Auberge Collection Is Betting Big on Soul

In a world where luxury hospitality is increasingly becoming about sameness, Auberge Collection is building its brand on an altogether different philosophy: one that carves out space for each of its hotels to be uniquely their own.

For Auberge Collection CEO Christian Clerc, his career in hospitality began long before the executive titles. Born in Montreux, Switzerland, by age twelve, his first job found him first washing dishes and later waiting tables at a family friend’s restaurant. He went on to study at École Hôtelière de Lausanne—now known as EHL Hospitality Business School—in Switzerland. These early formative experiences, combined with his world-renowned education, launched a career that has spanned more than three decades across continents, from back of house to general manager to CEO.

“…we want to create places that are hyperlocal, that only make sense in that environment, as opposed to creating product experiences that can be transferred to different places around the world.”

Nearly a decade ago, we sat across from Clerc at his office in Toronto during his time serving as Global President at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, where he led the strategic positioning of the brand across 47 countries. With the meteoric growth of Auberge Collection, now at his helm, we invited Clerc to the SmartFlyer Penthouse to take us for a peek behind the curtain. As he shared with SmartFlyer Founder and CEO Michael Holtz,  on a sunny morning this fall, “I’m an operator at heart.” That operational experience now informs all Clerc does as he leads the evolution of Auberge Collection.

In September 2024, Clerc took the helm of Auberge Collection as President and CEO. This shift came at a pivotal moment for the collection, laser-focused on growing its footprint far beyond its California roots, with active development projects underway across the United States, Europe, and Africa. In his recent conversation with Holtz, Clerc makes clear that he is far less interested in scale for scale’s sake than in preserving what Auberge calls the “soul of the place.”

That philosophy starts with restraint. “What we choose not to do is as important as what we do,” he says. Rather than transplanting a recognizable formula from one destination to another, Auberge begins with the question of why a particular hotel should exist at all. In a conversation that ranges from how a general manager is selected within Auberge Collection to the brand’s future, read on for more about how this brand is taking a big bet on doing things its own way.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Michael Holtz (MH): The best question to start the day is: What makes an Auberge an Auberge?

Christian Clerc (CC): I think what makes an Auberge an Auberge is what we call the “soul of the place,” meaning that we want to create places that are hyperlocal, that only make sense in that environment, as opposed to creating product experiences that can be transferred to different places around the world. And so, our hotels are designed to be unique. And if you come and visit us, you will never see something like that again. That’s in terms of design, programming, and everything that is part of the guest experience.

MH: One-of-a-kind is easy to say, but you are a global brand. That philosophy can be difficult to scale. So how are you scaling this one-of-a-kind mantra across continents?

CC: It’s a great question. And first, for us, restraint in development is really important. What we choose not to do is as important as what we do, and so we’re very intentional about our new hotels, and we only want to do projects that are exceptional. And what it takes is an amazing partner who is generally from the place, an amazing location, and, of course, an incredible building. So, if you think about Cambridge House in London, which is about to open, it has an extraordinary location, an extraordinary partner, and a historic building that will become London’s living room.

Michael: So, let’s talk about general managers. You started as a general manager.

CC: Yes, I did.

MH: Actually, you started as a dishwasher, from what I understand. But then you spent many, many years as a general manager, and we agree that the GMs are critical to your success. How do you build that pipeline of all these amazing GMs, and how do you transfer the skill set from one-of-a-kind properties where you’ve got GMs that move around?

CC: Yeah, it’s a great question. You’re right, I’m an operator at heart. I grew up in the business. My best friend had a restaurant in Montreux, so I worked in every position there. This is not just an industry for me. It’s a passion. It’s a choice. It’s something I live every day, and I just love the space. When we choose general managers, I’ve been fortunate to be in the business a long time; I’ve been a general manager myself, and I know the kind of passion and commitment it takes to run a great hotel. Over time, you build trust and credibility, like you do with your clients, and if you do the right things and have the right vision, people want to work for you or with you.

“Over time, you build trust and credibility, like you do with your clients, and if you do the right things and have the right vision, people want to work for you or with you.”

These general managers—Etienne Harris is an example in London. We select them among the best in the world, and they come to Auberge because they ultimately believe in what makes the company special, and they fall in love with the soul of the place we talked about. They fall in love with the idea of making sure every part of what makes the hotel exceptional translates into every touchpoint you see and feel as a guest. That passion around product and the guest experience is ultimately what they have in common. Some, you know, come from food and beverage. Others come from rooms. It doesn’t really matter what background they have, if they have a passion for people and are focused on ultimately delivering an exceptional guest experience. And I think that’s what they all have in common.

MH: So, we’re talking about obsessive attention to detail.

CC: Yes.

MH: What are some key factors that you’ve done along the way at Auberge, you know, focusing on that?

CC: It’s a great question, Michael. What we do is we write—we literally write this idea of what the purpose of this hotel is. Purpose is so powerful. Why does London need another luxury hotel? We start by determining: what’s our point of view? What do we bring to the local market, to the locals, that is going to be differentiated, unique, and special? When we build a hotel in London, we don’t build it for the American travelers or the European travelers.

“We start by determining: what’s our point of view? What do we bring to the local market, to the locals, that is going to be differentiated, unique, and special?”

We build it first and foremost for locals to make sure that it becomes part of the local fabric. That Londoners would come and use our restaurants, our bars, our hotel. It’s going to be a very exciting place full of energy, and I believe that as a traveler, when you travel somewhere that brings together the best that each location has to offer, including locals coming into the restaurants and the bar, it adds a dimension to the experience versus being surrounded by only people who are from out of town who are traveling.

