Relais & Châteaux adds Jaipur's Sarvato, eyes growth in new states

French hospitality group identifies 40 properties for expansion in India as Sarvato in Jaipur becomes its latest addition, boosting its presence in the country

French luxury hotel association Relais & Châteaux has added a 52-seater Sarvato restaurant at City Place, Jaipur, as its newest member in India.

 

The association, which is a collection of individually-owned boutique properties often equated with the Michelin star guide of restaurants, currently has seven other properties in the country.

 

“We are very picky and have high standards that we want our members to adhere to. I believe that details – like the thickness of paper, the placement of a switch – are what creates emotion in a customer and hence quality,” Laurent Gardinier, president, Relais & Châteaux, told Business Standard in an exclusive interaction. 

 

Sarvato champions slow cooking and remains open only from September to April every year.

 

The ultra-luxury boutique restaurant has been added after an extensive, year-long survey, which the association undertook in India to identify potential additions to the over 70-year-old association, which includes over 600 properties worldwide.

 

“Luxury is not about serving world cuisine like spaghetti bolognese and hamburgers to guests, but about being able to create an emotion through an authentic, local experience where they are staying,” he added. 

 

Gardinier, who was in India on a two-day trip, said the network is identifying potential properties that can be added to its Indian portfolio.

 

“There has been a big explosion of the Indian market in terms of destination. And, we also see now that it’s a little bit easier to come to India like the visa process easing considerably, and the modernisation in infrastructure. So, we have identified 40 properties in the country that could potentially become a part of the network,” he said.

 

For the association, Gardinier said it is important that the property has a heritage connection, between 40 and 50 rooms, present at a nice location, while serving a good gastronomic experience.

 

The Relais & Châteaux designation is, in turn, a prestigious accolade for independent hoteliers and restaurateurs across the world.

 

The association has identified states where it is not very well represented and will be a priority for expansion. These include Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and Rajasthan, among others. 

 

With individual members of the age of 45 mostly, Relais & Châteaux reported a cumulative sales volume of €3.2 billion in 2024, growing 8 per cent from 2023.

 

As much as 42.1 per cent of this sales volume came from food and beverages, nearly matching the hotel rooms segment of 49 per cent.

 

However, In India, Sri Lanka and Thailand, hotel rooms account for a larger share of sales revenue compared to the global average. They represent 52 per cent of the total revenue in 2024 while food and beverages contributes 33 per cent.

 

It is the gastronomical gap that the association is looking to fill, going forward.

 

Sarvato will be the association’s eighth property in the country. Among the seven others, marquee properties include Sujan Sher Bagh, located near Ranthambore National Park, the Malabar House, an art hotel in Cochin highlighting Kerala’s composite culture and Masque, a gourmet restaurant in Mumbai that highlights a mix of heritage and avant-garde. 

 

Among destinations that have risen on the popularity charts, 82 per cent of the activity generated by Indian, Thai and Sri Lankan clients is concentrated in Europe — the most popular being France (28 per cent), Italy (23 per cent) Switzerland (9 per cent) and the UK (6 per cent).