Luxury hospitality brand Relais & Châteaux expands its footprint in Latin America

Located in the heart of Antigua, just an hour away from the country’s capital, Guatemala City, Villa Bokéh was converted from a private hacienda to a chic and modern boutique hotel with seven premium suites and a lush and well-manicured six-acre garden. The tranquil setting is ideal for travelers looking for a quiet getaway or even guests working remotely—perhaps as an ideal writer’s retreat with inspiring views of the local mountains and volcanoes.

“To curious travelers all over the world, Relais & Châteaux is known as a ‘label’ or guarantee of excellence,” Philippe Gombert, president and CEO of Relais & Châteaux, tells Fortune. But for a property to become part of Relais & Châteaux family, he continues, it is much more than fulfilling criteria of excellence. Hotels and restaurants that would like to apply need to share the not-for-profit association’s core values as defined in the Relais & Châteaux vision: local focus, sharing, commitment, and humanity.

Operated by local hospitality agency Grupo Alta and designed by Paliare Studio, the aesthetic is a blend of Guatemalan colonial designs and architecture with all the modern amenities that guests familiar with the Relais & Châteaux brand would expect. And no details are too small to be overlooked, from the Anker-brand USB port hubs installed in the king-size bed frames to the handblown glassware from local artisan Nada Duele in each suite.

Relais & Châteaux curates and offers Routes du Bonheur (roads of happiness) itineraries for travelers to get to know a region through the Relais & Châteaux lens. “One of the best ways to get to know a region of the world is to visit places off the beaten path,” Gombert explains. “By adding Villa Bokéh to our network, it will allow us to build a unique Route du Bonheur in Guatemala.”

However, this is not why the group inducts new member properties, Gombert stresses; the real goal is to bring together like-minded hoteliers, chefs, and restaurateurs who embody all the elements the company looks for in a candidate. Cuisine, for example, is a major factor in becoming a Relais & Châteaux property. “It needs to express the terroir, heritage, and creativity of their region,” Gombert says. “Overall, Relais & Châteaux looks for the soul of a hotel or restaurant, which we believe comes from the maître de maison, the chef, and the whole team on property since many are family-run businesses.”

While the hotel only accommodates seven reservations per night, it’s already a popular choice for events and weddings; every weekend this fall has already been booked for lavish wedding celebrations. And with travel restrictions constantly changing, luxury hotels in Guatemala that previously advertised to primarily foreign tourists are increasingly welcoming more domestic visitors.

“At the moment and in the short term, luxury travelers are mostly traveling domestically or to green-listed countries due to COVID-19. The latter proves to be a major indicator of where luxury travelers are vacationing these days, so even within Central and Latin America, there are large discrepancies per country,” Gombert says. “In the future, we anticipate travel to Central and Latin America to expand as domestic destinations take a back seat to more far-flung excursions still aligned with seclusion and privacy, yet feature cultural immersion and excellent service—all on the guest’s terms—that Relais & Châteaux does best.”

This is why the company launched a new collection, called Villas by Relais & Châteaux, earlier this year in response to the pandemic. While all of them are not stand-alone homes apart from hotels, the 600 villas have been subject to strict criteria to ensure they are worthy of inclusion in the collection. “These sorts of fully customizable, secluded experiences are where we have noticed greatest growth potential and demand from luxury travelers,” Gombert says.

The suites at Villa Bokéh vary in size and how many each room can host, from more intimate rooms for two to giant two-story suites with multiple full-size and king-size beds along with private balconies and terraces. Opening rates start at $250 per night.

Villa Bokéh is the sister property to Casa Palopó, a boutique hotel also converted from a private home to a hotel in 2000, and then named to the Relais & Châteaux group six years ago.

“Our vision over the years, with Casa Palopó and now with Villa Bokéh, has been to offer our globe’s most curious travelers a window into the soul of Guatemala—a country brimming with natural wonders, mysticism, and one of the world’s most beautiful, friendly, and resilient populations,” said Claudia Bosch, president of Grupo Alta, in a statement. “As a company, our ethos is to create hospitality concepts that are inspired by and supportive of our local communities. Villa Bokéh adds one more reason for travelers to choose Guatemala as they take to the skies again in pursuit of enriching, purposeful experiences.”

Casa Palopó is perched on the hills that surround Lake Atitlán, which has been compared by some travel writers to Italy’s famed Lake Como. Known for the lush landscapes, a trio of major volcanoes, and 12 villages dotting the shores, Lake Atitlán has long been a popular tourist destination and prime draw for the country. Casa Palopó hosts 12 uniquely decorated guest rooms and suites, featuring colorful walls, Latin American artwork, and locally handwoven textiles.

Casa Palopó is also integrated with the local community, offering “voluntourism opportunities” via the Pintando Santa Catarina Palopó project, which restores local homes and also created a makeshift bodega during the pandemic when local residents couldn’t cross town borders to get to the closest grocery store.

Last summer, the hotel also launched its “Palopó Activo” program, in which 10% of the guests’ nightly rate was given back to them in vouchers to shop from local artisans (compared with say a food and beverage credit), so that tourism dollars would flow to residents in local villages hardest hit by the pandemic. Villa Bokéh is implementing a similar program, Bokéh Activo.

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