MH: So, you’re really becoming the anchor to the social life in many of these cities, whether it’s Aspen at Hotel Jerome, whether it’s Austin at Commodore Perry, or Dallas at the newly opened The Knox. How do you do that when you come into a new city, and no one knows you?

“…ultimately, you and I believe that travel is how you get most enriched, right? Ultimately, I think it’s the most enriching activity you can pursue, and so you want to be surrounded by all these elements we just talked about; I think Auberge does it better than anyone else.”

CC: Well, first, you listen, and you really build. As I said, you start with a blank page. You write this solo to place. What is our unique positioning here? What do we bring that’s authentic, sincere, and that is going to be differentiated—not for the sake of differentiation, Michael, but for the sake of creating an emotion and an experience that is truly unique. It is unique in the design and programming, but also down to the lighting, the music, and the food concept; we want it to be special. And you’re right, it’s hard to replicate one-of-a-kind because you have to be relevant in everything you do. It has to resonate, and our measure for that is, to your point, if whether locals come to the living room in Aspen at the Jerome, which they do.

If locals go to Bowie House—and the Knox and Cambridge House are going to be the same—then we’ve done our job. If it’s just buzzing with locals, as a guest of the hotel, you feel like, wow, I’m part of this. I’m part of the city, or I’m part of this resort. I’m part of this destination. It just adds a dimension to what you’re feeling. And ultimately, you and I believe that travel is how you get most enriched, right? Ultimately, I think it’s the most enriching activity you can pursue, and so you want to be surrounded by all these elements we just talked about; I think Auberge does it better than anyone else.

MH: Right, travel also leads to world peace, but we’ll save that for the next conversation. So, let’s talk about Auberge Safaris. That represents a striking new move for the portfolio, and how are we all going to tie that together? Because safari represents a sizeable sector of our business, but there’s also tremendous potential for growth.

“It is about the emotions that we feel. I think that for us to be able to not just tell you how many beds we have and the quality of our sheets, but to tell you why, when you’re there, you feel special.”

CC: There’s incredible potential for growth. Again, a great example of wanting to do something that is truly unique. So, from the Legendary Lodge in Arusha, which you drive to when you land in Kilimanjaro, you can have your first night in Tanzania before going into the Serengeti and having five different types of experiences with Auberge there. Everything from luxury glamping to lodges. Then, of course, Chem Chem, which is this amazing elephant sanctuary where there’s a tangible commitment to conservation in an elephant corridor.

I think that each one of those experiences is so unique, and you just feel so alive when you’re there. For example, there are many lodges where, when you get into your room, it is a Westernized version of luxury, right? You can have perfect darkness. You will not hear any sounds of the bush. You know everything will be very cozy. But when you come to us, you’re going to have all of the expected comforts, but you’re also going to feel what’s happening out there. You’re never going to forget that you’re in the bush.

MH: Now, the best bit of data that I received in preparation for this interview was that travel advisors account for thirty-five percent of Auberge’s business, which is huge. How are we going to work together and grow that even further and allow our customers, your guests, to experience more of your incredible portfolio?

CC: I think there are a couple of things. First of all, thank you for your support, Michael, and you and your team at SmartFlyer have been unbelievably supportive of us. I think, in general, the way we can do this is by continuing to engage in what we offer and give you insights on what’s coming up and why it’s unique. Hopefully, through that dialogue, you can share that with your clients. I think that what’s really important here is to be able to provide not only pictures, brochures, and data, but also to articulate why you would stay at an Auberge when you travel to Italy—to Florence, for example. And the best way to do that is to experience it yourself, as you know. You were there recently. It’s hard to describe Collegio alla Querce unless you have been there, right? And to describe Lorenzo, the general manager, unless you have met him.

I think it’s a combination of everything that we do, and being able to create an even stronger partnership with our travel advisors to make sure that they have all the elements, not only the data, but also the emotional connection. Knowing that there’s a reason we designed our space the way we did. It’s brilliant, right? There are no neon lights. There’s no traditional desk. This is a lifestyle space, and that’s what we do best. It is about the emotions that we feel. I think that for us to be able to not just tell you how many beds we have and the quality of our sheets, but to tell you why, when you’re there, you feel special. I think that’s the best thing we can do.

MH: The most important thing that our guests want is recognition from the general manager. Just a handshake. They’re not looking for double spa credits. They’re not looking for the gift in the room. And I think you guys have excelled unbelievably well in doing that.

CC: Thank you.

MH: You’re welcome. So, let’s roll out to 2030, 2031. What will the collection look like then?

“…it’s a question of continuing to make sure that our nearest hotel really brings every element of what we call the Auberge promise to life. And so, what’s the Auberge promise? This is the idea that you’re going to feel transported when you get there.”

CC: For us, it’s not a question of racing; it’s a question of continuing to make sure that our nearest hotel really brings every element of what we call the Auberge promise to life. And so, what’s the Auberge promise? This is the idea that you’re going to feel transported when you get there. You’re going to feel like every one of your senses will be hyper-stimulated, and you’re going to feel like you know it. We have very exciting plans in the U.S. and Europe. We’re very focused on continuing to expand in both markets, and you know you’ve heard about some of them. I mean, of course, London and Dallas are exciting projects. Then we’re going to Miami. We have a few more that we can’t talk about right now, but you’ll be the first to know. And I think you can expect us to continue to be concentrated geographically, but looking at all the places that your clients really want to be, that would add a bucket list item to our list.

To get your Auberge Collection wishlist started, learn more about their global footprint here, or get in touch with a SmartFlyer travel advisor today.