Ovolo Hotels

Ovolo Hotels is an independent hotel brand and serviced-apartment owner-operator headquartered in Hong Kong. Founded by Girish Jhunjhnuwala in 2002, the business began when Jhunjhnuwala acquired an office complex in Hong Kong’s Central Business District and converted it into an upscale serviced-apartment property. This initial model combined accommodation with the operational control and real-estate ownership characteristic of a vertically integrated hospitality group. The company subsequently expanded from its first serviced-apartment operation into a broader portfolio of hotels and serviced residences. By 2014, the group was reported to have eight properties. Its Hong Kong presence developed around several hotels on Hong Kong Island, together with a remaining serviced-apartment operation. The brand’s offer has generally been positioned around distinctive interiors, contemporary design, art-oriented environments, and service intended to feel more personal and informal than that of a standardized international chain. Its hospitality portfolio has also included food-and-beverage operations and spaces suitable for events or other guest activities. Ovolo later pursued growth in Australia, establishing a presence in Canberra, Melbourne, and Sydney. The Australian expansion included the acquisition and turnaround of a hotel in Woolloomooloo, Sydney. In 2016, reporting described Jhunjhnuwala as intending to pursue the Australian market aggressively following that transaction. The company’s focus on Australian acquisitions was also associated with comparatively high property prices in Hong Kong and favorable currency conditions involving the Australian dollar, although detailed transaction values are not established in the available reference material. The group has used multiple hospitality concepts rather than presenting every property as an identical hotel product. From 2015, it introduced Mojo Nomad, a live-in coworking concept that combined accommodation with shared-workspace features. In Canberra, Ovolo acquired Hotel Hotel in 2018 and subsequently rebranded the property as Ovolo Nishi in March of the following year. These moves illustrate the brand’s interest in adaptive reuse, lifestyle hospitality, and properties with a strong local design identity. Ovolo has also used group-wide operating decisions to differentiate its guest proposition. In 2020, its hotels and restaurants moved to an all-vegetarian offering for a period of 365 days. The initiative linked the hospitality brand with a sustainability and lifestyle message while applying a common culinary policy across its portfolio. Ovolo is privately family-owned under the Hind Group rather than a publicly traded hotel company. The available reference material identifies Hong Kong and Australia as its principal operating markets. Its business combines hotel management, serviced-apartment operations, property ownership or acquisition, restaurants, and related lifestyle hospitality concepts. The group’s identity rests less on a uniform global chain format than on individually designed properties connected by the Ovolo name and a common emphasis on contemporary design, arts and culture, convenience, and personalized service.

Ovolo Hotels was established in 2002 by Girish Jhunjhnuwala as a serviced-apartment business in Hong Kong. Its first operation was created through the acquisition of an office complex in Hong Kong’s Central Business District and its conversion into an upscale serviced-apartment property. This origin gave the company a foundation in both hospitality operations and property ownership or control. The business expanded beyond its first location and developed a portfolio of hotels and serviced residences. The group was reported to have eight properties by 2014. In Hong Kong, the portfolio came to include four hotels across Hong Kong Island as well as one remaining serviced-apartment property. Rather than relying exclusively on a standardized chain format, Ovolo’s properties were presented as design-conscious, individually characterized spaces emphasizing contemporary interiors, art, and a more personalized guest experience. From 2015, the company broadened its concepts through Mojo Nomad, a live-in coworking programme. This model combined accommodation with shared work facilities and reflected the growth of lifestyle, flexible-work, and community-oriented hospitality formats. It also helped distinguish Ovolo from conventional hotel and serviced-apartment offerings. Australia became an increasingly important market during the company’s later expansion. Ovolo developed or operated properties in Canberra, Melbourne, and Sydney. A significant step was the acquisition and turnaround of a hotel in Woolloomooloo, Sydney. In 2016, The Weekend Australian reported that Girish Jhunjhnuwala intended to pursue the Australian market aggressively after the transaction. Other reporting connected the Australian acquisition strategy with high property prices in Hong Kong and movements in the Australian dollar. In 2018, Ovolo purchased Hotel Hotel in Canberra. The property was renamed Ovolo Nishi in March of the following year, bringing a prominent Canberra design hotel into the Ovolo portfolio. The transaction and rebranding reflected the group’s preference for distinctive, design-led properties and adaptive hospitality concepts rather than a purely uniform hotel model. The group also used food and beverage policy as part of its brand strategy. In 2020, Ovolo changed all of its hotels and restaurants to vegetarian operations for 365 days. The initiative gave the company a portfolio-wide campaign connected to lifestyle and sustainability themes, while demonstrating that its brand positioning extended beyond rooms and interiors into the guest dining experience. Ovolo remains described as an independent, privately family-owned business under the Hind Group, with headquarters in Hong Kong and operations in Hong Kong and Australia. Its development has therefore combined serviced apartments, hotels, restaurants, property acquisitions, rebranding, and hybrid accommodation-workspace formats. The available sources do not establish a complete current property list, ownership structure for every asset, or a definitive current executive roster beyond the identification of its founder.

