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Karma Group
Company typeResorts
IndustryHospitality
Founded1993; 31 years ago (1993) in Goa, India
Headquarters
Bali, Indonesia (headquarters)
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
John Spence (Chairman and Founder)
ProductsFractional Ownership
Websitekarmagroup.com

Karma Group is an international hotel and resort company owned by English entrepreneur & hotelier, John Spence.[1] It currently operates 32 properties and brands worldwide.[2] Initially, the company operated under the name Royal Resorts, then it was rebranded to Karma Group with the first property, Karma Jimbaran, opening on the island of Bali in 2005.[3][4]

History

John Spence founded the company Royal Resorts in 1993,[5] with the group's first property purchased in Goa after Spence identified what he believed was a development opportunity on the west coast of India. The company sold fractional ownership in these Goa properties directly to India's middle class. Accelerated growth started when the company targeted large numbers of affluent expatriate Indians living in Dubai and Oman. Increased revenues allowed Royal Resorts to expand and build more properties in the region, firstly under the Royal Resorts brand in Indonesia, in the late 90s, and then under the Karma brand with the first property, Karma Jimbaran, opening on the island of Bali in 2005.[3][4]

By the end of the 1990s, the company had opened 70 sales offices worldwide. In 2003, the group launched the Karma brand as part of a revamped, five-star offering.[4]

The company continued to add properties to its portfolio, notably in Greece (Crete and Mykonos), Indonesia (Bali), India (Kerala and Jaipur), Germany (Bavaria), France (St Tropez and Carcassonne), and the Isles of Scilly (si-lee).[6][7]

In 2013, John Spence acquired the historically notable Cote D'Azur chateau, Le Preverger, once the home of UK designer Laura Ashley, and added the property to the Karma portfolio.[6]

In 2017, Karma Group entered into an agreement with Sanctum Hotels Group. The partnership is part of a five-year plan to expand the Group's holdings to 60 resorts.[2]

As of 2019, Karma Group had properties in 27 locations.[8]

In 2019, it announced the opening of Karma Sitabani, in the Jim Corbett National Park, part of the Corbett Tiger Reserve, in Uttarakhand in Northern India.[9]

In December 2020, the company acquired Salford Hall near Stratford on Avon, which dates back to 1487.[10]

Salford Hall in the Cotswolds, Great Britain.[11]

In 2021, Karma Group expanded its operations in Spain by acquiring real estate in Andalusia.[12]

In 2022 the company acquired Lake of Menteith Hotel in Stirlingshire, expanding its operations to Scotland.[13]

In 2022 the group expanded to include Karma Munnar (Munnar, India),[14] Karma Lake of Menteith (Stirling, Scotland).

Karma Resorts managed the Karma Rottnest lodge on Rottnest Island in WA Australia, until 2022, when it was handed back to the WA Government.

Karma Resorts sponsored the Rottnest Channel Swim and were namign sponsors from 2015 to 2018.[15][16]

In 2023, Karma Group has also revived Karma Margret River resort.[17] It also added Karma Martam Retreat (Sikkim, India).[18][19]

Business model

Karma Group's business units, being Karma Resorts, Karma Spa, Karma Estates, Karma Retreats, Karma Beach Clubs and Karma Group,[2] generate revenue through vacation ownership as well as hotel services such as the standard selling of room nights, onsite spas and dining.

Karma Group generates revenue through fractional ownership and timeshare of Karma properties. Karma villas are presold to investors, who lease the property back to Karma to operate and manage.[20]

The group also allows individuals to invest in timeshare accommodation, where parties are allotted a certain amount of time per year for access and use of the property. The group operates properties in locations as varied as Indonesia (Jimbaran, Sanur, Ubud and Candidasa), Greece (Mykonos and Crete), France (St Tropez and Carcassonne), India (Goa, Kerala and Rajasthan), and Vietnam (Hoi Ann).[21]

Karma Resorts operates as both owner and management company of Karma's resorts, including properties in Indonesia (Jimbaran Bay, Ungasan and Gili Meno), the UK (St Martin's in the Isles of Scilly), Australia (Rottnest Island), and Germany (Schliersee, Bavaria).

