John Spence – chairman and founder - Karma Group

SPREADING THE ‘FIVE STAR HIPPY’ EXPERIENCE FROM THE BEACHES TO THE SKI FIELDS - AND RECREATING WHAT LUXURY MEANS IN THE PROCESS.

As a trailblazer in the global hospitality industry, John Spence sees himself more as an entertainer than a businessman. In the early ‘80s, John cut his teeth as a music agent in London representing bands such as Culture Club, the Eurythmics and Bananarama before moving into property sales and marketing where he found a true calling. The entrepreneurial chairman and founder of Karma Royal Group now has an impressive portfolio of brands under rapidly expanding and multi-award winning global Karma Group – Royal Resorts, Karma Resorts, Karma Estates, Beach Clubs International and Karma Spa – with recent acquisitions in Europe and Japan spearheading the upcoming launch of Karma Ski. Clearly, he is not a bad businessman either.

In July 2013, John was honoured by the Yale University School of Architecture by being appointed the Edward P. Bass Distinguished Visiting Architecture Fellow. Through the fellowship, distinguished leaders in the development community from the public as well as the private sector, such as John, participate as integral teaching members in Yale University’s advanced studios and seminars. “It is a tremendous honour to be the Edward P. Bass Distinguished Visiting Architecture Fellow at Yale University,” said John. "To excel in a given field, you have to love what you do. I look forward to sharing my passion for seeking, recognising and realizing opportunities in some of the most diverse global environments with the students.”

In 2015, the University of California (UCLA), honoured John by awarding him a Distinguished Visiting Fellowship in the Department of Architecture and Urban Design. Included in the course work that John is presenting at the Advanced Topic Studio, “The Island, the Pods and the Glamorous – Contemporary Glamping in Remote Settings” incorporates key finishing touches of actual resorts planned by Karma Resorts. “I am pleased to be invited to participate as a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at UCLA,” said John. “I greatly enjoyed my experience as the Edward P. Bass Distinguished Fellow at Yale University last year and am both excited and honoured that a second top-tier American University has awarded me a Fellowship.” 

In 2016, John and Karma Group announced a joint venture with Mark Fuller, hotel legend and CEO of Sanctum Hotel Group to develop a series of authentic luxury rock styled and orientated hotels in strategic locations around the world, accompanied by an exclusive private membership club. Spence and Fuller have identified a huge gap in the market for this style of hotel, which will combine the credibility and glamour of being frequented by rock royalty and music industry management. 

John Spence has the unique talent to break down as yet unseen barriers, whether spotting and acquiring land in areas still undiscovered that later become global hot spots, from Goa to Uluwatu Bali to Gili Meno, to creating a new five star experience and brand philosophy that has changed what staying in a five star resort means. Now famously referred to as the “Five Star Hippy” lifestyle, Karma clients flock to the experience and other brands aspire to achieve it. 

In 1993, when John visited Goa, India, he simply knew he’d found the place where he wanted to develop his first resort property. Purely using a cash injection from his life savings, John founded Royal Resorts to pioneer vacation ownership in India and South East Asia and began by developing their first Resort - The Royal Goan Beach Club in Cavellosim Goa. That was a huge success and diversification outside India followed with projects in Bali and Lombok, Indonesia, Gold Coast of Australia, Chiang Mai and Phuket in Thailand. 

Sensing the need to diversify, in 2002 John founded Karma Resorts and introduced the concept of boutique villa resorts in Asia, allowing clients to purchase freehold villas. John’s vision for Karma Resorts pioneered the luxurious private pool villa experience, offering expansive holiday residences with access to five-star amenities and memorable experiences ranging from holistic healing retreats to hedonistic wine tastings – further pushing the “Five Star Hippy” ideal. John’s philosophy that life is a celebration permeates his companies and this cultivated lifestyle is recognized by consistently achieving the industry’s top accolades.

In many ways, John sees the parallels between work and sport. He is a passionate sports fan and patron of the Arts and his company currently sponsors Perth’s Western Force Super Rugby team and the Perth Fashion Festival. Royal Resorts continues an association with the England Rugby team and the players can often be seen ‘recuperating’ by the pool at John’s properties. Further cementing its commitment to sports as well as to Rottnest Island and Western Australian Tourism, Karma Group recently announced the naming rights sponsorship of the iconic Rottnest Channel Swim. Commencing in 2015, the iconic sporting event is now known as the Karma Resorts Rottnest Channel Swim. “Your work has got to be taken seriously and earn you money, but it’s also got to be like sport — fun, challenging and something you do for enjoyment,” he says. “If it becomes just about feeding the family then you’re not going to enjoy it. And if it’s not enough of a job, then really it’s not going to be fulfilling. It’s a balance. I genuinely feel that my work is an adventure, every day.”

