Skift Take
Relais & Châteaux goes beyond a focus on independent luxury properties with a specialty in cuisine, attracting a specific segment of high-spending leisure travelers who want a quality guarantee on both the hospitality and culinary aspects of their stay.
Editor’s Note: This interview is part of Skift's CEO interview series. This series is with hospitality CEOs talking about the Future of the Guest Experience and the evolving expectations and demands of hotel guests. Check out all the interviews as they come out here. Also, enjoy the previous series on the Future of Travel Booking, with online travel CEOs.
In the vast space between independent hotels and global hotel brands sit several hospitality consortia and organizations that provide some of the same marketing and promotional functions as large operators while remaining dedicated to the unique characteristics of their portfolio properties.
One such organization is Relais & Châteaux, a collection of 450 independent hotels and approximately 80 restaurants across 64 countries. The organization was created in 1954 with just eight properties in France.
The network is distinguished by its strict culinary admission standards. Unlike similar networks like Leading Hotels