ST. BARTS HOTELS PROMOTE FRENCH CUISINE

-- NEWPORT, RI, March 2002 -- WIMCO, the luxury vacation villa rental and hotel reservations company based in Newport, RI, announces that eight of the premier hotels it represents on St. Barts, French West Indies, have joined together to form Gourmet Hotels of St. Barts. This is a delectable opportunity allowing those who appreciate unadulterated traditional French fare to experience it in the most enchanting of settings.

Luxurious St. Barts has always been known for its fine cuisine and myriad culinary options. However, while many of the island’s restaurants have followed stateside, ethnic, and other trends in cuisine, several remain dedicated to serving French classic cuisine, successfully retaining the island’s delicious Gallic gastronomic roots. It is these hotel restaurants that have formed the association of the Gourmet Hotels of St. Barts.

The participating members of Gourmet Hotels of St. Barts are Filao Beach Hotel, Hotel Carl Gustaf, Hotel Christopher, Hotel Francois Plantation, Hotel Guanahani, Eden Rock, Hotel Isle de France, and Hotel Le Toiny. All participating hotel restaurants feature a range of French cuisine, from classic dishes such as parmentier de cuisses de canard gras (duck with fois gras) and mousse glacee au lait d’amande et aux abricots (light almond mousse with apricots) to more modern examples. Anyone interested in enriching his palate with the fine flavors of savory French fare is invited to become an exclusive member of Gourmet Hotels of St. Barts.

Guests who book five nights or more at any of the participating hotels can obtain membership by mentioning the Gourmet Hotels of St. Barts when reserving. Upon check-in, they will receive an embroidered apron, a book about St. Barts with recipes by the participating chefs, a certificate, and a membership card. Membership secures priority booking at any of the participating hotels’ restaurants as well as complimentary aperitifs every time they come to enjoy a meal.

Brochures about Gourmet Hotels of St. Barts will be available at several of New York’s premium restaurants such as Le Cirque, Cipriani, and Balthazar.

Wimco has full detailed information, brochures, and reservations services at each of these hotels. Wimco’s reservations agents personally know these hotels and can assist with an intimate knowledge of all the rooms. For greater value, summer packages are available in each hotel starting after April 15th and running until December 14th. Travelers interested in finding photos, pricing, and details may find them on Wimco’s web site: www.wimco.com.

Technically astute, WIMCO’s www.wimco.com recently received a “Best of the Web” accolade from Forbes.com and kudos from Town & Country magazine as one of the best travel web sites.

WIMCO offers over 1,000 luxury vacation villas and distinctive hotels internationally including 690 villas on 10 Caribbean islands (St. Barts, Barbados, Mustique, Nevis, Anguilla, St. Martin and others) and in such select destinations as Italy’s Umbria and Tuscany and France’s St. Tropez and Provence.

For further information write WIMCO, P.O. Box 1461, Newport, RI 02840; Tel: 401/849-8012; Fax 401/847-6290, or visit the website at www.wimco.com.

PRESS CONTACT: Hawkins & Widness Public Relations International, 646/602-7010;
sara@hawkinsandwidness.com