Several flagship family-owned properties have, in recent months, made strategic moves away from alignment with major hospitality brands. Owners say the shift is motivated by the desire to preserve authenticity and regain freedom from corporate benchmarks.
For example, Tengile River Lodge and Kirkmans Camp in the Sabi Sand will transition from Beyond to management under their founding owners, the Saad family, from March 1 next year.
This follows the recent return of the ultra-high-end North Island Seychelles to fully independent, family-led operations after six years under the Marriott brand. Meanwhile, the legal dispute between Wilderness and the Kays family, lease holders of the Jao Reserve in Botswanas Okavango Delta, is another example of the trend.