BMW and art de vivre: BMW brand becomes global partner of Relais & Châteaux global collection of leading hotels

Munich/Paris. BMW and Relais & Châteaux officially announced their cooperation yesterday at a ceremony to mark the 60th anniversary of this collection of leading hotels at the Opéra Garnier in Paris.

The global partnership between BMW and Relais & Châteaux, an exclusive collection of 520 leading hotels and gourmet restaurants in more than 60 countries, aims to create unique experiences for customers.

The partnership hopes to surprise and inspire customers who appreciate exclusivity, individuality and timeless elegance with new ideas for trips and invitations to unique events. A large number of unique joint activities are planned for the future, such as gourmet festivals and “connoisseur’s tours”.

One of Relais & Châteaux’s unique offerings is its “Routes du Bonheur” (roads to happiness), with exceptional and appealing itineraries across the world. The idea was introduced in 1954 by the eight founding members of Relais & Châteaux. The first “Route du Bonheur” took Route Nationale 7 from Paris to the Côte d’Azur, via Roanne and Lyon, stopping at the different properties.

Yesterday’s Relais & Châteaux ceremony paid tribute to the first historic “Route du Bonheur”, which was presented with the first BMW Routes du Bonheur Trophy. 

Nicolas Peter, head of European Sales Region at the BMW Group, presented the trophy with Philippe Gombert, president of Relais & Châteaux, in an official ceremony. Peter remarked at the award presentation: “What could be finer than driving a BMW M6 Convertible along the legendary Route National 7 to a charming Relais & Châteaux property with an outstanding gourmet restaurant. For me, that is the true essence of art de vivre. It is an honour for us to be the global partner of Relais & Châteaux. And it is a personal honour for me to present the BMW trophy to the legendary, original “Route du Bonheur” and the hoteliers who welcome guests to their properties along the route.”

The award was accepted by Michel Troisgros, as route ambassador and proprietor and executive chef of Maison Troisgros.

If you have any questions, please contact:

BMW Group Corporate Communications

Daria Gotto-Nikitina
Spokesperson, BMW Welt and Marketing

Phone: +49-89-382-60340

mailto: daria.gotto-nikitina@bmw.de

Media website: www.press.bmw.de

BMW France

Jean-Michel Juchet

Phone: +33-130-439-434

mailto: Jean-Michel.Juchet@bmw.fr 

The BMW Group

With its three brands BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. As a global company, the BMW Group operates 30 production and assembly facilities in 14 countries and has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2013, the BMW Group sold approximately 1.963 million cars and 115,215 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax for the financial year 2013 was € 7.91 billion on revenues amounting to approximately € 76.06 billion. As of 31 December 2013, the BMW Group had a workforce of 110,351 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain, comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy.

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