BWW Preveiw: RELAIS & CHATEAUX New Members and News

Relais & Châteaux fêted the addition of their new members at an event in New York City on Jan. 20, hosted at the Bouley Test Kitchen. Headlining this event was celebrated chef David Kinch, who newly joined Relais & Châteaux and who received his third Michelin Star last year at Manresa restaurant in Los Gatos, CA. Manresa joins the group of coveted properties and restaurants around the world for 2016. Influenced by French and modern Catalan cooking, Kinch finds inspiration from European traditions and refinement, American ingenuity, and is considered at the forefront of new contemporary California cuisine. At the event, Chef Kinch performed a cooking demonstration highlighting the creation of his signature dish, Scallop with Kohlrabi and Meyer Lemon Choucroute and a Sunchoke Soubise. Kinch was nominated for the James Beard Foundation "Outstanding Chef" award in 2014, and received the Foundation's "Best Chef: Pacific" award in 2010. His first cookbook, entitled "Manresa: An Edible Reflection" debuted in October 2013 and was number 19 on The New York Times "Best Sellers List." Broadwayworld.com attended the Relais & Châteaux event and enjoyed a tasting of Chef David Kinch's cuisine. We have exciting information about the Relais & Châteaux members that were in attendance at the event.

New Relais & Châteaux Members

Manresa is located in the village of Los Gatos at the base of the Santa Cruz Mountains south of San Francisco, and is the showcase for the cuisine of renowned Chef and Proprietor David Kinch. Fostered by the terroir, or "sense of place" of the California Coast, and the kind of ingredient-driven cooking and modern technique he studied around the world, Kinch's distinctive culinary path has put him at the forefront of a new contemporary California cuisine. His pursuit for exceptional products inspired an exclusive partnership with Love Apple Farms, where most ingredients for Manresa are grown. This relationship creates a closed loop between the farm and kitchen assuring the dining experience imparts to guests a distinct sense of place and time.

Manresa is new to the Relais and Châteaux collection as of 2015. The restaurant earned three Michelin stars for 2016 and held two Michelin stars for nine consecutive years prior. Following a fire in 2014, Manresa reopened in 2015 receiving a Four Star review from the San Francisco Chronicle.

The Ivy Hotel opened in June 2015 and has led the luxury resurgence in Baltimore's historic Mt. Vernon neighborhood. Located nearby the University of Baltimore, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, and The Walters Art Museum, the elegant property welcomes guests with an appreciation of the arts and seeking a personalized luxury experience. The Ivy offers 18 well-appointed guest rooms and suites, restaurant, bar and spa as a highly-inclusive experience.

The Ivy is a member of the prestigious Relais & Châteaux association and is the first and only hotel in Maryland to hold this status. The Ivy Hotel opened in June 2015 as the premiere luxury property in Baltimore's historic Mt. Vernon neighborhood. In its short time being open, The Ivy has become Relais & Châteaux's first and only hotel in the state of Maryland.

Old Edwards Inn and Spa cascades along several blocks in downtown Highlands, NC - a cultural mountain village that offers pristine mountain recreation, world-class dining, wine events, art galleries and some of the nation's top golf courses. The European style resort features three spectacular outdoor heated mineral pools, world-class spa, award winning, farm-fresh dining, and golf at the private Old Edwards Club. Guests are surrounded by the warmth and character of Old-Europe architecture and hand-selected antiques. Old Edwards Inn and Spa features a state-of-the art fitness center with wellness classes that include guided hikes on the fun and scenic southwest plateau of North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains.

The Royal Blues Hotel is South Florida's exceptional boutique luxury art hotel with only 12 rooms. The hotel is also Florida's only Relais & Châteaux Hotel, featuring the Michelin-level Chanson restaurant. The hotel was founded by major Hollywood film and Broadway producer Edward Walson. Royal Blues Hotel pays homage to Americana, acting first as an authentic reflection of its local surroundings as it sits on the promenade shoreline of Deerfield Beach, Florida. The boutique luxury hotel's inimitable presence debuts first with its landmark architecture, a visually breathtaking performance that continues once inside the hotel for the show-stopping sight of classic elegance met with stunning modern design. Royal Blues Hotel's guest rooms are lushly outfitted with genuine materials like wood, stone and leather chosen to complement the artful modern furnishings and sleek contemporary design. Each unique room features lavish interiors equipped with upscale amenities, abundant natural light and sophisticated technology.