• 2020

  Portfolio-wide vegetarian initiative

  [1]Ovolo Hotelsen.wikipedia.org

  Ovolo switched its hotels and restaurants to vegetarian offerings for 365 days.

• 2019

  Hotel Hotel is renamed Ovolo Nishi

  [1]Ovolo Hotelsen.wikipedia.org

  The Canberra property was rebranded as Ovolo Nishi in March.

• 2018

  Ovolo purchases Hotel Hotel in Canberra

  [1]Ovolo Hotelsen.wikipedia.org

  The group acquired the Canberra property later known as Ovolo Nishi.

• 2015

  Mojo Nomad live-in coworking programme begins

  [1]Ovolo Hotelsen.wikipedia.org

  Ovolo introduced a live-in coworking concept combining accommodation with shared workspace.

• 2014

  Portfolio reaches eight properties

  [1]Ovolo Hotelsen.wikipedia.org

  Reference material reported that Ovolo had expanded to eight properties by this year.

• 2002

  Ovolo begins as a Hong Kong serviced-apartment business

  [1]Ovolo Hotelsen.wikipedia.org

  Girish Jhunjhnuwala founded the business after acquiring an office complex in Hong Kong’s Central Business District and converting it into an upscale serviced-apartment property.

An upscale, design-led lifestyle hospitality brand focused on distinctive interiors, arts-oriented environments, personalized service, and integrated accommodation and dining experiences.

• Hotels · 2002

  Ovolo Hotels

  The core Ovolo offering consists of design-led hotels in Hong Kong and Australia. Properties are associated with contemporary interiors, art and culture, individualized identity, and service intended to be more personal than a standardized chain experience. The portfolio has included urban hotels in Hong Kong Island, Sydney, Melbourne, and Canberra.

• Serviced accommodation · 2002

  Serviced apartments

  Ovolo originated as a serviced-apartment operator and retained serviced residences as part of its hospitality model. The format combines furnished accommodation with hotel-style operations and is suited to longer stays or guests seeking more residential space than a conventional room.

• Live-in coworking · 2015

  Mojo Nomad

  Mojo Nomad is Ovolo’s live-in coworking concept, introduced in 2015. It combines accommodation with shared workspace and a community-oriented environment, extending the brand beyond traditional hotel lodging toward flexible work and lifestyle hospitality.

• Hotel · 2019

  Ovolo Nishi

  Ovolo Nishi is the Canberra property formerly known as Hotel Hotel. Ovolo acquired the property in 2018 and renamed it in March 2019, incorporating a distinctive design-focused Canberra hotel into the Ovolo portfolio.

• Food and beverage · 2020

  Restaurants and vegetarian dining programme

  Ovolo operates or has operated restaurants connected with its hotels. In 2020, the group applied a vegetarian food policy across its hotels and restaurants for a 365-day period, making dining a visible part of its lifestyle and sustainability positioning.

• 2020365-Day Vegetarian Programme

  Hong Kong · Australia

  Ovolo made its hotel and restaurant food offerings vegetarian for 365 days across the group. The initiative connected the brand’s hospitality experience with lifestyle and sustainability themes.

  Outcome. The available reference material confirms the one-year operating commitment but does not provide measured commercial or environmental results.

  Source

• 2020

  Adopt a vegetarian food policy for 365 daysStrategy

  Background

  Ovolo used portfolio-wide service and dining initiatives to reinforce its lifestyle-oriented brand identity.

  Action taken

  All Ovolo hotels and restaurants switched to vegetarian offerings for a 365-day period.

  Aftermath

  The available sources do not report financial results, customer metrics, or the policy after the stated period.

  Source

• 2018

  Acquire Hotel Hotel in CanberraM&A

  Background

  Ovolo was expanding its Australian presence and pursuing distinctive properties suited to its design-led hospitality model.

  Action taken

  The group purchased Hotel Hotel in Canberra.

  Aftermath

  The property was renamed Ovolo Nishi in March 2019.

  Source

• 2015

  Introduce Mojo NomadProduct launch

  Background

  The company sought to extend its accommodation model toward flexible work and community-oriented lodging.

  Action taken

  Ovolo launched a live-in coworking programme under the Mojo Nomad name.

  Aftermath

  The reference material does not provide later operating or financial data for the programme.

  Source

1. 1Ovolo Hotelsen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Ovolo Hotels official websiteovolohotels.com