Intrepid Travel has appointed French international hotel expert Celine Hurelle as Accommodation Strategy Lead to guide the B Corp travel company’s targeted expansion into the hotel and accommodation sector.
Effective immediately, Hurelle will report to Intrepid Travel CEO James Thornton and lead the company’s current accommodation initiatives.
She will also work closely with Intrepid Travel global executive leadership to identify new opportunities to acquire accommodation that supports the company’s responsible and local travel ethos.
Intrepid has expanded into hotels in the past three years and operates two hotels – Daintree Ecolodge in Tropical North Queensland and Hoi An Field Boutique Hotel in Hoi An, Vietnam.
It also has a 50 per cent joint venture with SA-based off-grid accommodation company CABN.
Hurelle previously spent 24 years at global hotel giant Accor, working in various senior roles in several countries, including Australia, France and Thailand. Her most recent position was as Global Head of Brand (VP) for Sofitel, based in Paris.
Bringing her extensive experience in strategy, brand and commercial leadership to the new role, Hurelle will be based in Intrepid’s global headquarters in Melbourne.
Thornton said he was delighted to welcome Hurelle to the team, highlighting her depth of hospitality experience to drive Intrepid’s global expansion plans.
“Our vision is to grow with responsibly operated, locally based accommodation that not only reflects the destination and community, but gives back as well,” he said.
“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.”
On joining the Intrepid team to supercharge its next chapter, Hurelle said: “I have a deep admiration for Intrepid’s approach to responsible travel and am impressed by the company’s growth over the years.”
“To join at this time is very exciting and I look forward to drawing on my two decades of experience to drive expansion into community-led and local properties that are truly ‘intrepid’, in every sense.”
Find out more at intrepidtravel.com
