February 2016

Signing up independent properties allows hotel groups to extend their reach – and enables travellers to earn points in unusual places. Our UK correspondent Jenny Southan has rounded up the big chains’ new collections and share with us her impressions.

There have been collections of independent hotels for some time – Preferred Hotels and Resorts, Leading Hotels of the World, Relais and Châteaux, and so on. Now the chains are attempting to capture a piece of this market, too, by building a portfolio of “curated” independents that measure up to their own in-house audits. In so doing, travellers can enjoy unique experiences, loyalty points, a level of certainty about the quality of their stay, and the possibility of corporate bookings via global distribution systems.

The hotels get more exposure and (hopefully) increased bookings, while chains get paid for signing them up. How would you know you were staying in a hotel that was part of a chain and what benefits do they guarantee? To find out, read our cover article. Enjoy your reading!

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