PREFERRED PARTNER INSIDER NEWS

JANUARY 2019 | FOOD-INSPIRED TRAVELS

Creative food and beverage experiences are more important than ever for affluent travellers – and Four Seasons hotels and resorts are always cultivating new ideas to help you inspire your clients with exciting travel plans.

According to Affluent Perspective 2017 Global Study, YouGov research, restaurants are the #1 luxury experience sought by affluent global consumers. In fact, 73% of guests consider the on-site restaurant to be the #1 amenity in a hotel. The promise of a memorable dining experience can greatly influence a guest’s hotel choice!

The dining focus is especially important for Four Seasons guests. “Having unique experiences” is the #1 driver of leisure travel choices (81% among Four Seasons guests), and the #1 driver of these unique experiences is “trying local food” (75% for Four Seasons guests > than total affluent travellers).

A full 60% of Four Seasons guests are travelling to explore new food and dining, and 68% want to try new dining experiences. That’s why Four Seasons is constantly coming up with new food activities to inspire our guests.

In this month’s issue of Preferred Partner Insider News, we are showcasing exclusive Four Seasons culinary experiences. Each option can provide a wonderful highlight to your clients’ travel itinerary – whether they’re visiting Hawaii, Hong Kong, Cairo or Washington, DC.

CONNECT TO HAWAIIAN CULTURE WITH SALT HARVESTING IN HUALALAI

Recently featured in Condé Nast Traveler’s Prestigious 2019 Gold List, Four Seasons Resort Hualalai combines luxurious amenities with authentic Hawaiian cultural immersion, such as the new Salt Flat Experiences.

As Uncle Earl Regidor, Cultural Center Manager, explains: “The natural salt provided by the ocean was a cornerstone of Hawaiian living – used for food preservation, cooking, medicine, and more. These new experiences are yet another way to showcase our rich history.”

• Guests are invited to partake in a 1.5-hour hike with a Four Seasons chef, travelling to the salt flats at the ocean edge just north of the property. Harvesting the salt involves finding a crevice in the rock where sodium chloride has settled and scraping it into a cloth bag with a metal spoon. Then the crystals are spread out on a flat tray to dry in the sun.
• The next step is a cooking class with the chef, learning to make the Hawaiian classic poke with local ahi tuna. Guests use three different types of sea salt and taste how each salt changes the flavour. Next, the class evolves into a demonstration of how the chef prepares salt-crusted Hawaiian Kanpachi. Even the dessert incorporates sea salt!
• After lunch, guests can visit the Hualalai Spa for the Salts of the Ocean body treatment – an immersive body scrub and massage that incorporates seven types of salt from across the Hawaiian Islands.
• To provide a finale to the day, add a private dinner on the beach, prepared by a private chef who will create the perfect customized dinner under the stars – of course, highlighting locally harvested sea salt.

For information on fees and to make reservations, please call +1 808 325 8000.

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TASTE EIGHT MICHELIN STARS IN HONG KONG

In December 2018, Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong made history with the unveiling of the Michelin Guide 2019 Hong Kong-Macau. In the eleventh edition of the region’s guide, the three restaurants at Four Seasons brought home an unprecedented eight stars – the most Michelin stars to be found in one hotel, anywhere in the world.

• Lung King Heen, the world’s first Chinese restaurant to win three Michelin stars, retained its position, taking home three stars for the eleventh consecutive year. Overseeing this pursuit of excellence is Chinese Executive Chef Chan Yan Tak and Restaurant Manager Jacky Cheung.
• The Four Seasons temple of French fine dining, Caprice, received the coveted three-star accolade for the first time under the leadership of Chef Guillaume Galliot and Restaurant Director Stephane Rabot.
• The final jewel in the crown is the newest Four Seasons restaurant addition, Sushi Saito – the first overseas location of the famed Tokyo restaurant by legendary sushi master Takashi Saito. This intimate restaurant earned two Michelin stars, a remarkable achievement only eight months after opening.

When your clients visit Hong Kong, they’ll find the world’s finest cuisines, executed at the highest level, all right here at Four Seasons. For reservations, please contact the concierge team.

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EXPLORE EGYPTIAN CUISINE IN CAIRO AT NILE PLAZA

Culinary connoisseurs can get right to the heart of Egyptian cuisine at Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza. This “Taste of Place” two-day adventure reveals the start-to-finish process of the Hotel’s Executive Chef Emad Ebeid, as he creates the finest local specialties.

The experience is a celebration of the vibrant Four Seasons restaurant, Zitouni, known for serving authentic Egyptian fare with up-close Nile River views.

• Day One features a trip in a private car to Makar Farms, established in 1888 and known as the country’s best local farm. Guests enjoy an exclusive tour, witnessing the care that goes into growing the organic produce – from planting to harvesting. At the end of the tour, an authentic Egyptian meal can be waiting amidst the farm’s gardens, with dishes overseen by Chef Ebeid himself.
• Day Two invites guests to discover the aromatic history of Egyptian wine-making with a visit to the country’s best vineyard, Al Ahram. Each sip teaches a little bit more about Egypt’s superior grapes and wine-making abilities, perfected over centuries. As an exclusive extra, end the experience with a private cooking session with Chef Ebeid in the kitchen at Zitouni. Wearing official chef uniforms, guests can learn to make Egyptian fattah, mezzah or maa’moul with keshta. It’s a delicious opportunity they’ll remember forever.

The Exclusive Package is USD 3,000 per two guests. Contact the Food & Beverage team to book this experience.

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DINE BENEATH AN ICE DOME IN WASHINGTON, DC

At BOURBON STEAK, DC’s premier steakhouse, three heated ice domes have transformed the restaurant’s patio into an urban wonderland – making al fresco dining a chic possibility all winter long. Suggest your clients have a meal here during their stay at Four Seasons Hotel Washington, DC.

Each of the three glistening ice domes accommodates up to six people and boasts its own luxurious décor and theme: Cozy & Chic, Caviar & Champagne, and Cigar & Cognac. Guests can opt for perfectly chilled or piping hot beverages, coupled with award-winning cuisine, whether for lunch or dinner. For a totally luxurious experience, guests can order “On Ice Unlimited,” offering bottomless Krug Champagne and unlimited oysters for USD 500 per person.

Distinctive alpine specials include the comfort-driven French favourite tartiflette, as well as a decadent domed baked Alaska dessert. Guest are also invited to partake in outdoor lawn games, including light-up bean bag and toss under the stars.

“BOURBON on Ice” is just one of many exciting happenings at Four Seasons Washington this winter. There are also icy spa treatments, in-room glow-in-the-dark sleeping domes for kids, and irresistible ice wines at ENO Wine Bar.

Reservations are strongly recommended for the ice domes. Call BOURBON STEAK at +1 202 342 0444.

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