After running away from an orphanage in India at the age of 12 years and working all sorts of jobs, Amar Nath Taneja eventually found his calling in Nairobi, Africa. He made his first investment by putting everything he had on the line and opening a small restaurant. Slowly, he purchased the apartment units above his restaurant until he owned the building. This building became his family’s first hotel.
After having the Amar Hotel expropriated by the Kenyan government during times of political unrest, the Family business was restarted through the acquisition of an 82-bedroom hotel in Earls Court, London, in the United Kingdom. Following this purchase, it continued to acquire, renovate, and resell hotels throughout the United Kingdom.
The purchase of a loss making hotel-booking agency, First Option, was pivotal as the Company quickly developed expertise in hospitality sales & marketing. The family turned around the business which eventually grew into one of the largest in the United Kingdom with booking offices in countries such as USA, Canada, France, Germany and Scotland.
Through the acquisition of the Inn on the Lake, which eventually turned into the Four Points Sheraton, Toronto Lakeshore, the Company expanded operations into Canada. The hotel underwent a $4.5 million dollar renovation, adding 80 rooms and a new floor of conference space into the hotel.
By aligning the group of family businesses together under one brand, Palm Holdings, the Company created a more formal structure from a divisional and geographical perspective and established head office locations in London, England, and Toronto, Canada.
Expanding into the United States, the Company acquired the bank owned Paradise Coast Hotel, which it subsequently renovated into the Holiday Inn Express and Suites Fifth Avenue in Naples, Florida.
Palm Holdings acquired their largest hotel in the portfolio to date, the 444 bedroom Holiday Inn Orlando, Celebration. This was a milestone project that underlined the diversity in the Palm Holdings portfolio, which comprised a mix of boutique, limited service, and now large full-service hotels.
2018 marked the first portfolio acquisition by Palm Holdings and their partners, making them a truly national company with hotels across Ontario, Nova Scotia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Quebec. On March 29th, 2018, the group purchased a 12-hotel portfolio, bringing more than 1,700 rooms and over 500 associates into its portfolio. Palm Holdings’ non-core assets were subsequently sold as the Company held onto strategic assets to extract longer-term value.
Palm Holdings is a family business, and we invite guests into our extended homes, our hotels, as hosts. We aim to display the same warmth, hospitality and gratitude that guests would experience in our personal home. We treat our team mates with the same love, care and respect as those in our family.
Guests, and team mates should feel valued, special and recognized.
An extended family working together to strive for excellence and leverage individual strengths for a united outcome.
We celebrate individuality, diversity and our differences.
Being bold is fearless while overcoming obstacles your choices and decisions present. We want you to be bold, take risks and showcase your talents.
Embrace Change.
We want to earn the trust of everyone in the Palm family, guests, and suppliers through the guiding principles and authenticity of our core values.