News From Relais & Châteaux Members

Eden Roc at Cap Cana is a boutique luxury resort located in the most elegant beachfront community of Punta Cana, at the eastern tip of the Dominican Republic. The five-star, Relais & Châteaux property is comprised of 34 magnificent free-standing suites, each with its own swimming pool, and private massage and relaxation area surrounded by lush tropical landscaping, creating an intimate sanctuary for guests. Offering world-class gourmet dining headlined by signature Mediterraneo Restaurant, exceptional treatments at the resort's Solaya Spa, a natural grotto, and access to adjacent world-class Jack Nicklaus Golf Course, the 30,000-acre hideaway also provides exclusive access to newly-renovated Eden Roc Beach Club, a members-only facility just steps away, with infinity pool, private beach, and coming in Spring 2016, a new restaurant, spa and 52 additional rooms.

Eden Roc at Cap Cana has completed the first stage of renovations to the exclusive Eden Roc Beach Club, boasting a new infinity pool overlooking the resort's private palm-lined beach -- offering complimentary beverages, a "Beauty Essentials Bar" of organic sunscreens and after-sun lotions, and VIP butler service -- and casual beach bar. This spring, a second phase of renovations will reveal the first Robatayaki and Nikkei cuisine restaurant in the Caribbean, featuring a cigar cellar, wine showcase and live entertainment. The Beach Club will also welcome an expanded Solaya Spa with enhanced wellness, fitness and holistic programs, and 52 Oceanside suites.

Esperenza Resort is tucked between two scenic bluffs overlooking the Sea of Cortez in Cabo San Lucas, and offers luxury accommodations and amenities in an incomparable natural setting. Guests enjoy a private vacation retreat with all the comforts of home and access to award-winning resort amenities including a world-class spa and yoga studio, four restaurants with ocean views, 24-hour room service, pools with swim-up bars, and personal concierge services.

The resort completed a redesign in 2015 with a focus on new luxurious interior details complemented by handcrafted furnishings by revered Mexico-based craftsmen, new poolside private cabanas and in-pool lounge chairs, and a new ceviche bar, Pesca, featuring made-to-order citrus-cured seafood dishes inspired by Latin and Asian flavors.

Hotel Fauchère is located 75 miles from New York City in the center of Milford, Pennsylvania's National Historic District, on the upper Delaware River between the Catskills and the Pocono Mountains. Originally opened in 1852 by Delmonico's Master Chef Louis Fauchère, the Fauchère family ran the hotel for 124 years until it closed in 1976. A member of Relais & Châteaux, the hotel reopened after a five year historic restoration in 2006, with 16 guest rooms, two restaurants, a Patisserie/Cafe and day spa. The hotel features a permanent exhibition of Hudson River School paintings, a vintage menu collection and contemporary photography by Christopher Makos and the Hilton Brothers. Milford is the north gate to the 70,000-acre Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and the home of Grey Towers National Historic Site.

Hotel Fauchère just opened the Fauchère Meeting Center, for corporate board meetings, retreats and small conferences. The Fauchère Meeting Center is stylish, technologically advanced, and private, designed by and marketed in association with Convene, a New York-based leader in corporate meeting facilities.

Lake Placid Lodge is the jewel of the Adirondacks. A majestic hotel located on the lake's emerald shore, built by hand in the Arts and Crafts tradition, is perfectly at home in its lakeside setting. There are thirty guest rooms at Lake Placid Lodge: five in the Main Lodge, seventeen cabins on the shore of the lake, six suites in the Lakeside Building, and two cottages, Pine and Birch, overlooking the lake, just steps from the Main Lodge. Each is spacious, luxurious and imaginative; rich and romantic with soft fabrics, polished wood, stone fireplaces, stacks of logs, a hand-built, cloud-soft bed and wilderness through its windows. Each is private, supremely comfortable and entirely individual; no two are the same.

Lake Placid Lodge welcomed Chef Mark Hannon in 2015 as the new Executive Chef. Winter 2016 marks his first full season on-property.

