Malliouhana, The Caribbean's Brightest Star, Reopens as an Auberge Resort Following a three year closure and 18 Month Renovation
Anguilla, B.W.I. (PRWEB) November 03, 2014 -- Auberge Resorts Collection, internationally renowned owner and operator of boutique luxury hotels, resorts, residences and private clubs, has re-launched and rebranded the former Malliouhana Hotel & Spa as Malliouhana, an Auberge Resort, following a three-year closure, acquisition by AJ Capital Partners and an 18-month end-to-end redesign. The celebrated Caribbean resort, located on a bluff overlooking Meads Bay and Turtle Cove on the island of Anguilla, re-opened its doors on Saturday, November 1, exactly 30 years after its initial debut in 1984, when it quickly became the go-to luxury hideaway for the international jet set.
“Malliouhana has an incredible legacy in the Caribbean, and it has been a thrill to revitalize such an iconic resort,” said Craig Reid, Chief Executive Officer, Auberge Resorts Collection. “Previous guests will notice a new style of relaxed sophistication from the moment they arrive. We believe that Auberge’s reinterpretation perfectly captures the spirit of Anguilla with depth and beauty. We have brought something very new and fresh to the Caribbean.”
Auberge Resorts Collection looked to two of the hospitality industry’s hottest design talents, TAL Studio and SB Architects, to refresh the resort’s design and décor, while Auberge’s own award-winning culinary, spa and operations teams reimagined the guest experience to appeal to today’s discerning traveler. A tropical oasis with 360-degree views of the Caribbean Sea, the transformed Malliouhana raises the bar for luxury in the Caribbean with its 44 spacious ocean-view rooms and suites, a dramatic open-air cliff-side restaurant, two new infinity-edge swimming pools and a signature Auberge Spa.
The design team removed walls and opened up vistas to create a visual connection to the sea that surrounds guests from the moment they arrive. The fresh new color palette of mint, mango, saffron and white is inspired by the Caribbean sensibility and the effect of the water on Anguilla’s sugar-white sand. The theme of sky and sea is doubled in the lobby, where celadon interiors are reflected in a mirrored mosaic floor. The former reception desk has been replaced with two individual concierge desks, each topped with a ceramic sculpture of a Caribbean woman that has been commissioned for Malliouhana as a spirited tribute to Caribbean beauty.
Guest accommodations have the collected feel of a stylish Caribbean residence owned by a glamorous world traveler. Chinoiserie and British Colonial pieces complement early 20th century deco and rattan seating. An oversized mirror anchors each guest room and cleverly hides the television. Guest rooms also showcase some of Malliouhana’s original treasures: a collection of animated jungle scenes depicting the Garden of Eden and painted by distinguished Caribbean artist Lawrence Peabody.
Accommodations offer 720 to 2,500 square feet of indoor/outdoor living space and feature Auberge Resorts Collection’s signature amenities, from Nespresso coffee makers and complimentary snacks and beverages to luxury linens, microfiber robes and artisan bath products custom blended for Malliouhana in the resort’s bespoke lemongrass scent.
Renowned in the Caribbean for its superb legacy of fine dining, The Restaurant at Malliouhana features an updated open-air space in its exquisite bluff-top setting. Under the direction of new Executive Chef Jeremy Bearman, formerly executive chef of five-time Michelin-starred Rouge Tomate in New York City and L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon in Las Vegas, the re-envisioned restaurant features a contemporary American menu that embraces Caribbean traditions and flavors, such as jerk spices, passion fruit, tamarind and guava.
Bearman has marshalled an extraordinary network of local growers and purveyors and an in-house team that includes two pastry chefs to design the new culinary program at Malliouhana. From the new European-style kitchen, with its separate butcher and fish stations and pastry, chocolate and ice cream areas, the restaurant offers a level of cuisine that departs from typical resort fare. Though classically trained, Bearman favors healthful preparations that bring flavors forward. “I love to work with classic yet authentic flavors and ingredients of an individual region and twist them into a more modern American preparation,” he said. “This allows me to transport guests to a specific place through flavor while not just giving them the common classic dish.”
Specialties include: House-Made Pasta with Spiny Lobster and Sea Urchin Butter; Tamarind- Glazed Duck with Cornbread and Coconut Butter; Lobster and Conch Pizza; Curried Goat with Basmati Rice, Pigeon Peas, Roasted Plantains and Sweet Potato Purée. For dessert: Tropical Fruits with House-Made Coconut Yogurt and Black Sesame; Lemon Pot De Crème; Horchata Cookie and Salted Caramel Ice Cream Sandwiches; and Curry Ice Cream. The restaurant also features an extensive wine list, an Auberge hallmark. Additionally, guest chefs and interactive culinary explorations will be offered throughout the year as part of Auberge Resort’s popular Food of Place program.
