Relais & Châteaux Announces New Members

Relais & Châteaux has announced its 31 newest worldwide members, bringing the total number to 480 properties in 56 countries. The operator of intimate hotels and gourmet restaurants reviewed 100 candidates seeking outstanding properties that create unforgettable moments for guests. 

“Our newest members offer truly unique and unforgettable experiences for our guests,” said Jaume Tàpies, international president of Relais & Châteaux.  “We are delighted to welcome them into our family, where personal generosity and hospitality are a way of life.”

One restaurant, Eleven Madison Park, and three resorts— Winvian, The Inn of the Five Graces and Hotel Fauchére— in the U.S were selected.

*    Eleven Madison Park, in New York City, has clear views of Madison Square Park and offers modern and market-driven French cuisine courtesy of Chef Daniel Humm.

*    Winvian, in Litchfield County, CT, rests on 113 acres and contains cottages designed by 15 different architects. Its Helicopter Cottage features a fully-restored 1968 Sikorsky HH36 Sea King Pelican helicopter while the Treehouse, a two-story cottage suspended among the trees 10 meters off the ground, allows guests to sway with the breeze and touch the leaves.

*    The Inn of the Five Graces in Santa Fe, NM combines the Orient and the Old West, reflecting both Southwest style and the Five Graces of Tibetan culture that celebrate the human senses.

*    Hotel Fauchére in Pike County, PA is a classic Italianate-style property with 16 rooms, all with marble baths, two restaurants, a patisserie and an adjacent spa. The property was meticulously restored and reopened in 2006 The public areas feature a collection of Hudson River School paintings.

Relais & Châteaux has unveiled a redesigned Guide for 2009 to accompany the announcement of its newest members. The new guide features a larger format, customized pages for each property and a new column, “Unique in the World,” that highlights the character of each property. Douglas Kennedy, Relais & Châteaux’s first ambassador for 2009, has written a forward for the newly formatted Guide. 800,000 copies will be distributed in six languages in 60 countries.

“We all need ways to escape and seek out places that provide us with a way of seeing the world in a different way,” said Kennedy.  “When you arrive at a Relais & Châteaux hotel or restaurant, you arrive somewhere that isn’t afraid to trumpet its uniqueness.  The new Guide will allow readers to immediately identify each property’s extraordinary qualities to draw inspiration for their next destination.”

Visit www.relaischateaux.com.