Miiro to redefine European hospitality with curated boutique stays

Created with the self-assured traveller in mind, one who is curious to a new neighbourhood, is keen on learning more about its history, wants to connect with the community and seeks a considered place to stay, allowing them to relax and recharge, comes the newest lifestyle brand, Miiro, from India’s foremost hospitality and aviation conglomerate, InterGlobe Enterprises. 

Beginning mid-July, InterGlobe will enter the European hospitality market with Miiro, its boutique lifestyle hospitality brand, with the opening of Le Grand Hotel Cayre in Paris, followed by Borneta in Barcelona on August 1, 2024, and Templeton Garden in London in early 2025. 

According to Neena Gupta, CEO of Miiro Hotels and Executive Director of Group Strategy and International Hospitality at InterGlobe Enterprises, “Miiro is integral to InterGlobe’s diversification strategy into Europe, a premier global tourist hub renowned for its diverse destinations, rich cultural heritage and attractions. This expansion presents a significant opportunity for us to cater to a broader spectrum of travellers.”

Since 2018, InterGlobe has strategically acquired 13 hotel properties across several prominent European cities including London, Paris, Barcelona, Vienna, Hamburg, Gstaad, Munich, Amsterdam, Prague and Budapest, alongside one in Melbourne. Of these, three have been converted into Miiro properties. “This is part of our external diversification strategy with a mix of properties under third party brands and independent brands with a view to convert majority of the properties in iconic locations under a new brand from scratch and subsequently grow it with newer properties and markets. Location and iconic buildings have been fundamental in our acquisition strategy and will continue to be so,” she informs. 

Derived from the Latin word ‘miro’ means ‘I wonder’ and with the double vowel symbolising reflection, Miiro encourages guests to pause, to look around and to savour every moment. “Each hotel is inspired by the surrounding neighbourhood with its own colourful personality and connection to the local community,” explains Gupta.

On what motivated InterGlobe to focus on acquiring boutique hotels across Europe for Miiro, Gupta says, “We have a proven track record of identifying market opportunities and setting new benchmarks for industries, and Miiro will be no different. We believe there is a better way to travel that is more thoughtful and personal, and through creating ‘Brilliantly Considered Stays’ that bring Miiro guests closer to the local culture, we can take the hospitality experience to a new level.”

Elaborating on the concept of hospitality in Europe and what inspired InterGlobe to enter this segment, Miiro Hotels’ CEO says, “As one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations, Europe boasts a mix of cultures, histories, and attractions. With each city offering a unique local immersion, we saw boutique hotels as the perfect fit, creating an exciting opportunity for Miiro. Through our curated collection of boutique hotels across Europe, Miiro offers its guests the opportunity to truly connect with the essence of each destination. InterGlobe’s expansion in hospitality outside of India has been deep with transformational refurbishments to create new benchmark in hospitality.”

Miiro’s design direction is based around a set of key design principles (Considered, Curated and Crafted), and collaborated with respected and renowned designers in the luxury lifestyle space to bring this vision to life. “Our objective is to give travellers a taste of the city and neighbourhood from the minute they walk into our hotels. They must feel and experience the city not only from the historical sights but also from our lobby, our rooms and our restaurants,” she avers. Gupta says many brands in the hospitality industry are their inspiration but “we, at Miiro, have and are trying to create our own niche. We have come into this competitive industry with open hearts and open minds,” she adds. 

Though InterGlobe has a large focus in travel and hospitality within the domestic market of India, the Miiro CEO says that Miiro is a separate venture as an externalisation strategy with key focus in the gateway cities of Europe for the moment. “At present, the only priority is to successfully roll out the launch of our Miiro hotels across Europe. The successful launches of our upcoming hotel properties in Paris, Barcelona and London are our main focus at this time. We are committed to growing the Miiro brand and are excited to build on that trajectory in the newer markets in the coming years,” she concludes.

 Catch the full version of this story in the forthcoming issue of BW Hotelier