The global expansion of the brand of Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) has continued at an impressive rate with the recent addition of 15 new members. This growth follows closely on the heels of a 10% net growth in membership in 2006, and puts the SLH brand well on track to achieve its target of over 400 members for 2007. With the addition of the 15 new members, the SLH portfolio of hotels now includes 374 properties in 60 countries.

The continuing demand for membership has been driven by the fact that awareness of the SLH brand and the benefits that membership brings are at an all time high. We are confident that this steady growth can continue without compromising the exemplary standards of excellence that SLH hotels are renowned for, commented Paul Kerr, Joint Managing Director of Small Luxury Hotels of the World. Discerning luxury travellers continue to rely on the power and exclusivity of the SLH brand for unique experiences and independent hoteliers want to reap the benefits associated with the brand, he added. A strong testament to this is that in March 2006, global room reservations at SLH properties reached an all time high of over 10,000 reservations, representing a 26% increase over the same period last year.

Europe remains the strongest area of development growth for the SLH brand, with the addition of ten new members thus far this year. SLH`s Italian portfolio has been enhanced with the brand`s first member hotel in Naples (Grand Hotel Parker`s) and also a first in the popular resort town of Portofino (Hotel San Giorgio). There have also been two new additions in Florence (Villa Olmi Resort and Residenza del Moro) bringing the brand`s total presence in the Italian city to five. In France, SLH`s collection of 16 member hotels on the Cote d`Azur has been strengthened further by the addition of Villa Marie in St Tropez; while in the UK, Stapleford Park County House is the brand`s first hotel in the Midlands.

Several other coups for SLH include key additions in Eastern Europe - Riva Hotel in Hvar is the brand`s first hotel in Croatia, Hotel Telegraaf in Tallinn is a first for SLH in the Estonian capital, while Pachuv Palace in Prague adds to an existing collection of two hotels in the Czech Republic capital. In Cyprus, the addition of The Residence will be SLH`s second member hotel in the town of Paphos.

Demand for membership in Thailand also continues to be healthy. Three properties have been added so far this year, bringing the total collection of SLH hotels in Thailand to 19, which is the largest grouping in Asia. Also in Asia, the Malaysian portfolio now consists of three members with the new addition of Cameron Highlands Resort located in the state of Pahang (200km north of Kuala Lumpur). SLH has also accepted a spa and golf hotel in the suburbs of Wisconsin, USA, just outside Chicago.

The 15 new additions to the Small Luxury Hotels of the World collection are:

1. Grand Hotel Parker`s (Naples, Italy)



2. Hotel San Giorgio (Portofino, Italy)



3. Villa Olmi Resort (Florence, Italy)



4. Residenza del Moro (Florence, Italy)



5. Villa Marie (St Tropez, France)



6. Stapleford Park Country House (Leicestershire, England)



7. Hotel Telegraaf (Tallinn, Estonia)



8. Pachtuv Palace (Prague, Czech Republic)



9. Riva Hotel (Hvar, Croatia)



10. The Residence (Paphos, Cyprus)



11. Lebua at State Towers (Bangkok, Thailand)



12. AKA Hotel Resort & Spa (Hua Hin, Thailand)



13. Twinpalms Phuket (Phuket, Thailand)



14. Cameron Highlands Resort (Cameron Highlands, Malaysia)



15. The Delafield (Wisconsin, USA)