A World of Possibilities
An asset owner and boutique hospitality group founded in 2007, Naumi Hotels is built behind a story of architectural and artistic concepts brought to life by modern and cutting-edge design visions. In this interview, RLI spends some time with company CEO Gaurang Jhunjhnuwala as we learn more about this pioneering hotel brand.
Naumi Hotels are all about fun and about exploring the fantastical in colourful and eclectic surroundings and the element of surprise is something that is crucial in the design of their sites. The hotels are distinctive representations of the brand’s personality, which is ever growing, while remaining true to its core values.
With each new hotel they launch, they breathe new life into existing interesting properties, rather than building from scratch. For Naumi, this is the essence of sustainable design: repurposing what is already there.
“Our most recent opening, Naumi Wellington, was originally one of many People’s Palace hotels that were built by the Salvation Army in the late 19th and early 20th century. It has been a delight repurposing the Edwardian-era building for the contemporary traveller,” explains Gaurang Jhunjhnuwala, CEO of Naumi Hotels. “We take this approach across all our properties and we collaborate with local designers and suppliers to support the local design and artistic community while creating an experience that is eclectic, bold and colourful, this is key to our process.”
The company has been operating for 16 years and now has a portfolio of seven sites, five of which are located in New Zealand, Naumi Auckland Airport, The Dairy Private Hotel and The Central by Naumi Hotels – both in Queenstown, Naumi Wellington and Naumi Studio Wellington, while the other two are Naumi Sydney in Australia and Naumi Singapore.
One of their most recent openings, the Naumi Wellington is positioned on one of the busiest streets in New Zealand in the heart of the city’s coffee and creative culture. Within seconds of the hotel, guests will find gorgeous independent boutiques, art galleries and coffee shops. It is the launchpad to the best of the city. Meanwhile inside the hotel, Lola Rouge is already one of the cities favourite restaurants and bars, serving up innovative modern Asian cuisine and experimental cocktails procuring products from local growers and suppliers.
“With extraordinary dining experiences defining a stay at our hotels, the Naumi Wellington team have curated a special mini bar full of unique and local New Zealand brands that are in sync with the pulse of the hotel, including organic juices, peach and blood orange infused sparkling water and a selection of delectable savoury treats,” highlights Jhunjhnuwala.
The company is currently renovating its Naumi Sydney site and they are getting this ready for launch and the CEO states they are on the lookout for new properties in Australia and New Zealand as well as newer markets. He feels there are so many unique places where Naumi would be able to make a mark and continues by saying that he would be very interested in opening hotels in Europe in the future in locations such as Amsterdam, London, Manchester and Brussels, as well as markets further afield in Dubai and Thailand.
When discussing new properties and what attracts Naumi to them, Gaurang explains that wherever their hotels are situated, the vision of the property begins with its location, the history of the building and the surrounding community. “The aspect that makes each hotel quintessentially Naumi is that it is anchored in the spirit of the location. Each Naumi property represents a definitive hospitality style fuelled by the desire to be whimsical, experiential and innovative.”
As the interview moves onto the topic of e-commerce and social media, Gaurang highlights that the most important thing is rate parity so that consumers know that they are being charged the same rate across all online platforms, meaning that guests can book a stay on their preferred platform and know that they are still getting the best rate.
Auckland, New Zealand
“On the other hand, social media is important in setting the mood and vibe of our properties, especially with user-generated content from guests who are stating or who have stayed in our hotels. It sets the expectations and creates a buzz within the online community. All of these aspects come down to having an immaculate shop front which is why having a superb website and great photography is a non-negotiable. These latter points create clear positioning for our hotels. As guests have such a variety of places to choose from on such a dynamic plane, we want to be drawing them in and getting them excited from the first click,” says Jhunjhnuwala.
Sustainability has become an important factor for companies around the world and Naumi is no exception to this. One of their main goals is to help break the cycle of poverty in marginalised communities. The company works on issues such as food insecurity, hoping to provide children with an equal chance to have a better childhood, where they can focus on their education and an increased quality of life. They have partnered with KidsCan in New Zealand to provide 125 hot meals daily to children in low socio-economic or poorer communities. Furthermore, they have supported the nutrition of 100,000 children in India and have fed 13,000 children from insecure food backgrounds in Singapore.
Another project the company is rolling out at Naumi Wellington is their new lightweight bathrobe, made from waste sari offcuts by women in slum communities in India. Previously, they have created their Hope Tote Bags that guests can use at all their hotels and purchase if they wish, with 100 per cent of the profit going towards food insecure children.
“Working with marginalised female communities is fundamental to us. It helps us create products that are one of a kind while providing better opportunities for them and guests can support these initiatives just by staying at our hotels and purchasing these products,” explains Jhunjhnuwala.
Since its inception the company has enjoyed success and the CEO believes this is because of the affordability of their sites, the bold design of their hotels, the great locations and the kind heart of the business. As the company looks to grow moving forward, they will continue to offer their guests whimsical spaces, imaginative micro-experiences, bespoke services and prime locality.
