Talking luxury French chalets with Consensio
Ceri Tinley, managing director, tells Katherine Masters what’s new this winter for the high-end ski operator
For your snowsport-loving clients, who also want a little luxury pampering, Consensio has added Chalet Blackcomb in Val d’Isere (pictured) to its Relaxed Catered Chalet collection. The newly renovated chalet can accommodate up to 10 guests in five ensuite bedrooms and also has an indoor pool, plus outdoor hot tub with mountain views.
Ceri Tinley is managing director for the operator, which exclusively manages luxury catered chalets and self-catering apartments in Val d’Isere, Meribel and Courchevel. She says the introduction of the Relaxed Catered range has helped Consensio grow its portfolio and adapt the business to the recruitment challenges posed by Brexit. There is now a need to employ more staff directly in France, a process made expensive for the employer by French social security contributions.
Tinley says: “Initially we reduced our collection to our Ultimate Chalets, which produce enough revenue to support a larger team.” She explains that the Relaxed Catered concept is based around two full-time staff in more general roles, with the additional driver and housekeeping roles shared with other chalets.
By contrast, the Ultimate Catered chalets have a larger private team including dedicated chefs and chalet managers.
“About 50% of our market is from the UK and they tend to book the Relaxed Catered chalets… we plan to grow this side of our portfolio to meet the demand,” she adds.
MEASURING CARBON FOOTPRINT
Blackcomb has been renovated from the bottom up with the latest technology to minimise energy usage. An oxygen filtration system in the pool removes the need for chemicals, and wood for the chalet fireplace comes from local sustainable sources.
Consensio is also working with consultants ecollective to measure its carbon footprint, with the aim of achieving net zero by 2030.
“We’re finding now that 80% of our new employees are either coming to us because of our sustainable policy or they’re asking about it during the interview process,” says Tinley. “It shows how important it is.”
She adds Consensio is happy to work with all agents, even those who do not have any experience selling ski. “We love agents, they are part of our business model,” she says. “We give full online training to new agents, and our sales team will expect to do the heavy lifting.”
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