Hotel & Tourism
SMARTreport #29
2016 Spring Edition
11
Mr Boyen says with the organisation’s
new branding, SLH can look ahead to
the next 25 years and beyond, best
placed to champion the small, luxury,
independent hotels that are the very
heart and soul of their business: “We will
ensure that any customer or travel agent
making a reservation at an SLH hotel can
rest assured that the entire collection is
worthy of the SLH stamp of approval, will
provide them the authentic experience
that they are looking for and that they
will be rewarded for their loyalty. We will
also ensure that any hotel joining the
brand is confident that they are in the
very best hands, and company.”
The new direction, coined ‘The SLH
Way’, emphasises SLH’s core philosophy
to match independently-minded people
with independently-spirited hotels. It
celebrates the fact that all SLH hotels are
consistently different, united by a shared
commitment to providing the highest
levels of quality and service to their guests,
and reinforces SLH’s position as an anti-
brand kind of brand. Complementing the
existing logo a new brand ‘device’ will
feature more prominently on the website
and newly launched apps for iPhone and
Android to reflect a 49% increase visits
to SLH’s mobile site and 71% increase
in reservations via mobile, as well as on
SLH collateral, notably the SLH Directory
which has been reintroduced for 2016.
Key initiatives for SLH in 2016 include:
A more stringent approach to the
Development and Quality Assurance
programmes that will raise the standards
expected from hotels both to join the
brand and to remain as members. This will
guarantee that all hotels in the collection
offer the very best guest experience.
A focus on ensuring that SLH is able to
offer hotels in new destinations requested
by its guests. In 2015 SLH introduced
hotels in Tokyo, the Seychelles, Prague
and Malta based on unfulfilled customer
searches on slh.com. In 2016 key
destinations will include Ibiza, Dubai,
Hawaii, Munich and Sydney as well as
major cities in the USA.
The introduction of language specific
sites including an updated Chinese
website, and brand new sites in German
and Spanish over the next 18 months.
Anew loyalty scheme – Very Independent
People - to be launched in late 2016 that
is designed to embody the independently
minded approach and reward customer
behaviours in conjunction with a variety
of luxury partners.
In addition SLH has just launched its first
travel agents’ recognition programme
– Small Luxury Heroes. Travel agents
account for over two thirds of all SLH
reservations and the programme rewards
agents who register for the programme
at
with
Amazon gift cards, SLH gift certificates
and complimentary reward nights.
Mr Boyen concludes, ‘Travel agents are
the heroes of our business. We hope that
by launching Small Luxury Heroes we can
further inspire them to champion the SLH
brand by providing a platform through
which they can better engage with their
peers and our hotels. As we celebrate 25
years of working with the travel industry
we hope our Small Luxury Heroes will
become our ambassadors for the next 25
years and beyond.”
SMALL”
THE MOST
INFLUENTIAL TREND
WHICH AFFECTS OUR
CLIENT BASE ARE THE
HOTELS THAT HAVE A
REAL UNDERSTANDING
OF A CLIENT’S
LIFESTYLE
