Visiting some of the most famous Leading Hotels of the World is like having a date with history. The Hotel Sacher in Vienna, opened in 1876, invites you to follow in the footsteps of the aristocracy of the Belle Époque or famous writers such as Graham Greene.
Delving into the Leading Hotels of the World, Relais & Châteaux or Design Hotels guides is a bit like leafing through the Botin mondain de l'hôtellerie haut de gamme, the Who's Who of the great names in the art of living, or a magazine on the latest trends in interior design. If their business takes them to New York or Tokyo - and their company's travel policy allows them to do so - they can stay at the legendary Leading Pierre or Imperial. If they're playing hooky, they'll appreciate the gourmet delights of Relais & Châteaux seminars by Jean-Michel Lorrrain or Michel Guérard. Finally, whether at the aptly named Hotel Unique in Sao Paulo, the Brown TLV in Tel Aviv or the Waterhouse in Shanghai, they will find the trendy atmosphere of these Design Hotels a reflection of the hustle and bustle of rapidly changing metropolises.
These three chains belong to the gotha of these 'voluntary' networks bringing together independent establishments or small hotel groups with strong personalities. Of course, during their travels, nomadic professionals will certainly have noticed other top-of-the-range labels, announced by a golden sign on the hotel door. Among the most prominent internationally are Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH), which brings together nearly 520 intimate five-star hotels, the Preferred Hotel galaxy, comprising 650 four- and five-star hotels under the Preferred, Summit and Sterling brands, and Worldhotels, a conglomerate of some five hundred business hotels. Not to mention the countless Best Western hotels, the world's leading hotel chain with over 4,000 hotels and its top-of-the-range Best Western Premier chain. For their part, French towns and regions are the natural setting for chains that play on the charm trump card. These include Relais & Châteaux, of course, but also Châteaux et Hôtels Collection.
Under the presidency of Alain Ducasse, the chain has found a new lease of life and now boasts 520 establishments, mostly in France, but also in Italy. Another major player, Hôtels et Préférence, offers 150 upmarket hotels, mainly in Paris and the provinces. However, the largest French networks in terms of size are not positioned in the four- and five-star segment, but in the mid-range and budget segments. Inter Hotel, Citotel, Logis: these brands have succeeded in spreading out across the country, bringing together hundreds of family-run establishments under their wings as generous stopping-off points for business travellers in secondary towns.
"United we stand, divided we fall". While not a revolutionary idea in itself, it was the idea behind the Leading Hotels of the Roaring Twenties. This was long before the big hotel chains began to cover the world with their standardised brands. In those days of transatlantic travel, Vuitton trunks and long luxury stays, some thirty European hotel owners decided to join forces to attract the elite of international travellers. The first office of what was then the Leading Hotels of Europe opened in New York in 1928 to attract wealthy American clients. From generation to generation, the tradition continues. Six of the 36 original members still belong to the group: the Hôtel du Palais in Biarritz, the Negresco in Nice, the Hôtel de Paris and the Hermitage in Monaco, the Ritz in Madrid and the King David in Jerusalem.
The road to happiness
A little later, it was the Nationale 7 that gave birth to the Relais & Chateaux success story. Although the name didn't really make its appearance until 1975, the brand was in fact the continuation of the "relais de campagne" founded in 1954, i.e. eight hotels set up along this legendary road which "makes Paris a small suburb of Valence and the suburb of Saint- Paul de Vence"As Trenet once sang. Of the founding members, only the Auberge des Templiers in Les Bézards, Sologne, is still part of this association, which has continued to expand its brand abroad. Recognised worldwide, the Fleurdelisé label brings together a myriad of multi-starred chefs who share a certain idea of the art of living. Whether French, American or Japanese.
But beware: not just anyone can join these prestigious networks. A chain like Leading Hotels - a benchmark in the field since its subsidiary Leading Quality Assurance carries out quality control at the Mandarin Oriental, Four Seasons and RitzCarlton - gives its approval on the basis of a multitude of criteria, not to mention annual inspections to ensure that the chain's standards are maintained. Of course, as with any closed club, membership of a voluntary chain comes at a cost: an entrance fee, an annual royalty and commission on bookings made through the chain. This is hardly surprising, since as well as being able to display a recognised logo, hoteliers are above all asking these networks to respond to their marketing problems. Located near avenue Montaigne, the San Regis hotel has been a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World for 14 years. This gives it both a presence on the GDSs - the preferred booking channels for travel agents - and privileged relationships with the major players in the business travel sector. "A single hotel does not have access to the American Express or Carlson Wagonlit business platforms.explains Sabrina Blanc Miele, Public Relations Ambassador France for SLH and Sales Manager for the San Régis hotel. You have to be part of the American Express Preferred programme, which is what SLH offers. It's the same in the leisure segment. SLH is an Amex partner for the concierge services associated with Centurion and Platinum cards, enabling us to reach this wealthy clientele."
"We want to offer our members logistics similar to those of integrated chains"Richard Mc Ginnis, Regional Director for France and Benelux at Leading Hotels of the World (LHW). Within this framework, the representatives of the voluntary networks act as ambassadors for their members to travel agencies and companies. This ensures a large volume of business customers for hotels located in the world's major cities. "In Paris, our sales office works closely with the major accounts of the CAC 40 and the luxury sector, in Los Angeles with the world of cinema, and in London with the world of finance, explains Richard Mc Ginnis. To reach emerging customers, our French hotels rely heavily on our offices in Sao Paulo, Shanghai, Beijing and Bombay. Even the world-famous Ritz needs these foreign sales offices."
