But isn't that also true of all the other affiliations - Small Luxury Hotels of the World, Design Hotels, The Leading Hotels of the World, etc etc?

Members pay to be part of their directories and sometimes I wonder at the selection process. Some affiliations publish details of members that have yet to open.

All these directories are essentially marketing tools for mostly independently owned and run hotels/resorts. With the increase in internet hotel research, they are, IMHO, becoming less relevant.