Manoir Hovey is located just 90 minutes from Montreal, and is a five-star Relais & Châteaux property on the shores of Lake Massawippi. One of Canada's most charming and romantic inns, it has 37 beautifully appointed rooms and suites, year-round activities, and hosts weddings, conferences and special events. Its award winning restaurant, Le Hatley, showcases ambitious terroir-driven Québec cuisine and an extensive wine list. Overlooking the lake and surrounded by English gardens, the dining room has a tranquil setting with breathtaking views.

The Birch Spring Awakening Package celebrates birch season in Québec. Manoir Hovey taps its own birch trees to make syrup and vinegar and this year introduced a package that includes an overnight stay, a birch body scrub and seaweed wrap, a menu that incorporates birch and maple with "taffy on snow" served at the table, and a birch "flight" to taste the different phases of birch from sap to syrup.

Ocean House, one of New England's last grand hotels, re-opened its doors in June 2010 after a $140 million rebuild and restoration. The 136-year-old property, originally built just after the Civil War, is perched high on the bluffs in Watch Hill, Rhode Island. Guests enjoy views of the Atlantic Ocean, Montauk and Block Island from the resort's 49 guestrooms and 18 signature suites. Farm-to-table casual and fine dining, the 12,000- square-foot OH! Spa and more than 10,000 square feet of event space make the Ocean House ideal for mid-week business retreats, close-to-home family vacations, weekend luxury escapes and destination weddings. This stately property is the only AAA Five- Diamond and Forbes Five-Star rated resort in Rhode Island, and only one of 10 hotels in the world to garner three Forbes Five-Star designations for hotel, spa and fine dining at a single property.

Ocean House is pleased to introduce the new Center for Wine & Culinary Arts. The luxurious 1800's Connecticut inspired space is an intimate place to taste, create and explore food and wine in the newly created 3,000-square-foot educational and entertaining space. Learn to pair food and wine like a pro, or practice the art of the canapé with private classes offered by the property's on-site Sommelier and Food Forager.

The Charlotte Inn offers an atmosphere of Edwardian elegance in a lovely, quiet garden setting which is located in Edgartown on the island of Martha's Vineyard. Each of their 19 rooms and suites embodies old world charm, appointed with period artwork and antiques; the Inn takes pride in being "Behind the Times on Purpose". The inn's restaurant, The Terrace at The Charlotte Inn, offers a classic American menu in a very romantic conservatory style dining room

The Inn at Little Washington is nestled at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and has been a culinary destination since 1978, when Chef and Proprietor Patrick O'Connell opened the restaurant in a former gas station. Located in the tiny hamlet of Washington, Virginia, The Inn is a restorative retreat just 67 miles west of Washington. The 26-acre campus includes formal gardens, green houses and vegetable gardens which grow most of The Inn's produce in season. The Inn's grounds are also home to a flock of sheep, two llamas and a brood of chickens. Each of its 24 richly appointed guestrooms, suites and private cottages were decorated by Joyce Conwy Evans, a London stage and set designer for whom The Inn has become a life's work. Patrick's third book focuses on the transformation of The Inn and is titled The Inn at Little Washington: A Magnificent Obsession and was published spring 2015.

The Inn at Little Washington was awarded two Five Star Awards by the 2015 Forbes Travel Guide for the 25th year in a row and the restaurant is the longest-tenured AAA Five Star-rated restaurant in America. It also received the 2015 Wine Spectator Grand Award for the 18th consecutive year; and it earned The Washington Post's Dining Guide's highest rating of four stars.

The Little Nell is Aspen's only Five-Star, Five-Diamond, ski-in/ski-out hotel, and offers luxury services and unparalleled access to America's most famous mountain town. Guests of The Little Nell enjoy a cosmopolitan yet intimate ambience, haute cuisine, and exclusive adventures and amenities designed to rejuvenate the mind, body and spirit. The Little Nell's culinary team is led by Executive Chef Matt Zubrod with Curtis Cameron as Executive Pastry Chef and Matt Padilla as Chef de Cuisine for element 47 and JD Baldridge as Chef de Cuisine for Ajax Tavern. Master Sommelier Carlton McCoy oversees the wine program. Element 47 has been acknowledged with numerous awards including The Grand Award from Wine Spectator since 1995, recognition as one of America's 100 Best Wine Restaurants from Wine Enthusiast and a Forbes Five-Star rating in 2015.

