Accor's lifestyle hotel division Ennismore has added a new brand, the sustainability- and luxury-focused Our Habitas.
Under the agreement, Ennismore will assume the management and development of Our Habitas' hotels, or "homes" as Our Habitas refers to them. The brand's vision is to cultivate a guest's "Luxury for the Soul," which aims to connect travelers to one another through music, wellness, art, food, learning and giving back, and a connection to nature.
Founded by CEO Oliver Ripley in 2017, Our Habitas has four properties in operation in Chile, Mexico, Namibia and Saudi Arabia. In its pipeline, Our Habitas has hotels in development in Bhutan, Costa Rica, Indonesia, Morocco and Qatar, along with additional assets in Mexico and Saudi Arabia. Ripley will remain at the helm to continue to direct the brand's vision.
The global reach of Accor will help Our Habitas’ growth, its executives said. No details were given as to the capital that will be invested in Our Habitas or the trajectory of its pipeline growth.
A news release stated that “Our Habitas has attracted significant global investors, including [Saudi Arabia sovereign wealth fund] Public Investment Fund [and] Starwood Capital,” among others, including the brand’s chairman and founder of investment firm MSICAP, Maurice Salem.
With this agreement, Ennismore now has 13 hotel brands, as well as a co-working initiative and a venue and events offering. The Our Habitas deal is another example of Accor not only investing in a brand but also in that brand’s founder and management team.
Ennismore and its original brands were founded by current Ennismore co-CEO Sharan Pasricha. Other examples include 25Hours Hotels, founded by Christoph Hoffmann, and Mama Shelter, founded by the Trigano family of father Serge and sons Benjamin and Jérémie.
Accor Chairman and CEO Sébastien Bazin said the investment fits well into the new travel desire of luxury experiences.
“Our Habitas has created a unique niche in luxury hospitality, offering stunning destinations to passionate travelers seeking a lifetime adventure, full of memorable moments and unexpected discoveries. Its crafted positioning will perfectly fit with our Ennismore collective and effortlessly match our lifestyle and tailor-made approach to hospitality,” he said.