"We want the excellence that SLH hotels are renowned for to permeate every aspect of our business operation and as such we place huge importance on the first interaction that a potential SLH hotel has with the brand," commented Paul Kerr, Joint Managing Director of Small Luxury Hotels of the World. "By making the application process as seamless and efficient as possible we believe that it sets the benchmark for what hotels can expect from the brand," Mr Kerr added.

Providing an enhanced on-line capability means that the entire application process is accelerated, resulting in successful hotels being able to reap the benefits of SLH much quicker. Also, by being totally transparent about its fee structure and benefits, SLH hopes to minimise the to-ing and fro-ing of enquiries. The new site is very interactive and acts as much more than a static "information exchange". Users are encouraged to explore the site to learn more about the selection criteria, the inspection process, the benefits, the return on investment, and so on.

One of the key feature's of SLH's new Development website is its multi-lingual functionality. The site has been translated into four different languages - English, Spanish, Mandarin and Japanese - with the option to download the development brochure in any one of these languages. The availability of the Development website in both Mandarin and Japanese is critical to SLH's strategy to further develop the brand in North Asia.

Global awareness of the SLH brand is at its highest. Earlier this year, the New York-based Luxury Institute named SLH "The Most Prestigious Luxury Hotel Brand" for 2007, as well as the luxury hotel brand most worthy of a price premium. Accolades such as this, as well as SLH's ability to consistently deliver strong return on investment, continue to be a catalyst in driving demand to be part of the brand. With RevPAR registering a double-digit growth of 16% in 2006 and average room rates delivered via the SLH booking channels showing an increase of 8% year-on-year, the benefits of being part of SLH speak for themselves.

Applications to be part of SLH are stronger than ever as the growth of the luxury boutique market has been spurred by an increase in consumer demand. However, SLH's selection criteria remain strict and only 5% of applications are successful. Nonetheless, SLH welcomed over 70 new hotels in 2007 and has already accepted a further 20 hotels for 2008, placing it well on target to achieve 450 hotels in close to 70 countries by the end of the year.

Hotels interested in becoming part of the SLH brand can visit www.joinslh.com for more detailed information.