The Karim family is a family of entrepreneurs. Coming from a family of entrepreneurs, one could say it was a matter of time before Chayadi Karim (BBM 2015) would become one himself. After climbing the corporate ladder for four years as a research analyst for tourism-related industries, while working on a travel-tech start-up on the side, Chayadi took the plunge and founded KINN in late 2019.
The time he spent as a travel research analyst helped him observe market trends and an emerging behaviour amongst the younger generation. According to Chayadi, millennial travellers are well-travelled and savvy with their budget, preferring to spend on unique travel experiences and products. Recognising that hotels are where travellers spend much of their time at, he decided to launch a luxury capsule hotel to address the growing interest by providing modern travellers with the luxuries of a boutique upscale hotel, but with affordable price points and community spirit of backpackers’ hostels.
KINN was the product of months of conceptualisation and design. An amalgamation of the words "kin" and "inn"
KINN emphasises modern design, authentic experiences and a community spirit at the heart of its hospitality experience. Besides providing tasteful and economical accommodations, KINN partners with local creative companies and freelancers to offer guests a delightful array of events and workshops centered around the arts. Not only can guests immerse themselves in a variety of unique local experiences, participating companies and freelancers are offered a chance to showcase their crafts to the guests.
At least, that was the plan. KINN would have been ready to receive guests this year but for the COVID-19 pandemic. Travel fears and restrictions, lockdown and circuit breaker measures, all drastically impacted the hospitality industry, and Chayadi found himself with a string of issues, including delayed renovation works, rejection of short-term guests in capsule hotels; and later, occupancy rates to be capped at 50%, to name a few.
As Chayadi dug deep to salvage his business and kick-start revenue flow, he realised that there were many others who were also struggling, and possibly in worse-off situations. In particular, local freelancers who have been engaged by KINN – were left jobless as gigs were cancelled with no sight of things letting up. Chayadi swung into action and launched online workshops in collaboration with several of these local freelancers. Through KINN’s platform, the initiative provided the freelancers with an opportunity to earn some revenue and tide them through. Interestingly, for many of these freelancers, this was their first foray into the virtual space and KINN provided all the required support to ensure success. At time of writing, three different workshops had already been organised, with positive responses from both freelancers and participants. Chayadi attributed the success of this effort to the dedication that individuals had to their vision.
In another initiative to help businesses ride out the COVID-19 storm, Chayadi started offering his hotel space to local companies that required a photoshoot venue. This initiative benefited several local businesses as well as fellow-SMU alumni, such as Collaro Classic Menswear (see other story in this edition). Chayadi met the founders of Collaro through the SMU alumni network, and acknowledged that it was through connections like these that provided tangible support for businesses alike as well as encouraged one another to persevere.
He praised the alumni community, noting its strong sense of camaraderie in helping and supporting each other through tough times.
Chayadi reflects, “Just as all good things come to an end, so will tough times. A crisis such as the pandemic offers many lessons for fledgling entrepreneurs to learn from, and these lessons can prepare them for the post-pandemic world. More importantly, we need to remain positive in the face of adversity. ”
For more information on KINN, please visit: https://staywithkinn.com/
