Richard Gere Launches 2011 Relais & Chateaux Guide

The prestigious Relais & Chateaux group has appointed actor Richard Gere as their new Ambassador. Gere will take on the role of ‘a proprietor and a gentleman’ and in his first mission has just released the 2011 Relais & Chateaux Guide with over 500 hotels in over 60 countries, including 36 additional properties as well as two of wandermelon’s favorites: Ratua Private Island in Vanuatu and Richard Gere’s own Bedford Post Inn in Connecticut. Both properties join the ranks of an enviable list chosen after a rigorous selection process involving inspections of more than 100 establishments. Each and every one, whether historic or contemporary, located in the city or the countryside, is unique in its charm, elegance, excellence of service and quality of hospitality. These small properties with an average of 30 rooms are often family enterprises, each one bearing the hallmark of the innkeeper and impressing on them their own charm and personality. Click here to see the full list.

Any traveler worth their salt has the Relais & Châteaux guidebook stashed in their glove box or suitcase and there are thousands of people worldwide who make it a rule to only ever stay at Relais & Châteaux properties wherever they are in the world. The association began in 1954 when a group of hoteliers and restaurateurs merged in France to create a way for travelers to locate outposts of fine French cuisine and “art de vivre” along the road from Paris to Nice. The points on this road would later be known as the “Route du Bonheur” or “Road to Happiness”. Today the Route du Bonheur stretches beyond the borders of France and extends to all five continents of the globe. R&C’s mission is to spread its unique “art de vivre” across the globe by selecting outstanding properties with a truly unique character. From the vineyards in Napa valley to the beaches in Bali and Sydney, from the olive trees in Provence to the lodges in South Africa and New Zealand, Relais & Châteaux offers all the stops on the finest route for discovering each special place and country.

To order or download the new 2011 Relais & Chateaux Guide, click here or call +1 800 735 2478.