Small Luxury Hotels of the World has launched a collection of private residences with 10 rooms or less.
Called Private Residences by SLH, the handpicked collection promises ‘the personal service of a small luxury hotel with the private space of an exclusive-use villa, ski chalet, estate and yacht’ and ‘offering five star services and facilities’.
The initiative comes after a survey of 13,000 SLH Club members found just over a quarter identified ‘privacy and intimacy’ the most important factor when booking a luxury holiday.
CEO Paul Kerr said in 2013 the group saw a ‘significant increase’ in the number of small hotels applying to join the brand, which was another indicator of a growing trend.
"In 2014, we have already seen a 27% increase year on year in the number of exclusive-use hotels (under 10 rooms) wanting to join SLH," he said.
"We also saw a similar trend in the SLH Club statistics; in 2013 we saw a 43% increase in the number of Club members spending over $750 per night when compared to 2012 (679 bookings in 2012 compared to 973 bookings in 2013).
"The rise in cost per night is in effect Club members booking multiple rooms for their families. When I spoke with the other departments about this growth, it was clear that there was a niche in the hotel market, with a rising customer demand."
Already in the collection are the MUSE Pangkor Laut Estates, part of Pangkor Laut Resort in Malaysia, and Foxhill Manor in the Cotswolds, the little sister to SLH’s Dormy House Hotel.
