Q&A: The Set chief executive Robin Stangroom
Since relaunching its vision and transitioning to a brand affiliation group for luxury independent hotels in 2021, The Set has grown its portfolio to 17 member properties across the UK, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the Caribbean, with plans to introduce additional hotels to the collection this year.
Chief executive Robin Stangroom has played a key role in this growth, beginning his tenure in 2016 as group director of revenue and reservations before becoming chief commercial officer in 2016 and eventually assuming his current position in May 2024.
Aspire sits down with Stangroom to find about more about The Set’s ethos, its plans for future expansion and how the group is continuing to strengthen relationships with the travel trade.
Q: Tell me about The Set and its ethos for those who may not know about the group.
We are a modern brand affiliation that’s championing independent luxury hotels worldwide. Our goal is to curate a constellation of the world’s most extraordinary independent hotels located in destinations with a strong sense of place.
We were founded in 2011 as an owner and operator of three hotels: Hotel Café Royal in London; Hôtel Lutetia in Paris; and Conservatorium in Amsterdam. We shifted to the brand affiliation space in 2021, with a comprehensive understanding of what does and doesn’t work from a hotel perspective.
We provide each of our members with global visibility which, as an independent hotel, they just simply can’t achieve. While we create strategic partnerships, commercial advantages and global sales and marketing distribution, each hotel maintains the management of their property, their own identity and DNA.
Q: What do you look for in potential The Set member properties?
Ultimately, our uncompromising focus is on quality, not quantity. All hotels within The Set are independently spirited and have a true sense of place. They’re very authentic to the destination and, most importantly, are run by people, not systems.
When we’re selecting new properties, it’s not so much that we have a long checklist, rather we view it as more of a marriage. Of course, the hotel must be at the top of its game in its particular destination and providing incredible experiences, but it’s not just about the hotel. We spend as much time getting to know the people behind the property to ensure they share our spirit of collaboration to know that the partnership will work in the long term.
Q: Tell me about the latest hotels to join The Set portfolio.
Last year, we announced our first property in the Caribbean, Round Hill Hotel & Villas in Jamaica, an iconic property that we’re very proud chose to partner with us. We also recently added Chedi Hospitality to our portfolio, with four properties in the Middle East, which is strategically a very important market for us. These include: Chedi Hegra in AlUla; Chedi Muscat in Oman; Chedi Katara Hotel & Resort in Qatar; and Chedi El Gounda in the Red Sea. Finally, we introduced our second hotel in Greece to the collection, Andronis Concept Resort in Santorini.
We have also just announced our expansion to Cambodia with two iconic new member properties, Shinta Mani Wild set amid the Cambodian jungle and Shina Mani Angkor in Siem Reap.
Q: What are the group’s plans for expansion? Are there any destinations you’re keen to have a presence in?
Our expansion is very much focused on selective, measured growth, ensuring we’re delivering on our promise of being exceptional. We have no ambitions to grow to hundreds of hotels as we’re building a non-competing portfolio. Typically, that means there won’t be more than one hotel per destination.
Of course, there are certain markets we look at and say we should have a hotel there, because we know it’s a key gateway city or we have a strong following in terms of our customer base, but it’s more about making sure each hotel fits. For example, we’d love to have a hotel in New York or Dubai at some point, and there’s a lot of opportunity in Europe, with some quite exciting conversations happening there at the moment.
We’ve also expanded our resources in accordance with our growth. In May 2025, we welcomed Gladys Camphuijsen as our vice-president of development who is focused on the curation of The Set’s portfolio.
Q: What are the biggest challenges and opportunities facing independent hoteliers right now?
I think the ‘beige-ification’ of the luxury sector as a whole is significant. This is where, in recent years, a lot of brands have started playing very safe. It’s no longer really about pushing boundaries and creativity – and that doesn’t tally with where the luxury consumer has gone. They’re looking for ultra-personalisation and emotion, and for independent hotels, that’s absolutely where they’re able to lead. All our member hotels are in very competitive luxury markets, but they’re able to leverage their strong independence and identity to create authenticity.
Another challenge is rising selling prices. In many markets, rates are continuing to climb. That in itself is not necessarily the problem, rather it’s how the hotel ensures they are still delivering on the customer promise. The fact that high-end travellers can afford to pay the rate is not the point, it’s whether they are seeing value in it. I think there are hotels out there that have lost sense of that in recent years. This is again an opportunity for independent hotels to do things differently, and value doesn’t have to be expensive; it’s about ultra-personalisation and knowing your guests.
Q: What trends across luxury travel do you think will be significant in 2026?
Live tourism will continue to be a significant trend, which is this idea of travellers shifting from passive sightseeing to active participation in that destination. They’re travelling for a single purpose – such as Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour or major sporting events – but creating a whole itinerary around the occasion.
Ultra-personalisation and exclusivity will also continue to be important. Today’s luxury travellers are so much more focused on emotional experiences, not just lying in the sun for a week.
A brilliant example from The Set that delivers on this is Nay Palad Hideaway in the Philippines, where every moment is curated. They don’t have menus or restaurants, but rather chefs speak to guests each day to create an entirely personalised menu that will be served in a new setting every evening. I visited for three nights and dined in a treehouse, on a pagoda in the middle of the ocean and on a private stretch of beach.
Q: How important is the UK travel trade to The Set? What tools do you have in place to educate and support agents?
The UK is our second-largest market after the US and we really pride ourselves on the strong relationships we have with the trade here. We have a global sales team who are on the road, meeting and providing bespoke training for luxury travel advisors and tour operators, and various trade-focused initiatives.
For example, we host appreciation weeks for our most valued partners. Most recently, we welcomed 15 agents to Myconian Deos for four nights, along with representatives from The Set’s member hotels. We also have a preferred partner programme, The Set by Invitation, which launched in May 2025 to offer our top-performing travel advisors perks for their clients as well as agent benefits such as increased commission. This year we will also be launching The Set Society, which is an invitation-only initiative to recognise our top partners by rewarding them with amazing experiences and events.
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