Dom Perignon Lounge: This winter, The Nell is partnering with Dom Perignon on several chic pursuits including a new Dom Perignon Lounge - Aspen's most chic après-ski setting with private butler service.

The Winter & Skiing Adventures Program has expanded with Snowcat Academy where guests have the opportunity to command a state-of-the-art Prinoth Bison snowcat. From March 6 - 9, Click-In With Chris Davenport is offered as a deluxe ski camp Nell-style with a Powdercat skiing adventure, fine wining and dining and more.

The Guest Chef Series at element 47 at The Nell welcomes chefs from around the world to take over the kitchen, including fellow Relais & Châteaux Chef Lou Rossi from Castle Hill Inn. Chair 9, voted Aspen's Best Après-Ski Bar by the Après-Ski Awards in 2015, has added two new "private chairs," elevated booth seating areas and established itself as Aspen's best scene to see and be seen this season. The Nell's secret cellar presents private tastings and tours with their wine director Carlton McCoy. MS, who shares stories from the property's fabled history as a Master Sommelier training ground.

The Mayflower Grace is located in the idyllic town of Washington, CT, less than two hours from New York City. The 30-room Mayflower Grace is a destination spa and country house hotel nestled among 58 acres of landscaped gardens and has the rare accolade of achieving both Forbes Five-Star and AAA Five Diamond status. The hotel offers luxurious accommodations that are individually decorated in a picturesque setting, surrounded by 3,000 acres of nature preserve. The Mayflower Grace features a range of simply elegant and comfortable New England dining experiences including The Tap Room, with casual, classic dining and Muse, the property's new fine dining restaurant that delivers delicious, seasonal cuisine drawing on locally sourced dishes. With its 20,000 square-foot destination spa, classic dining experiences featuring seasonal menus and beautifully arranged meeting spaces, The Mayflower Grace provides the ideal location for everything from a restorative spa escape to a grand occasion, corporate retreat or simply a relaxing vacation.

Elemental Wellness Therapies: The Mayflower Grace has established itself as one of northeast America's most distinguished luxury hideaways and one of the finest spas in New England. The 20,000 square-foot Mayflower spa is the only spa to offer Elemental Wellness Therapies, which are specialized treatments based on each person's unique constitution. Each person's wellness therapist determines their constitution and customizes a full spa experience for their biochemical needs. A variety of constitutional blends are synergistically formulated with wild crafted nutrient rich marine plants, medicinal clays, organic herbs and organic essential oils which provide transdermal nutrition.

Winter Fireside BBQs: The Mayflower Grace offers Winter Fireside BBQs every Sunday through March where the culinary team grills up BBQ favorites. Guests enjoy their dinner on the warm winter porch by the crackling fireside and watching the snow fall while pairing a glass of wine or spirits with their favorite BBQ of choice.

Snowball Cocktail Bar: Whenever it snows this winter, The Mayflower Grace hosts a snowball cocktail bar on the Warm Winter Porch. Guests take a snow ball maker out into the snow and bring it back inside to add in their favorite mixers and cocktails including The Mayflower Manhattan, Vesper or Prosecco with Italian black cherries.

The White Barn Inn was built in the 1860s in seaside Kennebunkport, Maine, and has been in operations since 1973, as a charming country inn offering luxurious accommodations year-round and award-winning gourmet dining. The White Barn Inn Restaurant, a AAA Five Diamond, Forbes 5 Star Fine Dining venue features a menu that is refreshed every week by Chef Derek Bissonnette, where guests will discover epicurean finesse and subtlety, underwritten by the rich and fulsome flavors of New England and coastal Maine. The 26-room inn features rooms, suites, waterfront cottages, a brimming swimming pool, massage and spa treatments and convenient access to fine shops and art galleries in Kennebunkport.

Property Reopening: The White Barn Inn reopened for business on January 22.

Relax-Restore-Retreat Spa Package: The White Barn Inn is the perfect place to cozy up and relax on a chilly winter night with its Relax-Restore-Retreat package. Packing includes one spa credit in the amount of $150 per day books to use during the stay, full breakfast each morning and luxurious accommodations at The White Barn Inn in New England's charming town of Kennebunkport.

