teams, it is not going to work. If you see markets such as Morocco, or our developments in Italy, India is similar," she said.

"A lot of markets look at traditional brands first and over time there comes a little more familiarity with alternative accommodation concepts,” she added.

At the heart of the chain's Cloud 7 hotel in Shimla is 'The Observatory Bar', a rooftop destination designed as an 'intimate' mountain lounge. The culinary programme at the hotel has been curated by Kerten Hospitality's Michelin Star Chef Jaume Puigdengolas and developed around regional produce sourced from local farmers and producers.

The company said Cloud 7 Hotel The Forest Shimla will also showcase locally inspired art, handcrafted pieces and cultural storytelling through partnerships with artists and craftspeople from Shimla and across Himachal Pradesh.

"Shimla is an important step in creating a diverse portfolio of destinations that connect guests with local communities, culture and place," said Knippenberg.