Intrepid Travel has announced the appointment of French hotel veteran Celine Hurelle to lead its expansion into hotels and accommodations. This appointment is aimed at accelerating Intrepid’s expansion plans into new verticals, which includes accommodations.
Hurelle will work on Intrepid’s current accommodation initiatives. She will also work closely with Intrepid’s executive leadership across the world to identify new opportunities to acquire accommodation that supports the company’s responsible and local travel ethos. Hurelle previously spent 24 years at Accor, working in various senior roles in several countries, including Australia, France, Thailand and more. Most recently, she served as global head of brand (VP) for Accor brand Sofitel, based in Paris. Hurelle has vast experience in strategy, brand and commercial leadership and will be based in Intrepid’s global headquarters in Melbourne, Australia.
Intrepid has expanded into hotels over the past three years and currently operates two hotels—one in Australia and one in Vietnam. It also has a 50 percent joint venture with South Australian based off-grid accommodation company, CABN.
In Australia, the company owns and operates the four-star, 15-key Daintree Ecolodge in Tropical North Queensland, which it acquired in late 2023. The property has since undergone extensive renovation and refurbishment following Cyclone Jasper in December, reopening in March. Beyond Australia, Intrepid has entered into a three-year lease agreement with the 19-key Hoi An Field Boutique Hotel in Vietnam. This property’s capacity services approximately 85-90 percent Intrepid groups, with the additional 10 percent booked via direct travelers. Vietnam was the company’s most popular destination in 2023.
Said Intrepid CEO James Thornton: “Our vision is to grow with responsibly operated, locally based accommodation that not only reflect the destination and community, but that give back, as well. We also want to ensure that our customers have a true Intrepid experience in all of our properties, and I look forward to seeing what we achieve next.”
For more information, visit www.intrepidtravel.com.
Related Stories
Ensemble Honors Top Performers With Trip to France
KHM Travel Group Hosts Largest Boot Camp Event to Date
Sober Travel Company Announces Affiliation With Largay Travel
Roger Block to Step Down as Travel Leaders Network President