Royal Orchid Hotels has appointed Keshav Baljee as Executive Director. The decision was approved by the Board of Directors and signals the company’s next phase of structured expansion and brand consolidation.
Board Elevates Long-Standing Director
Keshav Baljee has served on the Board since 2019. During this period, he contributed to strategic planning, strengthened the asset-light model and refined the company’s brand architecture across markets.
His elevation formalises the leadership role he has already been playing within the organisation. As Executive Director, he will lead the overall growth strategy of Royal Orchid Hotels.
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Previous Tenure at Royal Orchid Hotels
Keshav Baljee previously served as President of Royal Orchid Hotels from 2007 to 2011. During that period, the portfolio expanded from four to 24 hotels in less than five years. Over 1.2 million square feet of hospitality assets were jointly developed during this growth phase.
He led investor relations, private equity and debt engagements, and institutionalised governance and corporate processes. He also initiated the asset-light strategy and signed the company’s first management contracts. That vertical now includes over 100 operational third-party management contracts.
Entrepreneurial Background and Hospitality Ventures
Keshav Baljee is the Founder of Kensington Villas, a luxury villa development company with projects in Alibaug. Earlier, he founded and led Spree Hotels, building it into a pan-India hotel management company under the “Zip by Spree” and “Spree” brands.
Spree Hotels also operated in facilities and clubhouse management before being sold to Ease My Trip, a listed travel conglomerate.
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Education and Early Career
An alumnus of the Indian School of Business and the Jerome Fisher Program in Management and Technology at the University of Pennsylvania, Keshav Baljee began his professional journey in investment banking. He worked with Lehman Brothers and UBS, specialising in mergers and acquisitions, before returning to India to scale hospitality and real estate platforms.
The Board of Royal Orchid Hotels expressed confidence that his entrepreneurial orientation, financial discipline and operational clarity will guide the company through its next stage of growth.
