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Relais & Châteaux leader so close, yet so far

Relais & Châteaux President Philippe Gombert misses the travel and interactions with the 580 members of his consortium. But he says despite nine months of confinement due to the pandemic, he has never been so close to the them, thanks to regular videoconferencing.

The crisis – “it’s just a really bizarre situation,” Gombert said – has been tough on the 500 luxury hotels and 80 restaurants, and for Relais & Châteaux itself. The budget was cut by about 40%; fees were reduced by 40% on average.

“And our commissions, of course, were gone,” he said. “Amazingly, member revenue decreased around 40%, on average… We have reserve funds for rainy days and we are in a full storm.”

Find out more about how the pandemic has affected Relais & Châteaux in the latest HOTELSLife interview, and catch up on previous interviews with the hotel industry’s leaders and innovators.

Relais & Chateaux President Philippe Gombert
Relais & Chateaux President Philippe Gombert
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