Wild Ride

Luxury hotel chain Karma Group took root when its founder, John Spence, fell in love with Goa in 1993. His unusual stairway to success—a great story in itself—keeps him coming back to explore new facets of India

- Pankti Mehta Kadakia

John Spence has a curious story to success, peppered with quirks and narrow escapes. Now the CEO and Chairman of luxury hotel company Karma Group, his entrepreneurial journey began unusually—buying bags of wine gums, rewrapping them and selling them at almost 120 per cent profit!

Soon found out, Spence enrolled at university, but dropped out of college early on to pursue a career in music. Moving up from a tea boy designation, he ended up representing bands such as Bananarama and Culture Club in the 1980s. As fate would have it, he toured India in 1993, fell in love with Goa’s sprawling beaches, and the idea of luxury hospitality in India. Goa is where Spence set up his first luxury resort. Years later, India still remains on top of Karma Group’s agenda. Spence tells BlackBook about what keeps pulling him back to the country.

Tell us a little about your beginnings—were you business-minded as a teenager?

As a teenager I was certainly attracted to the idea of making profits and earning money. I initially went to university to study English, but dropped out after two terms because I thought I was the greatest guitarist in the world. Reality soon proved me wrong.

How did you go from a career in music to one in hospitality?

The music industry was not an easy business. My job was to sign on bands from all around the world, which often meant travelling alone to various resorts. It was this life of constant travel that developed my current passion for hotels. After four years in the music business, I took a break and went to stay with my mother. During that hiatus, I met a gentleman from America involved in the hospitality space, who suggested that I come and work for him. Despite thinking it was a crazy idea that would change my life considerably, I took him up on his offer, and I’ve never looked back.