Rosewood Out, Airelles In at Le Guanahani St. Barth

Only a few weeks ago I wrote:

….no brand is as consistent as you want it to be. Not Cheval Blanc, judging by what it has become and definitely not from what it seems to be becoming. Not anyone. Except maybe Airelles?  Let’s give them the benefit of the doubt.

And now, just to spite me, they’ve gone and thrown it in my face.

Earlier today I received an email from Rosewood corporate saying that from 1 October, Le Guanahani St. Barth will be Rosewood no more.  And this isn’t like that time Prince renamed himself; this is Rosewood losing the contract.  I know it may still feel like summer to some of you lucky souls (definitely not to us in England), but let’s get our calendars out for a moment and note that this is a few weeks away.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen a hotel rebrand so hastily.

It then reopens as Airelles Le Guanahani on 1 November.  Enough time to have precisely one new sign made and everyone to learn how to say in French, “Rosewood?  Never heard of them”.

Judgement Day

Now, let’s be clear, I don’t know what Airelles are going to do.  But I do know you can’t do jack shit in a month.  So this all very much upsets me, because Airelles, as I’m so often keen to point out, are not like the other brands.  Just look at the portfolio.  I’ll wait; it’s ok, you have my permission to leave.  Back?  Ok, good.

For me, three of their properties are amongst the best in Europe.  Even Courchevel, which looks like Santa’s retirement home, is an impressive place.  Their CEO and I used to email, and we would discuss what an absolute passion project Airelles is.  Venice worried me a bit, as their first project outside France, yet the feedback I’ve heard is amazing.  It’s the only one of their properties I have yet to visit.

But Le Guanahani is bang average.  I’ve never sent a client there, and I’ve sent clients to Dubai.  Nothing about it is special.

Airelles built its reputation by refusing to cut corners.  When they bought Château de la Messardière in 2019, the plan was to take it from 120 rooms down to around 70 and remodel every one.  Most hotel groups add rooms, whilst Airelles remove them and throw in free Rolls-Royce rides into St. Tropez.

Now it feels like they’ve looked over at their French neighbour, LVMH’s Cheval Blanc, fancied a bit of that ooh là là, and copied its playbook.  In 2014, Cheval Blanc closed the Isle de France for six weeks and reopened it as Cheval Blanc St-Barth.  It sucks.  It has as much in common with Cheval Blanc Randheli as I do with Chris Hemsworth.  It should have been a complete rebuild.  Instead, we got Raygun.  An Olympic breakdancer, you say?!  Then you watch her.

They’ve since done it in Sardinia, and now Cap Estel in the South of France.  Every time, the name means a little less.  I didn’t expect Airelles to copy their French rival, least of all on the same island.

Maybe there’s a grand plan to close it after the season and rebuild it properly.  But on a property that’s barely five years old?  Now that would be ballsy.  But it would certainly shut me up.  Like the rest of you, I’ll have to wait to see what happens.  I very much like St. Barths, as, unlike the rest of the Caribbean, it does actually benefit from good service, so that is one positive already in their favour.  If they announce major changes, I’ll still go, obviously.  Someone has to complain about it properly.  But I’d have appreciated them waiting until I’d stopped telling everyone how principled they are.  Rude.