Strong financial results and new strategic projects pave the way for the international expansion of the Irish hospitality management group.
Kerten Hospitality closes 2025 under the banner of consolidation and growth. For the Irish hospitality management group, the year just concluded marked a significant step forward in terms of both profitability and international expansion capacity. Particularly noteworthy was the strong performance of the portfolio, with a 55% increase in operating revenues, a 69% growth in Gross Operating Profit (GOP), and a 44% rise in management fees. These achievements were driven by the expansion of the business beyond the KSA (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), ongoing geographic diversification, and the strengthening of existing operational assets.
“As we concluded 2025, I am very proud to reflect on a transformative year for Kerten Hospitality – commented Marloes Knippenberg, Group CEO. Our significant achievements, realizing a 55% increase in operating revenues and entering exciting new markets like Morocco with Cloud 7 Dersa Tetouàn and Casadora Hotel & Residence by Cloud 7, underscore our commitment to an inclusive growth. With the latest openings of our high-potential projects, including Cloud 7 Hotel Rome, Colere 1600 by Cloud 7 and the upcoming The House Azure Zanzibar, we are not only consolidating our presence across Europe, Africa and the GCC but also setting a foundation for our future environmental innovation. These milestones mark a strong step forward as we embrace new opportunities and we continue to create extraordinary experiences with our destinations”.
In 2025, the group completed three openings – Cloud 7 Rome, Colere 1600 by Cloud 7 Hotels, and Ray Hotel by Cloud 7 – reinforcing its positioning in the EMEA region and demonstrating its strong pipeline-to-opening conversion capability, a key pillar of its growth vision for the coming years. The openings delivered in 2025 confirm a focus on high-potential destinations, with particular attention to the Italian market, where Cloud 7 Rome represents the brand’s first urban outpost and Cloud 7 Colere 1600 aims to become a new Alpine hub dedicated to mountain and outdoor tourism, located a short distance from Milan.
In 2025, the group also unveiled The House Residence Azure Zanzibar, a new high-end project developed in partnership with Azure United Properties on the Michamvi Peninsula, on the south-east coast of the African archipelago. The resort will feature 93 ocean-view villas, including 16 overwater units, with an opening scheduled for 2026, and will be developed in line with environmental sustainability criteria. Also presented at the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai with the support of the Zanzibar Ministry of Tourism, the project represents a strategic step in Kerten Hospitality’s expansion across Africa.
At the same time, the development pipeline continues to confirm entry into new markets alongside consolidation in existing ones. Upcoming highlights include the group’s debut in Morocco with Cloud 7 Dersa Tetouàn, housed within the historic Dersa Palace in Tetouan’s Spanish quarter, as well as progress on the resort under development in France. Expansion into Kuwait is also under definition, together with additional assets currently under evaluation in the GCC region. Overall, the group expects six confirmed openings in 2026, with a further project in the pipeline, positioning itself for a three-year period of steady and diversified growth.
For Kerten Hospitality, 2025 also marked a strengthening of internal governance with the appointment of Ramine Behnam as Chief Development Officer and Mina Anziani as Chief Operating Officer. These roles will respectively support the acceleration of the global portfolio’s development and the optimization of operational performance, guiding the group through its next phase of international scalability.
With 57 projects in the pipeline across three continents and 12 proprietary lifestyle brands, Kerten Hospitality looks to 2026 with stronger foundations, increased profitability, and a strategy focused on key markets in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The group continues its growth journey with the aim of consolidating its role in contemporary hospitality, promoting development models that integrate innovation, local identity, and responsible resource management.