Recommend December 2012 - (Page 10)

hoteldesk indie boutique paloma villaverde de rico hotels & resorts There’s a new hotel collection to keep an eye out for in 2013—Indie Boutique Hotels & Resorts, which debuted this past October. As its name implies it’s all about the independent hotels, from New York to Brazil and everywhere in-between. “We are a collection of truly independent hotels—not a brand or a lifestyle brand—a collection of independent hotels, high in style, great locations with personalized service,” says Patrick Goddard, president & COO, Trust Hospitality, which over the past 25 years has been operating branded and independent hotels. The base of properties is in North America, the Caribbean and Latin America, because as Goddard points out, “we manage all the hotels in the collection and strategically this geographic range is manageable for us. We will look at expanding to Europe very soon and other areas as they become logistically feasible. This ensures a quality level for all guests.” The current portfolio includes Alma del Paciﬁco Beach & Spa Resort in Manuel Antonio in Costa Rica; Casa San Agustin in Cartagena, Colombia; Edgewater Hotel in Miami Beach; Hotel Mela in New York; Lord Balfour in South Beach; Moonrise Hotel in St. Louis; The MAve Hotel in New York and The Zank in Salvador, Brazil. Average rates range anywhere from $199 to $530 for Alma del Pacifico to $249 to $309 for The MAve Hotel. Lord Balfour, located in South Beach directly on Ocean Drive, is a prime example of Indie Boutique Hotels & Resorts’ style. It’s a typical Art Deco building with only 64 guestrooms done up in splashy colors and a decor that fits the neighborhood vibe just right. Even the hotel’s new package, the 2-night Coast and Float (starting at $425 and available through 2013), which includes a 1-day DecoBike rental for two and a $30 food and beverage credit at Shake Shack— located on pedestrian-friendly Lincoln Road—is cheeky and fun and allows guests to explore the destination and do like the locals, a concept that’s at the heart of Indie Boutique Hotels & Resorts. 10 december 2012 King room at Lord Balfour in South Beach. In fact, Goddard stresses, that what lies at the core of the collection is “self expression and being a portal to a destination. Self expression is in,” and the hotels that make up the collection have an “excellent urban or resort location, high design, high-quality finishes, food and beverage service that connects with the community, a sense of place and highly personalized service.” The target clientele, of course, is someone who’s looking for a property that’s outside the box and wants to visit an exciting, dynamic destination. Travel specialists, Goddard says, should focus on “the traveler who wants an upscale authentic experience without overpaying,” and he emphasizes, that the destinations “must be interesting to our target demographic and convenient to get to.” And if you think Indie Boutique Hotels & Resorts is resting on its laurels with the eight properties already under its belt, think again. There are eight more already under development, including two more in Miami—Brickell House and The Langford Hotel; one in Honduras, Indura Golf & Beach Resort; one in the BVIs, Long Bay Beach Resort & Spa; another one in Salvador, Brazil, Patachocas Beach Resort; The Lincoln Hotel in New York; Vive Hotel in Waikiki Beach in Hawaii; and Zemi Beach Resort & Spa in Anguilla. So in terms of expansion and quickly adding to the list of Indie hotels, Trust Hospitality is not being shy. And a crucial part of the expansion, says Goddard, is the travel agent. “They will be critical to all of our hotels.” To that end, the company is launching a travel agent portal (as of press time exact date had not been announced), and Goddard did mention some details, including that “it will include exclusive offers and benefits for the travel agent community, all managed through our CRM system.” For now though, travel agents can find the hotels under the PW chain code. ● contact information Indie Boutique Hotels & Resorts: experienceindie.com recommend.com http://www.experienceindie.com http://www.recommend.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend December 2012

Editor's Notes
Hotel Desk: Indie Boutique Hotels & Resorts
Tour Talk: Apple Vacations
16th Annual Recommend Readers' Choice Awards Winners
Cruising 2012
North American Splendor
Tantalizing Tallahassee
New Beginnings
Hard Rock Hotel Cancun
For Asia and the South Pacific, 2012 was a Vintage Year
Europe Always Astounds
Six 2012 Trends That are Here to Stay
Africa Rising
Checking-in to Latin America

Recommend December 2012