7/19-Steve Pelzer

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Steve Pelzer

Virginia—Seven “fiercely independent” resorts, each a brand name on its own, have banded together to form Kindred Resorts & Hotels, a group whose aim is to provide a cohesive voice for independent properties like themselves and to tell the story of what these kinds of resorts represent, according to Gregory Riehle, executive VP of Saddlebrook Holdings. The Kindred slogan is: “Authentic in Spirit, Distinctive in Style.”


A Web site, www.staykindred, was launched on 21 October. For now it provides links to member Web sites and booking pages; it does not feature a booking engine.

The member resorts are: The Breakers, Palm Beach, Florida; The Carneros Inn, Napa, California; Colonial Williamsburg Resort Collection, Williamsburg, Virginia; Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island, Michigan; The Lodge at Torrey Pines, La Jolla, California; Ocean Reef Club, Key Largo, Florida; and Saddlebrook Resort, Tampa, Florida.

“The Kindred properties represent best-in-class hotels offering authentic experiences and a sense of place unique to their own destinations,” said Steven Pelzer, executive VP of sales and marketing for The Lodge at Torrey Pines, said at a New York press event. “These industry leaders also have long-term management teams securely in place; this peace of mind is priceless for our loyal guests and dedicated staff.”

Pelzer said his property, which opened in 2002, was typical of the group in that the original management team is largely intact.

A number of resort representatives indicated that while the formation of the group was rooted in the difficult economy, these properties were doing better than their peers because of their long-term stability. However, they said it is a time when it is difficult to remain completely independent. They agreed their goal is to retain their independence while seeking any possible benefits from a cooperative effort.

R.D. Musser, president of the Grand Hotel, said performance at his property was down only 10 percent this year, which is better than the overall industry performance, but that this is a period when partnerships are critical.

A cooperative effort

Kindred emerged from previous cooperative efforts. The charter members have worked together in the past to purchase insurance and share best practices. There also have been less formal initiatives, such as combining marketing, sales and public relations resources. While some members do have other affiliations, like Leading Hotels of the World and Preferred Hotels & Resorts, they see this as different.

“Those groups do their job well, but it is a top-down formula for all members,” Riehle said. “We are trying to find a way where we can band together and yet maintain our individual personalities. The organization will grow organically; we will see where this takes us.”

The group will grow in numbers, he said, but does not intend to grow very large at any point. He said that while the Web site indicates the group was formed in partnership with the Resort Hotel Association, its mission would be different. The RHA was formed to achieve volume discounts on insurance coverage for independent resorts.

According to the announcement, the new Web site will serve as a one-stop shop for a variety of travel alternatives, as well as a portal for all the resorts to showcase initiatives. Future initiatives include consumer promotions and travel agent incentives. The leaders of the new group also held a reception in New York specifically for travel agents.