Relais & Châteaux signs up to room sharing service

Relais & Châteaux has signed a deal with a room exchange service that offers a marketplace for hoteliers to turn empty rooms into credit.

Through the HotelSwaps system, unused rooms can be turned into a points currency that can be used to book business travel.

Relais & Châteaux will earn points by accommodating hoteliers in their properties free of charge. These points can then be used to fund their own executive travel or to fund staff incentives.

HotelSwaps founder and managing director Preben Vestdam said: "HotelSwaps is an innovative way for hotels to create a value from the part of their room inventory which stays unoccupied during mid and low-season.

"Relais & Châteaux hotel owners will not only be able to share experiences at other Relais & Châteaux properties, but they can also reduce their operating expenses through savings on business travel and executive staff incentives."

HotelSwaps was launched in 2013 and has 175 member hotels in 42 countries.