Olive launches AI-native Open Hotels, eyes ₹200 cr revenue in FY26

Embassy Group's Olive introduces Open Hotels, a fully remote-run brand using AI and live video reception, with plans to scale to 130 hotels and go global by 2030

Bengaluru-based Embassy Group’s hospitality arm, Olive, has launched Open Hotels, a fully remote-operated, AI-native hotel brand. The new sub-brand aims to integrate around 130 hotels and generate ₹200 crore in revenue within this financial year.

 

Open claims to have replaced traditional front desks with live video reception, handled centrally. Operational staff remain onsite, but the overall staff-to-room ratio drops from 0.7 to 0.3—a 57 per cent efficiency gain.

 

Commenting on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and technology in hospitality, Kahraman Yigit, chief executive officer and co-founder, Olive by Embassy, told Business Standard, “Hospitality is all about the human touch. Technology is enhancing that by taking over the routine tasks, which frees us to focus more on our guests and the experiences we create for them. It’s not replacing hospitality, it is elevating it. We also expect generative AI to play a role in this space.”

 

 

The newly launched programme offers two types of models under its portfolio. First, the franchise model, where hotel owners manage their own staff while accessing Open’s full tech stack. Second, owners can opt for Open to run operations via its remote AI command centre. In both cases, deployment is designed to be plug-and-play and capex-free.

 

Yigit further said, “We were the first to run hotel receptions through video conferencing. Once we layered in Voice AI and analytics, guest satisfaction and profit margins surged.”

 

Currently, Olive’s aggregator programme operates across 12 hotels in five locations—Bengaluru, Chikkamagaluru, Mysore, Hyderabad and Vijayawada. These projects are all brownfield developments.

 

By 2030, the brand aims to be operational in 1,000 hotels across India. It also plans to expand globally in the near future.

 

Open has filed a patent application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for its Remote Hotel Management System.

 

As per Hotelivate '2024 Indian Hospitality' report, with 2.5 million existing hotel rooms, India is primed to produce a one million-room hotel brand. Open aims to lead that charge - while exporting India’s hospitality talent remotely.