SECRET Retreats, an Asia-based boutique and independent hotel representation company, has struck an alliance with India’s Rare in a deal that will give both sides a longer reach in the other’s market.
The partnership with Rare, a representation and marketing company specialising in hospitality experiences in the Indian sub-continent, will take effect from the first week of March, Stéphane Junca, managing director of Secret Retreats, told TTG Asia e-Daily.
“Rare has a similar DNA to Secret Retreats but also faces the same limitations as us – human resources, budget, etc,” said Junca. “The whole idea is to give them an Asian reach and vice versa…adding the specialty of knowledge we have in each market.
“The biggest benefit of these partnerships is to enable us to tap specific markets like Japan and India, enabling us to have exchange with no costs,” he added. “(Consultants) and clients will have a bigger collection to choose from.”
Secret Retreats formed a strategic marketing alliance with Japan’s Ryokan Collection in 2013.
Marcus Cotton, managing director of Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge in Nepal, welcomed the Secret Retreats-Rare partnership, dubbing it a “strong leverage” across Asia.
Although such partnerships have been a development strategy for Secret Retreats, Junca reveals that there will be an upper limit to the number of properties in its portfolio.
“We had some 30 properties when we started (in 2012), and that has since doubled in size in two years to reach 50 plus properties. However, we won’t grow beyond 100,” stressed Junca, elaborating that a bigger portfolio would dilute the exclusivity that members currently enjoy.
The collection will not be expanding beyond Asia too, confirmed Junca, while destinations in the pipeline are Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Myanmar.
It is this “Asian dedication” that compelled Bangkok’s Cabochon Hotel & Residence to become a member of Secret Retreats instead of other global representation companies like Relais & Châteaux, shared executive hotel manager, Shaubai Yeh.
For Bhusnisa Utayanwutikul, villa manager at the six-villa Chakrabongse Villas, while other distribution channels like Booking.com and Agoda bring in booking volume and new market sources like China, it is Secret Retreats that best represents the position of the property.
