The inside scoop

We chat to the president of luxury hotel and restaurant association Relais & Châteaux, which marks its 70th anniversary this month

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What is Relais & Châteaux?

Relais & Châteaux is an affiliation, we're not a chain or the owner. Our challenge is to find hotels and restaurants - whether they're in Spain, Portugal or Japan - which represent the best of those countries locally and culturally. The best properties represent the soul of the owner or chef. We also have to be careful that Relais & Châteaux doesn't work for itself but for the benefit of the members. If you have a profit-orientated mindset, the organisation will produce things that are good for itself but not for the members.

How do you select properties?

We send anonymous inspectors with 500 criteria for hotels and 180 for restaurants. The brief is to find the best of the local community in terms of architecture, food, design, service and sustainability. We receive roughly 600 applications per year - and accept 20-25 every year.

How often are they checked?

It used to be every three years, and now it's every two. It's like at school, the more you are inspected, the better you perform. It gives rigour to everyone in the network. A year is too short if you need to implement changes, but every two years gives you time to make corrections and make sure you're at the best level. The properties receive a 30-page report - this is the added value we can bring.

Chewton Glen joined the association in 1971 as the first British member. What made it stand out?