New Relais & Chateaux hotels
Nov 24, 2009, 3:26 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Dublin,Ireland
Posts: 1,294
New Relais & Chateaux hotels
Relais & Chateaux have added 31 new properties to their portfolio. There is a link to the new hotels in this :
http://www.relaischateaux.com/spip.p...d_article=5427
http://www.relaischateaux.com/spip.p...d_article=5427
Nov 25, 2009, 6:56 am
#4
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Here there and everywhere
Posts: 6,303
The problem with Relais & Chateaux is that every year they add to their collection but rarely take anything out and believe me, they need to. Politics, allegedly, makes it very difficult to de-list anyone, especially long-time members in France.
I also miss the old classification system they used to have. Remember? Purple shields for the best and green shields for the most basic. This was very helpful as it steered guests towards the appropriate level of hotel. Now, it seems, everything is equal, in that tedious European Union way. You can, I suppose, just look at the highest prices, but as we all know, this is not necessarily a marker for quality. Bring back the shields, I say!!
I also miss the old classification system they used to have. Remember? Purple shields for the best and green shields for the most basic. This was very helpful as it steered guests towards the appropriate level of hotel. Now, it seems, everything is equal, in that tedious European Union way. You can, I suppose, just look at the highest prices, but as we all know, this is not necessarily a marker for quality. Bring back the shields, I say!!
Nov 26, 2009, 6:17 am
#7
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Here there and everywhere
Posts: 6,303
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.
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.
Nov 26, 2009, 1:02 pm
#8
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: NCE - GVA - MUC
Programs: mosttraveledpeople.com
Posts: 492
Design Hotels do a good job IMHO (relatively consistent hotel quality) and R&C has many hidden gems in the countryside that otherwise would be hard to find.
Nov 27, 2009, 5:42 am
#9
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Here there and everywhere
Posts: 6,303
That is particularly true for LHW where members pay US$ 100.000 ("Small" LHW) to US$ 150.000 per year AFAIK. Fortunately for LHW, a lot of consumers (particularly in the US and Russia I am told) still think that "Leading" is an award. I am surprised that no one has yet attacked them for "mis-leading", given the dramatic drop in member hotel quality (Rotana, Landis, Mlia, Okura, etc.). 15 years ago - and with the original Leader's Club - I was still a fan, but now?
Design Hotels do a good job IMHO (relatively consistent hotel quality) and R&C has many hidden gems in the countryside that otherwise would be hard to find.
Design Hotels do a good job IMHO (relatively consistent hotel quality) and R&C has many hidden gems in the countryside that otherwise would be hard to find.
Design Hotels in my experience vary massively. I have had both great and disastrous experiences with their properties, but at least they have focus.
Relais does let you discover some real countryside gems, but a little more filtering would not go amiss.
Nov 27, 2009, 5:47 am
#10
Join Date: Feb 2005
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 1,068
I agree, Trophy. LHW seems to have lost the plot. Many of their members are by no means the best of their type in each location. This could be due to the fact that most of the high-end groups have gradually pulled out of Leading so that they are left with the second or third best hotels.
Design Hotels in my experience vary massively. I have had both great and disastrous experiences with their properties, but at least they have focus.
Relais does let you discover some real countryside gems, but a little more filtering would not go amiss.
Design Hotels in my experience vary massively. I have had both great and disastrous experiences with their properties, but at least they have focus.
Relais does let you discover some real countryside gems, but a little more filtering would not go amiss.
Nov 27, 2009, 2:06 pm
#11
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: NCE - GVA - MUC
Programs: mosttraveledpeople.com
Posts: 492
Nov 28, 2009, 5:27 am
#12
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Here there and everywhere
Posts: 6,303
Dec 1, 2009, 11:40 am
#13
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 37
Horned Dorset in Puerto Rico
Does Relais and Chateaux have promo codes, such gov't employee, senior?
Can't seem to find anything on their website or on the Horned Dorset's site.
They probably don't condescend to such discounts, but thought I would check anyway.
Thanks. Florence
Can't seem to find anything on their website or on the Horned Dorset's site.
They probably don't condescend to such discounts, but thought I would check anyway.
Thanks. Florence
Dec 1, 2009, 11:54 am
#14
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Here there and everywhere
Posts: 6,303
No, they don't have promo codes and they tend not to have discounts. These are all very small, privately owned properties. Relais & Chateaux just market them.
May 10, 2010, 7:28 am
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: IAD/DCA
Posts: 31,797
The problem with Relais & Chateaux is that every year they add to their collection but rarely take anything out and believe me, they need to. Politics, allegedly, makes it very difficult to de-list anyone, especially long-time members in France.
I also miss the old classification system they used to have. Remember? Purple shields for the best and green shields for the most basic. This was very helpful as it steered guests towards the appropriate level of hotel. Now, it seems, everything is equal, in that tedious European Union way. You can, I suppose, just look at the highest prices, but as we all know, this is not necessarily a marker for quality. Bring back the shields, I say!!
I also miss the old classification system they used to have. Remember? Purple shields for the best and green shields for the most basic. This was very helpful as it steered guests towards the appropriate level of hotel. Now, it seems, everything is equal, in that tedious European Union way. You can, I suppose, just look at the highest prices, but as we all know, this is not necessarily a marker for quality. Bring back the shields, I say!!
of 363 hotels, only 14 had purple shields. (4%) (in 2000 it was blue < yellow < purple)
1956 - chateau de la chevre dor
1970 - chateau st martin
1971 - chewton glen (UK)
1973 * auberge de pere bise
1984 * boyer les crayeres
1987 * manoir quat saisons (UK)
1987 - residence de la pinede
1988 - san pietro (IT)
1991 * auberge de leridan
1992 - gora kadan (JP)
1996 - ellerman house (ZA)
1997 - stonepine (US)
1998 - chateau de bagnols
1999 * reserve de beaulieu
* only 5 with restaurant "award" as well
(XX) only 6 outside france, only 1 with restaurant "award"
Last edited by Kagehitokiri; Jun 26, 2013 at 3:27 pm