Adjacent to the restaurant is the Sunset Bar, an indoor-outdoor lounge that takes full advantage of its location on the most scenic vantage point on the island. Offering a selection of more than 40 rum varieties, the bar also features island-inspired cocktails, such as a coconut martini with house-made elderflower water, a traditional daiquiri made with coconut and passion fruit and a menu of small plates as well as a selection of fine cigars, all accompanied by nightly live music and stunning sunsets nightly.
Set in an intimate tropical garden setting, the two-story Auberge Spa sits next to two ponds and a jungle of island vines and exotic flowering plants. Exuding a luxurious residential ambiance, the villa-style spa features four private treatment rooms, regionally inspired therapies, an outdoor meditation garden and a relaxation lounge. Decorative wooden oars line the walls at the spa’s front doors, and a palette of blue, white and sand reflect the seaside setting. With treatments rooted in local healing traditions, the spa offers relaxing results-oriented skin care and rejuvenating body therapies to soothe and pamper guests. Treatments integrate island grown, organic and natural ingredients such as aloe and lemongrass, and custom house-made delights including a made-to-order sweet sugar cane body scrub, aloe mousse for après sun skincare and a banana rum masque for deeply nourishing haircare.
After they are greeted with chilled lemongrass towels and the elixir of the day, spa guests can opt to create custom oil blends for their massages at the Aroma Design Bar. Signature treatments include Coconut Dream, a customized aromatic and therapeutic compress and massage incorporating the sun-kissed Malliouhana sand, coconut and a hint of passion fruit; Island Drift, a trio of a tropical Caribbean rum foot soak, sweet sugar cane body exfoliation and a coconut crème massage; and Sol Salvation, a hydrating wrap using a freshly made chilled aloe mousse and an aloe-lemon refresher elixir. Guests are invited to extend their spa experience and enjoy the ocean breeze in hammocks post-treatment in the open-air meditation garden set in an alcove of white and orange-flowered geiger and ficus trees.
Guests preferring to soak up the sun will have ample opportunity at Malliouhana’s two new swimming pools. The heart of the resort, the two new infinity-edge pools are generously sized for a 44-room resort, allowing both couples and families the luxury of space to lounge and dine poolside. More active guests can enjoy a variety of outdoor activities, including yoga on the beach, biking, kayaking, snorkeling, deep-sea fishing, sailing, windsurfing and paddle boarding, as well as tennis and horseback riding. Personal trainers are also available.
Rates at Malliouhana start at $525 per night. The resort is celebrating its reopening with special introductory packages such as “Island Debut,” “Warm Up Your Winter” and “Retreat To Romance.” For more information or to book, guests may call 1-866-282-3743 or visit http://www.malliouhana.com.
About Auberge Resorts Collection
Auberge Resorts Collection owns and operates a portfolio of exceptional hotels, resorts, residences and private clubs under two distinct brands: Auberge Hotels and Resorts, timeless luxury properties acclaimed for their intimate, understated elegance, and VieVage Hotels and Resorts, a new take on luxury that brings together contemporary themes of design, community and wellness in a fresh, active and social environment. While Auberge nurtures the individuality of each property, all share a crafted approach to luxury that is expressed through captivating design, exceptional cuisine and spas, and passionate service. Properties in the Auberge Resorts Collection include: Auberge du Soleil and Calistoga Ranch, Napa Valley, Calif.; Esperanza, Los Cabos, Mexico; Hotel Jerome, Aspen, Colo.; Malliouhana, Anguilla; The Auberge Residences at Element 52, Telluride, Colo.; Pronghorn Resort, Bend, Ore., and VieVage, Napa Valley, Calif., with several others in development. For more information about Auberge Resorts Collection, please visit http://www.aubergeresorts.com/. Follow Auberge Resorts Collection on Facebook at facebook.com/AubergeResorts and on Twitter at @AubergeResorts.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Lydia You/Stacy Lewis
Murphy O’Brien Public Relations
310-586-7124/310-586-7164
lyou(at)murphyobrien(dot)com
slewis(at)murphyobrien(dot)com
Caroline MacDonald, Auberge Resorts, http://www.aubergeresorts.com, +1 (310) 453-2383, [email protected]
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