Background on Karma Group
Karma Group is an award-winning international travel and lifestyle brand offering extraordinary experiences in the world’s most beautiful locations. The company is headed by Chairman and Founder, John Spence, a former Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Australia and member of the judging panel for the Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur of the Year.
Among his numerous other accolades, John was honoured with the Edward P. Bass Honorary Fellowship at YALE University in 2013 & 2019 in the School of Architecture, marking the first time YALE has extended this to the same person more than once.
The Karma Group comprises Karma Estates, Karma Resorts, Karma Retreats, Karma Royal, Karma Beach, Karma Spa, Karma Club and Karma Boutique. The Group has developed multiple resorts and currently owns and operates 45 resorts in 12 countries, including Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, India, Indonesia, Spain, Thailand, UK, and Vietnam.
Its latest innovation is Le Club 22, a secluded space with a focus on creative cocktails, and now, a menu that forms a celebration of seafood.
Four of these resorts were acquired in the past twelve months with Karma Group demonstrating an ability to acclimatise quickly and successfully to a drastically shifting landscape, with the company choosing to focus on domestic travel markets.
These new additions to the company’s ever-growing portfolio include Karma Karnak – a Nile cruise experience taking in the highlights of Ancient Egypt, Karma Munnar, a romantic escape in the highlands of Kerala, India – often described as “God’s own country”, Karma Salford Hall an historic Tudor property formerly owned by King Henry VIII in England’s rural Costwolds and Karma Lake of Menteith, set on the stunning shores of Scotland’s only lake. Karma Group is also developing further acquisitions in Australia, India, Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Japan.
In 2021 a series of new offerings were introduced, including a private member’s club with a difference, Karma Club, and the establishment of a brand new bespoke service for existing Karma Group members in Karma Concierge.
Karma Group is additionally involved in the world of fine wines and spirits. Since 2016, John Spence has been collaborating with leading winemakers across the world to produce bottles that have formed the Karma Wines offering, from Tuscany to Bordeaux to Crete, including a recently released Rose from France’s Carcassonne, home to Karma Chateau de Samary.
All dishes are designed to be partnered with one of the venue’s bespoke cocktails, or specialty chilled wines.
A signature handcrafted small batch gin was also recently added to the Karma cellar, a spirit crafted from botanicals sourced from the destinations where the group’s resorts, hotels, and retreats are located. And our most recent addition to the Karma spirits repertoire is Coachbuilt Whisky, developed by Formula One legend Jensen Button.
Karma Group is the official resort partner for this premium blended Scotch single malt whisky which is being rolled out initially across our resorts in the UK and Europe.
