By Contributor Inter Globe Enterprises Uk Ramsey Qubein
Volta Bar at Miiro Borneta in Barcelona
James McDonald
Miiro Hotels, a new lifestyle hotel brand launched last year by InterGlobe Enterprises UK, part of the largest aviation (IndiGo Airlines) and hospitality conglomerate in India, continues to roll out new hotels across Europe in its first full year of operation. Two properties debuted in the tourist hot spots of Paris and Barcelona last year with London opening earlier this year.
The fast trajectory of the Indian-based company has been helped by picking up an existing hospitality brand, K+K Hotels, which gives it immediate entry into some of the top markets in the region.
A guest room with terrace at La Borneta, Miiro’s hotel in Barcelona
The brand name “miro” is Latin for “I wonder;” and the idea behind adding the second “i,” say executives, is for people to pause a bit to “savor the moment.” In designing the brand, they considered more than 200 names before settling on one that seemed right for what it was trying to create.
InterGlobe’s strategy is to diversify beyond its Indian interests, and growing quickly in Europe is part of that growth. Neena Gupta, CEO of Miiro Hotels and executive director of group strategy and international hospitality at InterGlobe, leads the brand and was recently awarded with the “Up-and-Coming Hotelier Award” at an industry-wide event.
Miiro Templeton Garden in London
James McDonald
But, is Europe already too saturated with boutique hotel brands? Charanjit Singh, a hospitality expert and executive of WB Hotels & Resorts, doesn’t think so although he says there are both opportunities and challenges for new entrants.
He says that while occupancy and room revenue rates can vary wildly in Europe, the major capitals and large cities (exactly where Miiro is opening most hotels) are “defying global averages.”
Latest openings
The lobby lounge of Le Grand Hôtel Cayré in Paris
Many of the properties are in historic buildings like Le Grand Hôtel Cayré, once known as the Hôtel Cayré, which has hosted some of Paris’ top visiting artists, writers and philosophers.
Barcelona’s Hotel Borneta was the second property to open in the portfolio across from one of the city’s famed parks, La Ciutadella. Its rooftop terrace has a cocktail bar, menu, plunge pool and panoramic views of the city.
Miiro opened its first Swiss hotel in Gstaad, The Mansard, which will stay open year-round, is the only hotel that is not part of the K+K brand. It is in a prime location overlooking the ski town’s main street and close to popular art boutiques and restaurants.
Miiro Templeton Garden in London
James McDonald
Templeton Garden in London is another that has opened in a former K+K property (and also in a neighborhood known for being home to legendary writers like Agatha Christie, Beatrix Potter and Alfred Hitchcock). This literary theme weaves its way throughout the property, which has a large garden surrounded by tall trees and flowers where guests can enjoy ordering from the restaurant and bar’s menu.
Currently, there are four properties in the portfolio with two more in Vienna on the way by next year. Potential destinations for new hotels include Florence, Madrid, Milan, Hamburg and Budapest.
The lobby of the new Gstaad, Switzerland hotel
Projections for hospitality are expected to grow from $4.7 trillion to $5.8 trillion by 2027, notes Singh. He also notes that part of the growth is from “mid‑to‑high‑income millennials and Gen Z, who seek smaller, eco-conscious, and culturally rooted stays.”
According to Reuters, this growth for boutique brands is particularly key in cities like Barcelona where regulators are pushing back against short-term rentals like Airbnb amid local protests and “steering tourists toward higher-end, more controlled hospitality offerings.”
Doing some things differently
The library at Miiro London, Templeton Garden
This differentiation is where Singh believes brands like Miiro can most stand out, saying “in crowded boutique markets, differentiation in design, community integration, and service innovation is vital.”
The building’s history and neighborhood storytelling can help drive demand, despite boutique hotels growing in number. Singh says Miiro can call upon its parent company’s “airline and tour experience to drive cross‑border guests” and success.
Every Miiro property has a “refresh room” that is open to guests to freshen up, even without an available room being ready yet. While these are common in numerous resorts in tropical destinations, many city hotels do not often carve out the real estate for something that does not earn a nightly rate. The Refresh Room concept allows early arrivals or late departures to have access to a changing room, shower and bathroom (that is separate from the gym or spa) while they wait for their room to be ready or a late-evening departure.
Volta is the dining room at Miiro Borneta in Barcelona.
Facundo Ruiz
Many of their restaurants also give the chef “carte blanche” to prepare tasting menus that are different day to day based on what is fresh or has been sourced locally. This is nothing new, but when the menu changes each day and you don’t know what to expect, as it does at Hotel Borneta in Barcelona, it raises the bar.
Miiro hotels also have small libraries or reading rooms where travelers (and locals) can relax with a book from a regional author. And in the rooms themselves, things are different. Special collaborations with local artists or journalists have added a lot of regional influence to the rooms.
Le Suite du Collectionneur at Miiro’s Paris hotel
For example, Le Suite du Collectionneur at Miiro’s Paris hotel is an immersive, art-filled suite complete with custom furnishings and art pieces chosen by a local artist and available for purchase. In London’s Templeton Garden hotel, Vogue columnist Raven Smith curated the hotel’s eclectic library that represents many of the famous authors that lived in the neighborhood.
Art talks, guided walks and weekly wine tastings are standard at many hotels. These are part of what Singh calls best practices for boutique hotels to seek community engagement.
In a trend that many design-focused hotels now follow, all have public spaces that are open to non-guests to come in and work on a laptop or hold a small meeting. It’s part of Miiro’s focus to integrate more closely with the community.
The library lounge and cafe, open to the public, of Miiro Borneta in Barcelona
James McDonald
While the hotel brand does not have a formal loyalty program, it is studying one. For now, it has “Dots,” which is what it calls a “community of curious travelers, creative locals, and cultural insiders” that can benefit from future-stay and dining discounts plus early-access invitations to new openings and insider events.
Selective locations and differentiation are key to success for boutique hotels, adds Singh, and the appetite for this type of hotel, especially in cities where home sharing is becoming more difficulty, continues to grow.
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