Laurent Gardinier is the new president of Relais &
Chateaux, but he is no stranger to the venerable luxury lodging association.
The owner of two member properties, he has been with the network for 18 years.
And like many fellow members, his properties boast Michelin stars – in his case
two stars for the restaurants in each location.
With 580 properties in 65 countries on five continents, the
organization’s philosophy remains “creating a better world through cuisine and
hospitality.” Each property is owned and operated by independent entrepreneurs
– most often families. Members include hotels, restaurants and even ships. All
told, there are 800 restaurants with a total of 340 stars in the Michelin
guide, including 37 restaurants with three stars, 64 with two stars and 101
with one star. (With a few exceptions, hotels must have restaurants.)
Within the member locations are 600 villas and 157 spas. The
properties are small and there are only a total of 13,487 rooms and suites.
Impressively, according to Gardinier, the association receives 500 applications
a year and 25 are accepted. And each affiliate remains fiercely independent,
according to Gardinier, who said Relais & Chateaux has no control over the
members’ daily operations. Each property undergoes a standards inspection every
three years.
With the common thread of a strong local connection, each
Relais & Chateaux represents a different experience – which could be a
hacienda in Argentina, a castle in Ireland or a boutique hotel in London. The
group also has 146 Routes de Bonheur, suggested itineraries that connect
properties. Members generate 2.8 billion euros in revenue annually, with a good
percentage of bookings through travel advisors.
There are also three cruise members: Delfin Amazon Cruises,
Ecoventura Galapagos and Le Ponant, a sailing yacht. More cruise members would
be welcome, according to Gardinier, if they align with the association’s values
and standards.
With all the accolades that the association enjoys,
Gardinier is bringing a new vision. Aside from continuing expansion, he is
laser-focused on sustainability. He has two overriding goals:
- to maintain the quality of the network
- to enhance sustainability without “greenwashing.“
While quality has always been a hallmark of the
organization, sustainability is now taking a more prominent place under
Gardinier’s leadership. While members are inspected on a 500-point scale, those
points are being adjusted to add more emphasis on sustainability. In addition,
a committee will be formed in January whose sole focus will be sustainability.
The group recently announced an ambitious sustainability
plan and released its first report examining the association’s environmental,
social and societal impact. The report, called: “In Search of Hospitality in
Harmony with the Natural World,” seeks to measure, share and accelerate the
association’s progress and highlight the contributions the group’s chefs,
hoteliers and restaurateurs can have on the environment, diversity and local
communities and economies. The association intends to ingrain decarbonization in its culture. By 2025, half of its members
will have measured their carbon footprint, compared with 12% in the baseline
year of 2021.
This environmental emphasis is not new, Relais &
Chateaux has been active in multiple sustainability campaigns, regularly
uniting its members around actions in favor of the environment (two prominent
ones are World Oceans Day and Food for Change).
Another priority is “sustainable cuisine,” which takes into
account the life cycle of dishes, prioritizing local suppliers and supply
chains as well as the preservation of culinary heritage. Finally, the
association underlines the importance of gender parity, diversity and the
working conditions of employees, as well as “geotourism” and local activism.
As for expansion, the association is very strong in Western
Europe, where two-thirds of its members are located. Gardinier said there is
room for growth in North America and Asia. However, he emphasized that “while
we do pursue properties in the regions where we would like more representation,
we won’t go into a market just to be there; standards must be met.”
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