SPECIAL REPORT
food and beverage spaces , coworking concepts , as well as retail , entertainment , art and wellness brands . The mix is part of the overall focus to build ecosystems and unique community-centric destinations that connect travelers with locals . The House Hotel Jeddah City Yard , for example , is the Kingdom ’ s first true community-centric destination to stay , dine and socialize . Having already hosted some big local and international names , the project has gone to the market in an organic way to build a long-term and sustainable business .
With only two properties open through April ( The House Hotel Jeddah City Yard and Cloud 7 hotel and hub in Aqaba , Jordan ) and five more expected to come online in 2022 , the company ’ s pipeline has skyrocketed to 42 projects across its brands and Knippenberg expects it to eclipse 50 before the end of the year .
More recent deals range from an ecoluxury resort in the United Arab Emirates , an art hotel and residences in Georgia curated by the Louvre Abu Dhabi , and a conversion to a Cloud 7 near the Spanish Steps in Rome , Italy , to an eco-resort in Abha , Saudi Arabia . An owner in Egypt is developing 2,500 keys with Kerten and there are further projects in Saudi Arabia , Europe , the Middle East and North Africa . Every project places a big emphasis on embedding Kerten ’ s inclusive philosophies and an increasingly process-driven approach to an ESG-focused platform emphasizing sustainability , promoting women in hospitality , and supporting the new entrepreneurial generation in its markets .
Additionally , Kerten co-chairs the Sustainable Hospitality Challenge – a global innovation initiative that involves 30 top tier hospitality schools whose 2021 winners are now finalizing the implementation of their innovative coliving concept . Kerten also recently signed a partnership with Effat University in Jeddah
The upcoming House Hotel Kakheti in Khashmi , Georgia
to support entrepreneurship , innovation , and human capital upskilling . “ We ’ re bringing in ESG and the soft side of the business from the initial stages of a project ,” Knippenberg emphasizes .
That soft side includes training and hiring more locals , creating in-house experiential programming for the locals instead of hotel guests , and offering multiple stay options to meet travelers ’ evolving needs .
Kerten hotel-related brands include Cloud 7 Hotels , Cloud 7 Residence , The House Hotel , The House Residence and Ouspace , a social hub and servicedoffice concept . Kerten also has in-house F & B team known for collaborating with Michelin-starred chefs and local restaurateurs .
Hotel F & B decisions are also driven by location , sometimes utilizing neighborhood shops and other times self-operating or bringing in local talent to operate within Kerten projects . In fact , Kerten is launching a digital platform that allows guest to tap into the local neighborhoods to find hot spots for dining and entertainment .
To date , about half of the pipeline sits under the premium , experiential House Hotel brand and the other half sits under Cloud 7 , which is the younger-styled brand
that does much more to maximize space . All projects have the Ouspace component to ensure a working space for guests and locals . The range of F & B brands runs from gelato shops to a Mediterranean sharing concept . Kerten can run everything with or without alcohol , depending on which part of the world it is opening .
Kerten teams are located all the way from Dublin , through Spain , Vienna , Dubai , Riyadh and Jeddah , and working remote and on projects has always been the group ’ s remit .
Dutch-born Knippenberg , who spent 10 years on the commercial side with Hilton , says the pandemic has accelerated acceptance of Kerten concepts because developer ’ s views are evolving more quickly , more readily accepting of a hub-like concept with multiple facets . “ People came back to us saying , ‘ can you tell us one more time what you believe it is people want to do and how we can really look at our assets ? Then create something that brings in ROI for the long term and not just for a couple of years .’”
Couple this forward-thinking approach with accelerated signings and the group is gaining more notoriety than many brands across the globe .
58 hotelsmag . com June 2022