John was the 2010 Ernst & Young Australian Entrepreneur Of The Year. “Karma Royal Group has taken on the big, global hotel brands and put a footprint in this very competitive market,” said Catherine Brenner, Chair of the Judging panel, who were particularly impressed by the focus and quality of Karma Group’s clear strategic direction. “Typical of many successful entrepreneurs, John Spence has seen opportunity where others did not. Most people would have looked at the global upmarket hotel sector and decided it was a saturated market. John looked at it differently and saw opportunity.”

In June 2013, John joined an exclusive group of international champions of industry and leaders of their professions to become just the fourth Australian member of the judging panel for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards, held in Monaco. Previous judges have included Steve Case, Co-founder of America Online, Jack Cowin, Founder and Executive Chairman of Competitive Foods Australia Ltd and Yves Guillemot, President and CEO of Ubisoft.

A Commissioner on the West Australian Tourism Board from 2006 until March 2010 and supporter of numerous charities, John was awarded ‘Philanthropist of the Year’ by the American Resort Developers’ Association (ARDA) in 2006.  For several years, John’s company has been one of the major sponsors of Christel House, a children’s charity in Bangalore, India. The charity also supports schools in Mexico City, South Africa and Venezuela as well as an orphanage in Bali. The core premise of ‘karma’ is one John avidly believes in and since Bangalore was the location of the first city centre office for Royal Resorts, it is no accident that he gives a helping hand to the local community. His charitable work in Bali through the Bali Life Foundation reflects his respect and love for the Balinese people. “Whatever you give to the universe comes back,” says John. “That’s where the whole ‘karma’ thing comes from. We support many hundreds of children in Bangalore and in Bali. I believe it’s everyone’s duty to do what they can to help the world. ”

KARMA BACKGROUND

Karma Group is comprised of Royal Resorts, Karma Resorts, Karma Estates, Beach Clubs International, Karma Spa and the upcoming Karma Ski and has undergone significant expansion to its global network in recent years. This expansion includes the acquisition of Karma St Martin’s on the idyllic Isles of Scilly in UK; Karma Reef on Gili Meno, Lombok; Karma Bavaria ski resort in Germany; the iconic Karma Rottnest on Rottnest Island, Western Australia; and the development of Karma Bahamas on Little Harbour Island, Bahamas.  Not to mention the purchase of one of Europe’s iconic estates - the magnificent former country home of Laura Ashley “Le Preverger” in the Cote D’Azur, France and the “Final Release” at flagship property Karma Kandara in Bali, Indonesia. 

Further expansion includes land acquisition and development plans in Brazil, Japan, India, Thailand, Indonesia, Europe, North America, the Caribbean and one of the world’s most remote islands – Saint Helena in the South Atlantic. Karma is currently developing projects in Carcasonne, France and Spain.

Currently, John oversees three global divisions; Asia and Australia; India and Middle East; and Europe and Caribbean. The company has zero debt or leverage and is still 100% owned by John. It is the market leader in its field and is poised for dramatic growth with future projects providing a global reach and an array of distinctive destinations beyond any other boutique hotel group in the world today.

John Spence has spent his professional life identifying like-minded talent from around the world and welcoming them to the Karma Group team, gathering a dynamic group of independent thinkers who remain unfettered by a traditional approach and who think of the Karma Group as their own - from his graduate architecture students at Yale and UCLA, to the local employees at any Karma Resort around the world. “We strive as a company to embody the celebration of life, inspired by beauty and style, fitness and health, in the world’s most beautiful locations,” said John. “This, in turn, inspires our loyal, alpha lifestyle driven guests from all over the world who, much like our team at Karma Royal Group, relish challenging themselves by working hard and playing even harder.”

The future looks bright as John Spence and Karma Group continue to set industry benchmarks driven by his passion and innovation in providing new products to engage its over 60,000 members and loyal clients all over the globe.