Kerten Hospitality has entered 2026 with the signing of 1,000 new keys in January, building on one of the most successful years in its history to accelerate expansion across the Middle East, Africa, and other high-growth markets.

The hospitality management group closed 2025 with portfolio performance, recording a 55% increase in operating revenues, 69% growth in GOP, and a 44% rise in management fees year-on-year, underscoring continued demand from owners and investors for its differentiated lifestyle hospitality platform.

Results were driven by a disciplined expansion strategy, increased geographic diversification, and the continued optimisation of the group’s operating assets.

During 2025, Kerten Hospitality expanded its operational footprint with key openings including including Ray Hotel by Cloud 7 in Kuwait, Cloud 7 Hotel Roma and Colere 1600 by Cloud 7 Hotels in Italy, further consolidating its presence across the EMEA region.

In addition, the Group signed several milestone projects including The House Residence Azure Zanzibar, a 93 ocean-view branded villa and lifestyle residential project; Cloud 7 Al Murjan Island Resort – Dammam, a bold new addition to Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province waterfront; and Cloud 7 Hotel Dersa Tetuàn, marking Kerten Hospitality’s foray into Morocco’s vibrant and rapidly growing hospitality market.

Maintaining strong momentum, the group signed its second project in Morocco in January, Casadora Resort by Cloud 7 Hotels, a new resort and branded residences project in El Jadida, initiated and developed by Groupe Ramos.

The Mena region remains central to Kerten Hospitality’s growth strategy. Government-backed tourism agendas, infrastructure investment, and rising demand for experiential and community-rooted hospitality concepts continue to create strong tailwinds for the Group’s lifestyle brands.

Kerten Hospitality’s model is increasingly resonating with regional owners seeking flexible, design-forward concepts supported by robust operating and development expertise.

Looking ahead, the development pipeline reflects both entry into new markets and deeper consolidation in established ones.

Expansion plans in Egypt, Italy, France and Morocco are currently being finalised, alongside additional assets under evaluation across the GCC, Mediterranean Europe and Africa, setting the pace for an expected even stronger 2026.

Overall, Kerten Hospitality anticipates six further openings in the first quarters of 2026, with additional conversion projects in the pipeline, laying the groundwork for sustained, diversified growth.

This accelerated development is supported by a strengthened leadership structure.

In 2025, Kerten Hospitality appointed Ramine Behnam as Chief Development Officer (CDO), following the earlier promotion of Mina Anziani to Chief Operating Officer (COO). Together, these appointments reinforce the group’s ability to scale internationally while preserving its distinctive brand DNA.

In his role, Behnam leads the group’s global development strategy, accelerating the expansion of its lifestyle portfolio and strengthening strategic partnerships to support a rapidly growing pipeline.

Anziani, meanwhile, has been instrumental in shaping the operational framework that allows Kerten Hospitality to grow without dilution. Since joining the company, she has built a system that balances structure with creative agility, becoming the architect of the group’s concept of “Bespoke Scalability”, now central to its operational model.

“I’m very excited about the momentum we have built,” said Marloes Knippenberg, CEO of Kerten Hospitality. “We are scaling faster than ever, entering new markets while delivering strong financial results. This is only the beginning, and we have a highly capable team in place to support our ambitious growth agenda.”-TradeArabia News Service