About Us
what we do, and why
Our Story
Meet Marc Ribail, founder of QALIA
With 20 years in operations and distribution of luxury rental brands in Asia and Europe, I was focused on delivering high-value service to owners and their guests. This experience embedded in me the four pillars of luxury hospitality: innovation, know-how, excellence and tradition.
Over time and influenced by my personal aspirations, I realised that all of us need to seek a greater balance between our impact and the ecosystem (both on a personal and business level). In the light of current climate change impacts and consumer trends for a more conscious way of living, this approach generates a higher value proposition for all stakeholders. This inspired me to design and launch a responsible tourism standard dedicated to stand-alone luxury properties.
The QALIA framework is designed for the gradual implementation of sustainable and transformative practices without compromising the essence of hospitality. This approach can empower both property owners and guests to adopt a more conscious mindset. Consequently, leading to more meaningful experiences and impacts.
I enthusiastically invite all luxury property owners, brands, specialist agencies and guests to join us. Let’s use our influence and resources to create a conscious luxury experience which has a positive impact on destinations and their communities. The upside for all of us involved is that we will feel a sense of purpose and meaning in our own lives by empowering others.
Together, our shared commitment will demonstrate leadership towards a new more conscious style of luxury hospitality with meaningful outcomes for all stakeholders, including the planet.
Founder | QALIA
Responsible Tourism Label for Conscious Luxury Vacation Rentals
Reaching excellence in responsible tourism
We support luxury rental brands in their sustainability practices
Marc Ribail founded QALIA as a unique responsible tourism standard specifically for stand-alone rental brands who want to showcase conscious luxury. QALIA Members will work through the three levels of the framework to suit their property and their timescales. The three levels are Essentials, Pledge and Excellence. These levels are closely linked to the UN Sustainable Develpment Goals and set a standard for excellence in the luxury vacation rental market. As a Member, you will be able to differentiate your property as a trailblazing conscious luxury brand. QALIA will connect Members with conscious travellers through a network of specialist agencies, PR exposure and direct booking strategies.
When sustainability & purpose meet luxury hospitality
Conscious luxury is the new style of high-end hospitality
Luxury tourism is evolving towards a culture of social and environmental responsibility and demand for conscious, forward-thinking practices and properties. The industry is adapting at a fast pace to provide guests with all the benefits that conscious luxury can offer. The highest levels of comfort with a low carbon footprint, personalised service showcasing the best of local communities, and state-of-the-art amenities which are better for people and planet.
We understand that implementing sustainable practices is a “journey” in itself. For this reason, Marc Ribail and his specialist team are here to support and guide you through the process as a luxury rental brand. QALIA’s team works closely with each property to implement a bespoke action plan and ensure the validation of the criteria within our sustainability label framework.
Once verified, each luxury rental brand becomes part of a community of like-minded individuals and organisations who share a common goal of shifting from a transactional model to a transformative one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Understand more about us!
What is the difference with other labels?
Our vision is for the label and its members to demonstrate a leadership example and showcase that the terms luxury rentals and ethical tourism are closer than the perception would make it.
The label differs from others in being the first one to exclusively focus on luxury properties and establish a partnership relationship with the members. In addition, our specific and extensive list of criteria are crafted to fit with the operations of such properties while generating a meaningful impact.
As a for-purpose company, we are also one of the very few that dedicate a portion of our income to impactful projects.
How do you stay up-to-date with the latest developments and trends in sustainable tourism and incorporate them into your label
At Unique Retreats, we prioritize staying up-to-date with the latest developments and trends in sustainable tourism to ensure that our framework and assessment process reflect the current best practices. We accomplish this through a variety of methods, including attending industry conferences and events, continuous education, and staying in touch with relevant research and publications. We also engage with our peers, other sustainability-focused organizations and experts in the field.
Additionally, we regularly review and update our framework to reflect new developments and best practices in sustainable tourism, always adapting it to the specificities of luxury hospitality and ensuring that our label remains relevant and meaningful in today’s rapidly evolving industry.
Are you a not-for-profit organisation?
We believe in conscious business, and were established to help solving problems.
Unique Retreats operates as a for-profit company in that it seeks to maximise revenue and optimise expenses. This allows us to bring high value to our members by attracting top talents rightfully compensated and use state-of-the-art tools and systems to deliver our service.
However, we consider that Unique Retreats and the team have a for-purpose drive in ensuring we are also contributing to projects and start-ups we share our values with.
As such we contribute 1% of our gross revenue to charities working towards the United Nations 17 SDGs via the B1G1.com platform.
Over time, a portion of our net profits (after salaries, operating expenses and taxes) will also be made available for seed funding of innovative start-ups tackling environment, social and economic challenges.
We also invite all our members to join us in this constructive philosophy and doubling the impact of our mission.
How do you ensure that your sustainability label is transparent, trustworthy, and meaningful to both property owners and guests?
To ensure that our sustainability label is transparent, trustworthy, and meaningful to property owners, specialised agencies and guests, we prioritize clear and consistent communication about our verification criteria, assessment process, and ongoing sustainability initiatives.
We also work closely with our members to provide ongoing support and resources to help them implement sustainable practices and meet our criteria. Finally, we collect feedback from property owners and guests to continuously improve and refine our sustainability framework and meet the evolving needs and expectations of the stakeholders.
Get in touch!
It all starts with a conversation when we will be happy to share our views and how our partnership with your property will work.
Email Us
contact@qalia.org
Call Us
+33 (0) 7 50 02 11 03
Meet with Us
Please see our contact page to meet with us during the 2023 conferences