New hotel group and membership programme to ‘revolutionise luxury hospitality’

A new luxury hotel group and membership programme founded by former Six Senses president Bernhard Bohnenberger is set to launch in 2026.

Speaking to Aspire, Bohnenberger said membership is becoming the “next big thing” in luxury hospitality, prompting him to create Discover Collection. 

Members will have exclusive access to the brand’s range of properties in “stunning, unique places”, with the first set to open in Oman in September next year. Ras Amud is a 32-key waterside property on a cape in Musandam with “fjord-like” coastal views and varied marine life.

Following this will be 12-key Kenyan property Lemono next December, featuring nine villas and three residences set within the 26,000-acre Kitenden Conservancy in Amboseli National Park.

A second Kenyan property is expected to debut in 2027, as well as hotels in France and Mexico. Other projects include hotels in Denmark, Gambia, Greece and the Bahamas scheduled to open in 2028, and outposts in Albania, Ireland, Greece, Norway and Switzerland planned for 2029.

Bohnenberger said the collection’s properties will aim to sit within the “top” level of luxury hospitality, saying: “I believe we can really reach the top in exclusivity and price, because we will never slip with our commitment to only find like-minded developers.”

Discover Collection, which Bohnenberger hopes will “revolutionise luxury hospitality”, will begin accepting applications from February. However, to begin with, prospective members will be individually invited, primarily by some of the “top travel agents and advisors in the world”, as they can select the “right people” from among their top clients.

Bohnenberger said: “I’ve found that the most well-travelled and mindful travellers come through very specialised travel agents. If there are [clients] who have gone on safari and on Antarctic Circle trips, for example, those are the right ones [for Discover Collection].”

Membership will initially be complimentary but, from 2029, members will pay a $650 joining fee plus a “modest” annual payment covering activities provided during stays. The joining fee will contribute to Discover Collection Foundation, which funds local causes.

He said a membership model fits the ethos of the brand because “we want people to feel really at home by creating a true, like-minded community of members, rather than guests”. 

The brand will continuously see the trade as “real partners” according to Bohnenberger, with the team already working with more than 300 agencies across Europe to promote memberships. Initially, the brand’s focus will be European and North American markets before expanding into the Middle East and South America, he said.

He added: “We’ll commit that if your client is made a member through you, wherever they go with us over the next however many years, we are going to pay you commission. We will also pay you commission on pre-booked experiences, which many other competitors don’t do.

“We have very loyal connections, and the travel partners can trust us with their top clients.”