The article seemed to be shakey with its assertions in many ways. The Ritz-Carlton one of the world's few "super luxury" chains. Really?
I thought it was odd that the article didn't even address the topic of hotel management/ branding. I don't see how you can even start to address the topic without thinking about what you own, how you license and who manages your hotels. It's the entire ball game.
What makes a luxury chain to me is both hardware and service levels which are at a consistently high level and with some common themes across the world. I stayed at the Chedi Lustica Bay over the weekend and while there were no issues with my stay, it had nothing in common with what I associate with the Chedi brand.