Setting a Relais & Chateaux standard

Relais & Chateaux, the French association that was born back in the early 1950s when eight hotels along the Route Nationale between Paris and Nice launched an advertising campaign called La Route du Bonheur (the Route of Happiness), has now extended its reach to include the Asia-Pacific region.

Included on the list are the Eugenia in Bangkok, the Rachamankha in Chiang Mai and Phuket Pavilions. There are also 27 other venues in Malaysia, Japan, China and Cambodia.

Asia was added to the global list, says R&C president Jaume Tapies, because he wanted European travellers to enjoy a wider experience and feels Asia shares the same values as the West. Venues selected to be a part of the association have to be unique in one way or another.

"Our job is not to just to recommend rooms and food, but the beauty and pleasure of the places."

With money, you can build a hotel to the chain standard, he says. "But no matter how rich you are, you can't build it with charm."

Tapies cites the Eugenia, where the owner is always around to greet his guests. For him, that makes the venue special.

The association traces its origins back to World War II. Driven out of Paris in 1941 by the German invasion, artists Marcel and Nelly Tilloy bought a residence in Baix, in Ardeche, and turned it into a prestigious inn within a decade. After two years of insufficient income, the Tilloys joined with eight other hoteliers and restaurateurs to start Les Relais de Campagne in 1954. Through the years, the membership increased and the group merged with another called Relais Gourmands, becoming Relais & Chateaux in 1975.

To become a member of the association, a hotel has to offer the fundamental "5Cs", Tapies explains. They are courtesy (the quality of the welcome and attentive service); charm (well-appointed properties and elegant interiors); character (unique style); calm (tranquil setting guaranteeing quiet and relaxation); and cuisine (the standard of Relais Gourmands).

The hotel or resort must have between 30 and 100 rooms.

Members are approached by the association. Each pays an annual fee of ¤14,000 (Bt620,000) in exchange for marketing support through the annual guidebook and its hotel-booking system.

Association members are also guaranteed a steady flow of guests. With its 456 hotel members in 54 countries across five continents, the association boasts about one million visitors booking through its system.

"There are chateau fanatics who immediately head to the new places once they receive the updated guide," says Tapies.

The association has just set up its first Asia-Pacific office, in Bangkok.

That's the main reason why the Rachamankha joined the association in January, says its general manager, Choochart Loha-udom. Compared with other hotel guides, the association offers greater access to a niche clientele.

Choochart says the hotel has already made 15 per cent of the annual fee back from reservations through the association. He adds that catering to high-end European travellers also keeps the staff aware of the need to maintain standards.

Every year seven inspectors from Britain, France, Germany and South Africa travel around the world to double-check member venues, covering everything from making reservations to checking out, Tapies explains.

But no matter how high the standards, the association doesn't expect to add many more members to its list.

No actual target number in Thailand has been set, and some 10 to 20 hotels are dropped each year because they don't pass the inspection.

Tapies offers some simple advice to current members as well as the prospective members: "Just keep the heritage and the smile."

Sirinya Wattanasukchai

The Nation