A Revival: Embarking on New Journeys

While their properties are gradually reopening around the world, Relais & Châteaux, a non-profit association, has chosen the symbolic date of May 12, the day of its founding in 1954, to give a voice to the change makers within the network. Through their testimonials, those who shape the future of the hospitality industry explain their hope of building back better after this time for reflection.

Pioneering a more conscious approach to travel

67 years ago, eight hoteliers and chefs in France, united by shared values, signed the birth certificate of what has become the most prestigious hospitality association in the world. Pioneering the art of slow travel, the network brings together women and men passionate about a place and promoting their culture and cuisine, offering travellers a real connection to local people, while playing an active role in the preservation of their respective environment. Established in all regions of the world, from Tokyo to New York, from Provence to the plains of Montana, via the islands of Oceania or the savannah in Africa, the 580 properties located in more than 60 countries are each the embodiment of a living heritage.

Conscious travel is rooted in Relais & Châteaux’s DNA and in its sustainability initiatives. The members join forces alongside international NGOs such as Slow Food International and Ethic Ocean in the support of good causes: protection of marine species (Relais & Châteaux chefs committed in 2009 to stop serving Bluefin tuna, and the fish stock is doing much butter now), fight against overfishing (petitioning against electric pulse fishing in 2018), safeguarding heirloom ingredients at risk of extinction (adding products to Slow Food’s Ark of Taste), promoting best practice beekeeping in favour of local biodiversity, etc.

A renaissance and accelerating effects of the pandemic

"Like all the major players in the sector, Relais & Châteaux has withstood the biggest crisis it has ever faced, and the situation is still critical in some countries. Today, hope is reborn and most of our properties throughout the world are starting to welcome guests again to a new and different world. The pandemic has changed us in many ways and our clients are looking to travel back better. Now more than ever, travellers are searching for what Relais & Châteaux do best: authentic experiences that are off the beaten path and respectful of the environment. As of early May, the number of bookings at Relais & Châteaux for the summer has already returned to 2019 levels, and it is even higher in countries such as the United States and England. Some properties are almost full until the end of October in those countries," explains Philippe Gombert, International President of Relais & Châteaux.

While the pandemic affected the tourism industry in an unprecedented way, this sudden interruption allowed many owners and managers of Relais & Châteaux properties to take a step back - a time to consider their profession from a new angle and generate ideas to push their vision of hospitality one-step further.

Now at a time of gradual reopening, three local North American members of the association share their findings and insights from the last year; additional quotes are available upon request:

Charles McDiarmid, Managing Director, The Wickaninnish Inn

“During the period where we were able to safely open last summer and early fall, we recognized not all guests would be wholly comfortable with our high-touch, personalized levels of service and we endeavored to offer the same level of quality while respecting personal space. Some of the new initiatives we implemented above and beyond what have already been mentioned are:

• We created a new position of “Welcome Ambassador” to greet guests as they arrived on the property grounds which helped to ensure we were able to always maintain comfortable physical distancing, reduce the number of casual walk-through guests who just wanted to view the property, provide a welcome personal greeting while answering questions, providing information, and advising arriving guests what to expect.
• We created another new position of “Housekeeping Concierge” to reach out to each arriving guest to customize how and when guests would like to have their room serviced during their stay.
• We offered Roomba Robot vacuums to guests for cleaning guest carpets for those guests who wanted a touch up but were not so comfortable having a member or our team in their guestroom.
• We added a selection of videos to our in-room iPads to serve a variety of needs such as to provide guests a welcome introduction to their guest room and all the amenities therein or accessible on an ask for basis, introduction to our Clefs d’Or Concierge services that are normally done in person.
• We expanded our dining spaces into nearby public spaces that were now not being utilized for guest relaxation and interaction to ensure sufficient space to provide 6 ft. physical distancing yet able to accommodate everyone for all meal periods.
• To ensure guest comfort levels we kept all our guest rooms out of service for at least 24 hours between guests.”

George Goeggel, Managing Partner, Auberge du Soleil

“The magnitude of the pandemic changed everything not only for the short term but for years to come. The effects were particularly severe for those of us who work in the hospitality industry where our entire purpose revolves around personal interaction. Putting restrictions on the human aspects of our roles has been a challenge for team members and guests alike. But in a way that challenge created a deeper appreciation for each other and for the special, welcoming atmosphere we, as hoteliers, create for our guests. At least for the bit of time guests are with us they can forget their troubles and allow themselves to be carried away. This is important for everyone now more than ever. For our teams, the pandemic required out-of-the-box thinking and an increased emphasis on collaboration. This mindset allowed us to be nimble and implement things like touchless menus, and temperature check stations. We had to find ways to heighten experiences and make guests feel safe while taking away familiar elements they expect (like books, magazines, newspapers, and fresh fruit in their guest rooms and early morning coffee and pastries in guest reception). Everyone found themselves taking on new and different responsibilities given the reduction in our workforce. It was great to see everyone working together to come up with ideas for sharing something positive, creative, or sustainable with our guests outside the norm.”

David Kinch, Owner and Executive Chef, Manresa

“Due to the changes in labor, and a lot of the COVID restrictions with social distancing, we have reconfigured our dining room set up, and plan to take some tables out and concentrate even more on a personalized guest experience. We always aimed to impart the feeling of welcoming guests into a home and not into a business and will build on that more than ever. We do not want to open the restaurant where we left off, and instead will be re-opening in a dynamic fashion, incorporating what we have learned over this past year.”