The Hari is entering a new chapter in its international growth, with its hotels in London and Hong Kong — along with the forthcoming The Hari Singapore — set to join IHG Hotels & Resorts’ Vignette Collection later this year.
The move builds on a relationship between the Harilela Group and IHG that stretches back more than five decades and will expand the partnership to six hotels across Asia and Europe.
For The Hari, the appeal of Vignette Collection is its focus on independent luxury and boutique hotels. Properties retain their individual brand identities while gaining access to IHG’s global reach and loyalty program. Hotels considered for the collection must meet specific criteria centred on design, guest experience and community impact.
The expansion also brings a new destination into the Vignette Collection portfolio. When The Hari Singapore opens in spring 2027, it will become the collection’s first property in Singapore.
The three Hari properties are considered the crown jewels of the Harilela Group, with an approach to hospitality built around creating individual guest experiences while establishing strong connections with the neighbourhoods and cities in which they operate. That philosophy closely mirrors Vignette Collection’s emphasis on what it calls “Memorable Rituals” and “A Means For Good.”
“The Hari expresses these ideals through genuine, heartfelt hospitality and impeccable service steeped in my family’s decades-long hospitality legacy,” said Dr Aron Harilela, Chairman and CEO of Harilela Group and founder of The Hari brand. “Our design-led hotels serve as gateways to the art, culture and communities that define their destinations.”
Those connections are visible throughout the hotels themselves. Imagined by acclaimed British interior designer Tara Bernerd, each Hari combines elegant, layered interiors with rotating art collections featuring both established and emerging local artists.
The idea extends beyond the walls of the hotels. In London’s Belgravia and Hong Kong’s Wan Chai, experiences including The Hari Neighbourhood Guide Audio Tour and Wan Chai By Night are designed to take guests beyond familiar visitor attractions and into the characters, traditions and lesser-known corners of their destinations.
Art has become an important part of that local engagement. The annual The Hari Art Prize, supported by donations from the Harilela family, champions emerging artistic talent. The hotels’ community efforts also include ongoing charity partnerships and EarthCheck certifications.
“After decades of owning and developing hotels, we distilled the Harilela Group’s collective experience into a brand that reflects the qualities we always sought in a great hotel,” said Dr Harilela. “The Hari embodies relaxed elegance punctuated by eccentricity, wit, culture and intuitive, heartfelt hospitality. Joining the Vignette Collection preserves The Hari’s character while connecting our brand to a global community of travellers who value individuality and authenticity.”
The agreement also adds momentum to one of IHG’s younger luxury and lifestyle brands. Vignette Collection now has more than 80 open and pipeline hotels as it works toward its ambition of exceeding 100 properties within its first decade.
“With more than 80 open and pipeline hotels, Vignette Collection is tracking ahead of its ambition to reach more than 100 hotels within its first decade,” said Rajit Sukumaran, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, East Asia & Pacific, IHG Hotels & Resorts. “Welcoming The Hari’s portfolio marks Vignette Collection’s debut in Singapore and strengthens our presence in London and Hong Kong.”
For The Hari, the partnership offers something increasingly important in luxury hospitality: the ability to grow globally without surrendering the individuality that helped establish the brand in the first place. With London and Hong Kong already operating and Singapore arriving next spring, The Hari will retain its own name, design philosophy and personality — but with a much larger international network behind it.