Of course, when it comes to Small Luxury, Relais & Châteaux or Châteaux & Hôtels Collection, hotels away from the main business circuits tend to predominate, with green corners of paradise, houses steeped in history, resorts set along endless beaches... all unique places to hold small meetings and VIP events. Hoteliers have no qualms about playing up these exclusive features, showcasing their soul-filled meeting rooms or top-of-the-range incentives. In this respect, the voluntary chains are organising themselves to open the doors of the business tourism market to their affiliates. "Right from the start, in 2000, our promise to hoteliers was to increase the number of events held in their establishments.says Yannick Gavelle, founder of Hôtels et Préférence. The networks continue to boost relations between their affiliates and organisers. To this end, while Relais & Châteaux is devoting a website to its "exceptional seminars" and Châteaux & Hôtels Collection is publishing a MICE guide, Worldhotels has just relaunched its World Events programme. "Independent hotels are often more creative and flexible than their chain counterparts. For organisers and companies, we offer a selection of hotels, 25 to start with - including the Monte Carlo Bay, for example - and probably 70 in the end, all of which can host meetings in a personalised way."says Geof Andrew, Director of Operations at WorldHotels.
All these networks say they are willing. And it's true that it takes determination to stand out in an increasingly competitive world. Via online booking sites - the famous Booking, Expedia, Hotels.com - owners can now sell their establishment without necessarily relying on a strong label. Added to this is the appetite of the sector's giants, who are seeking to fill their portfolios with less standardised establishments through their new 'light' brands. But while the sirens of the big global groups may be seductive, voluntary chains are no less attractive. "Recently, Preferred welcomed around twenty hotels from hotel groups that are now following an independent path.says Terri McCollin, the channel's Director of Public Relations in Europe. For example, the Hôtel du Collectionneur in Paris, a former Hilton, or the Stafford and Bentley in London, both former Kempinskis.." While some groups, such as Peninsula and Mandarin Oriental, whose hotels were members of LHW just a few years ago, have chosen to rely on their own distribution channels, others still place their trust in these highly reputed labels. These include Taj, One & Only and Rocco Forte at LHW, NH Hotels, which has entrusted Preferred with the task of promoting its new NH Collection, and the Portuguese group Tivoli and the Korean group Lotte at Worldhotels.
Exclusive flavours
To increase their impact, voluntary networks are rewarding customer loyalty even more than before. Last year, with iPrefer, Preferred Hotel was one of the first to offer a reward programme based on a points model, just like the airlines. Châteaux & Hôtels Collection also unveiled its 'The Collectors' programme this year and Worldhotels launched Peakpoints. "Of course, you have major American business travellers who only go to Marriott or Hilton because they have millions of points with them. Loyalty is an important element, and in 2015 we are going to add more emotional services to this programme."explains Geof Andrew. Loyalty rewards in the form of 'plus' services still have their fans, such as the SLH Club, which entitles members to personalised benefits, or the Relais & Châteaux 5C Club, which offers its members unique experiences, such as shopping in the company of top chefs. LHW also plays on exclusivity with its paid Leaders Club programme. Two packages are available. The first, called Access (150 $), offers free internet and breakfast, as well as early check-in and late check-out, subject to availability. The Unlimited card (1,200 $) opens the doors to 600 airport lounges and offers airport-hotel limousine services in some thirty major world cities.
The fact remains that the surest way of winning the graces of nomadic travellers is to accompany them on their journeys. "Over the last two years, we have been extending our offer to major European cities such as Brussels, Munich and Barcelona, while also seeking out new affliés in Italy and London."says Yannick Gavelle. South American, African and above all Asian cities are all the rage. Worldhotels, but also Leading, Preferred, SLH and even Relais et Châteaux, with a hotel in Beijing and another in Shanghai, or Hôtels et Préférence, present in Shanghai, Kunming and Shenzhen, are very active there. Nevertheless, competition with the leaders in this sector is also fierce. Here too, competition with the hotel leaders is strong. "In some destinations, there are virtually no independent hotels, particularly in Hong Kong. Which is frustratingadmits Richard Mc Ginnis. Nevertheless, we are not compromising on our quality standards. We want to maintain a clear positioning so that travellers think Leading rather than Marriott.". Replace Leading with Small Luxury, Preferred, WorldHotels etc. and you'll get an idea of the mindset of these strong-willed players.
Leaders in the hotel industry: the major groups are getting in on the act too
While two-thirds of the world's hotels are independent - with the exception of North America, where the ratio is exactly the opposite - several major hotel groups have launched their own 'light' brands to attract owners: Mariott's Autograph Collection, Hilton's Curio, Carlson Rezidor's Quorvus Collection, Accor's MGallery, Starwood's Luxury Collection... While these new brands are often developed under the more restrictive franchise model, some would be prepared to review their strategy and give up some of their freedom in exchange for a super-powerful commercial strike force. "Marriott.com is the world's eighth-largest online retailer, generating $14 billion in revenue.The Autograph Collection brand is one of the most successful in Europe," says John Licence, European Brand Manager for Autograph Collection. Not to mention thousands of key account customers...".We, the major hotel groups, offer an alternative to owners who want to rely on powerful distribution channels, without being tied hand and foot to online agencies."underlines Éric de Neef, while adding: "the groups are breaking out of their narrow confines. While we are very strong in distribution, we recognise that an independent hotelier can do a better job than we can."Thanks to their know-how, the Quorvus Collection will enable Carlson Rezidor to position itself in a segment where the group has always had difficulties, in this case luxury.