Triple Creek Ranch is located in Darby, Montana, in the Bitterroot Range of the Rocky Mountains. A luxury all-inclusive retreat for adults and children sixteen years and older, rates start at $950 based on double occupancy in a private log cabin, all meals prepared by an award-winning chef, fine wines, and a range of outdoor activities including horseback riding, fly fishing, cooking classes, skijoring and more.

This winter, Triple Creek Ranch introduces the Cowgirl Gourmet Getaway, a bespoke adventure for women-only that combines the outdoors, sports and some extraordinary gastronomic pleasures. It features four days of luxury, wine tastings, cooking classes, a private Chef's Table dinner, cross country horseback ride, relaxing massages, yoga classes and a chick-flick movie night. In May, Triple Creek Ranch's 13th annual Vintner Series weekends return with the winemakers from Pepper Bridge Winery, Amavi Cellars, Et Fille Wines and Chappellet Winery.

Twin Farms is an intimate, all-inclusive country hideaway set amidst 300 acres of meadows and woodlands in an unspoiled valley, 15 minutes north of Woodstock in Barnard, VT. Hand painted murals, rich maple and pine woodwork, American folk art and museum-quality contemporary oils adorn the rustically elegant accommodations and lounges. Public areas include the Dining Room, Barn Room, Pub, Cabana and Fitness Center. Twenty distinctive lodgings (including a self-contained four-suite "Farmhouse at Copper Hill" overlooking a pond) feature king-size feather beds and sitting areas with wood-burning fireplaces that open onto screened porches. Whimsical cottages are tucked away in the property's secluded woodlands. The exceptional cuisine is backed by a 26,000-bottle wine cellar. On-site activities include hiking, biking, tennis, pond swimming, fly fishing and canoeing during the warmer months. Golf is available nearby. In winter, guests enjoy private downhill ski slopes, trails for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing as well as ice skating and sledding with all equipment provided. The property also offers a fitness center, Japanese-style soaking tub (Furo) and The Bridge House Spa that carries local Vermont Tata Harper products.

Twin Farms recently unveiled its new yoga deck where guests can enjoy stream-side yoga with views of the Green Mountains

Executive Chef Nathan Rich is one of the Relais & Châteaux talents heading to the four-day foodie extravaganza Relais & Châteaux GourmetFest for its third delicious year on February 25-28

Weekapaug Inn, one of New England's last great family resorts, re-opened its doors in October 2012. Originally built in 1899, the Inn is located in the peaceful community of Weekapaug, RI. Guests enjoy sweeping views of Quonochontaug Pond, and the Atlantic just beyond, from the Inn's 27 guest rooms and four two-bedroom Signature Suites. Amenities include farm-to-table fine and casual dining, a host of complimentary activities, a resident Naturalist, a fleet of boats, a fitness center and outdoor pool, indoor and outdoor boutique event and meeting space, and access to a private community beach. Managed by Ocean House Management (OHM), guests can enjoy the amenities and activities of all OHM properties, making the Weekapaug Inn ideal for business retreats, family vacations and weekend escapes.

New this year, Weekapaug Inn introduces it's Brewmaster's Social Series, a midweek open house party. During this monthly event, the property invites a local brewer to join them for a casual three-course, family-style meal, where each course is paired with the brewer's choice of beer. Offered once each month on April 20, May 18, June 15, September 21 and October 19. 6:30 p.m.

ABOUT RELAIS & CHÂTEAUX

Established in 1954, Relais & Châteaux is an association of more than 540 landmark hotels and restaurants operated by independent innkeepers, chefs, and owners who share a passion for their businesses and a desire for authenticity in their relationships with their clientele. Relais & Châteaux is established around the globe, from the Napa Valley vineyards and French Provence to the beaches of the Indian Ocean. It offers an introduction to a lifestyle inspired by local culture and a unique dip into human history. Relais & Châteaux members have a driving desire to protect and promote the richness and diversity of the world's cuisine and traditions of hospitality. They are committed to preserving local heritage and the environment, as encompassed in the Charter presented to UNESCO in November 2014. For more information and to learn about all of the Relais & Châteaux landmark hotels and restaurants, visit: www.relaischateaux.com.

Editor's Note: Stay tuned to Broadwayworld.com Food and Wine and Broadwayworld.com Travel as we continue to cover news from Relais & Châteaux.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Relais & Châteaux.