Lotte is expanding beyond confectionery in Kazakhstan. The South Korean group plans to enter the country’s hospitality sector with its first Lotte-branded hotel in Almaty, while also considering a hotel and residences in Alatau City, DKNews.kz reports.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev discussed the company’s investment plans with Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin during talks in Seoul. The agenda covered food production, logistics, hospitality and the development of Alatau City.
First Lotte-Branded Hotel Planned for Almaty
The most tangible new project is the planned Lotte hotel in Almaty.
Tokayev welcomed the signing of an agreement for the project and pointed to the potential for Lotte to further expand its presence in Kazakhstan.
Following the meeting, Hotel Lotte Co., Ltd. and Sensata Invest exchanged a memorandum of understanding on the construction of a Lotte hotel in Almaty.
No investment amount, construction schedule or opening date for the Almaty hotel was announced in the information released after the meeting.
The project would give Lotte another line of business in a country where the Korean group has already established a long-term presence through the food industry.
Rakhat Remains at the Core of Lotte’s Kazakhstan Business
Tokayev described Lotte as a long-standing partner that has made a significant contribution to economic cooperation between Kazakhstan and South Korea.
He specifically highlighted the company’s work with the Rakhat brand and the modernization of production facilities in Almaty and Shymkent.
Lotte’s connection with the Kazakh confectionery producer dates back more than a decade. The Korean group’s official corporate history records its acquisition of Kazakhstan’s Rakhat in 2013, while Lotte’s current corporate materials list Rakhat among the global brands developed by its food business.
Shin Dong-bin confirmed that the company intends to continue investing in Kazakhstan’s food industry.
Alatau City Could Get a Lotte Hotel and Residences
The company’s plans extend beyond Almaty.
Shin announced Lotte’s intention to participate in Alatau City development projects, including the creation of the Iconic Complex.
The meeting resulted in another memorandum between Lotte and the Alatau City Authority covering a hotel and residential development in the new city.
This builds on negotiations already under way. Kazakhstan and Lotte Hotels & Resorts have been discussing a multifunctional complex in Alatau City with an investment value of more than $200 million. The previously disclosed concept includes an L7 by Lotte hotel with 180 rooms, offices and residential apartments.
Those figures relate to the Alatau City project discussed earlier and should not be confused with the separate Lotte hotel planned for Almaty.
Lotte Is Also Looking at Kazakhstan’s Logistics Market
Hospitality is only one part of the company’s proposed expansion.
Tokayev also highlighted Lotte Global Logistics’ plans to develop transport and logistics infrastructure, with the longer-term goal of improving access to regional and international markets.
Shin confirmed the group’s intention to invest in logistics services alongside food production and hospitality.
That combination broadens Lotte’s position in Kazakhstan considerably. Its existing footprint is centered on consumer goods through Rakhat, while the new agenda adds hotels, residential development and logistics infrastructure.
The expansion also comes as Kazakhstan seeks to use Alatau City to attract large international investors. The city’s investment portfolio has already expanded across logistics, energy, digital infrastructure, education and other sectors, with Lotte Hotels & Resorts among the Korean companies being considered for major projects.
For Lotte, the next stage will be measured by how quickly the agreements signed in Seoul turn into construction and investment decisions. For now, neither the Almaty hotel nor the newly announced Alatau City agreement has been accompanied by a publicly disclosed implementation timetable.
Just a day earlier, we reported that Korean companies were preparing to enter Alatau City’s energy and hospitality sectors, including Lotte’s proposed multifunctional complex worth more than $200 million.