In 2018 Karma Group set up a regional office of Excellence in Bangalore, India, where the company has over 200 employees, performing Contact Centre and back office administration for the group.[22]

As of 2023, the company employs over 3500 staff globally, with key regional headquarters in Bali, Bangalore, Goa, London, and Singapore) and has over 65,000 members and owners.[23]

Public activities

Karma Group has been supporting Christel House India, a charity that supports inner city children from Bangalore since 2001 and supports similar initiatives in Bali and Vietnam.[24][25][26][27]

In 2020–2021 during the Covid pandemic, Karma Group spearheaded vaccination drives in India and Indonesia for staff, their families, and community and also provided food donations to affected communities. Within the Karma Mayday initiative, the company teamed up with HRH the Prince of Wales Trust to provide oxygen equipment for India.[28]

In 2022, after Russian invasion of Ukraine, Karma group set up Karma Refuge, which provides shelter and support to those fleeing the conflict.[29][30]

References

  1. ^ "Red tape, costs give hotel developers the holiday blues". Financial Review. 2017-02-20. Retrieved 2017-06-19.
  2. ^ a b c Green, Harriet (2017-02-06). "Meet the luxury travel boss doubling the size of his business in five years". Retrieved 2017-06-19.
  3. ^ a b Cain, Alexandra (2011-09-07). "Tourism industry comes full circle". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2017-06-19.
  4. ^ a b c Bolshaw, Liz (2011-06-13). "Financial Times". Financial Times. Retrieved 2017-06-19.
  5. ^ "John Spence, Chairman and Founder - KarmaGroup". www.fortuneindia.com. 2019-09-02. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
  6. ^ a b Cillins, Britt (2014-07-30). "Le Preverger: King of the Hill". www.billionaire.com. Retrieved 2017-06-19.
  7. ^ St Martin's, Karma (27 August 2014). "Karma St Martins". The Caterer. Retrieved 2017-06-19.
  8. ^ "John Spence, Chairman and Founder - KarmaGroup". www.fortuneindia.com. 2019-09-02. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
  9. ^ "Karma Group Announces Karma Sitabani". BW Hotelier. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
  10. ^ India, Team Sommelier (2021-10-28). "When you give good, you get good. That's Karma". Retrieved 2023-07-26.
  11. ^ "Karma Group signs new UK flagship property". breakingtravelnews.
  12. ^ "Karma Group signs for first property in Spain". breakingtravelnews.
  13. ^ Hunter, Dave (2022-01-20). "Karma Group in Scottish debut". sltn.co.uk. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
  14. ^ admin (2022-03-04). "Karma Group introduces Karma Munnar, a Southern Indian escape". Travel Trade Journal. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
  15. ^ "Swim will ensure our Bryce lives on". PerthNow. 2016-01-03. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
  16. ^ "'Out there' — Swimwear with style". PerthNow. 2015-02-16. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
  17. ^ "Karma Group revives Margaret River resort plans". Business News. 2023-04-05. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
  18. ^ Fimela.com (2023-05-31). "Destinasi Menarik di Himalaya, Karma Martam di Sikkim bisa Jadi Pilihan Retreat yang Spektakuler". fimela.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2023-07-26.
  19. ^ "Himalayan Retreat Karma Martam Opens in Spectacular Sikkim - 86121". www.luxurytravelmagazine.com. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
  20. ^ "Perth entrepreneur has big plans for resort business". The West Australian. 2010-12-01. Retrieved 2017-06-19.
  21. ^ "Karma Group Adds Karma Song Hoai In Vietnam To Resort Portfolio". Hospitality Net. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
  22. ^ www.ETHospitalityWorld.com. "Karma Group targets 20 resorts in India in next 5-6 years - ET HospitalityWorld". ETHospitalityWorld.com. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
  23. ^ "Edelman, Engine, WS and Karma among Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For". www.prweek.com. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
  24. ^ "Camp Royal - A holiday of a lifetime for students of Christel House India - Bangalore". christelhouse.org. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
  25. ^ "Karma Group Celebrates 26 Years in India | Hospitality Talk". 2019-06-20. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
  26. ^ "Karma Group creates scholarship for Christel House". rci-ventures. 2018-12-17. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
  27. ^ "UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH JOHN SPENCE OF KARMA GROUP RESORT". whatsnewindonesia.com. 2023-07-01. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
  28. ^ BaliPictureNews (2022-02-09). "Karma Group Introduces Its Innovative Bali Vaccine Booster Campaign". Bali Picture News. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
  29. ^ "UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH JOHN SPENCE OF KARMA GROUP RESORT". whatsnewindonesia.com. 2023-07-01. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
  30. ^ Singh, Varsha (2022-03-10). "Karma Group to shelter Ukrainian refugees in Europe". INDIA OUTBOUND. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
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