voluntary chains

Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) passed the 600-hotel mark at the end of last year. To go even further, would you now like to reach the 800 or even 1,000 hotel mark? What would be the right size for your group? Richard Hyde - That's a question we always struggle to answer...

Brit Hotel for Brittany. A land rich in hotel adventures that saw the birth, among others, of the Océania chain in 1975, founded by the Branellec family, who were also behind the beginnings in Brest, in 1990, of B&B Hotels, whose success, later supported by Eurazeo and now Goldman Sachs, now extends as far as the United States. And if...

Leading Hotels of the World, Preferred Hotels & Resorts or Relais & Châteaux: these major labels do not seem to be limited in their development by the wave of collections launched by hotel groups to attract independent hotels into their fold. The largest of these brands, with more than 650 members in...

At the end of last week, Best Western announced the acquisition of WorldHotels, a voluntary chain with a strong business focus. Comprising almost 300 upmarket independent hotels, the brand is present in most of the world's major business centres, with its offering divided into three collections - Luxury, Elite and Distinctive. Best Western continues...

In the same way that the major hotel groups are playing the consolidation card, the key players in the independent hotel sector are strengthening their offerings. Logis, Europe's leading network with 2,200 hotel-restaurants, most of them located in rural areas, intends to strengthen its presence in French towns and cities. To this end, the voluntary chain...

Leading Hotels of the World is celebrating its 90th anniversary today. How do you explain this longevity? 90 years ago, several prestigious Swiss hotels joined forces to open a representative office in New York to reach out to American customers. The result was a Gentlemen's Club that brought together the best of the Swiss...

Civilised. That's probably the best adjective to describe these cosy hotels, some of which offer 'old-fashioned' hospitality with chandeliers and wood panelling, while others are arty and refreshing. In stark contrast to ordinary business establishments, however excellent, these hotels with their singular cachet quietly live their lives away from the big groups. "It's a...

Preferred Hotels is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. What explains this longevity? Lindsey Ueberroth - We focus on the independent luxury hotel scene, unlike the big chains. So we've become experts at identifying what a truly exceptional hotel is, with service that's often family-run and very...

The voluntary Worldhotels chain is to become part of the American Associated Luxury Hotels (ALHI). With a strong focus on business travel, this brand of German origin has 350 top-of-the-range establishments in its membership worldwide, most of them independent hotels or belonging to small groups with a strong local presence, such as...